Warner, Bancroft will drive Australian chase for Ashes triumph

UNBEATEN half-centuries from David Warner and Cameron Bancroft, the debutant, took Australia to within 56 runs of victory in the first Test against England in Brisbane yesterday.

After Mitchell Starc, Josh Hazlewood and Nathan Lyon all took three wickets apiece to bowl England out for 195 in its second innings on the fourth day, Australia cruised to 114 without loss, chasing 170 for a 1-0 victory in the five-match Ashes series.

At the close, Warner had reached 60, his 25th Test 50 coming off just 74 deliveries with seven fours, while Bancroft was a lot more circumspect, taking 111 deliveries for his maiden half-century.

The pair was seldom troubled by the England bowling, which seemed to have lost heart after the visitors’ last four wickets went down for just 10 runs in a swift end to their second innings.

England began the penultimate morning on 33/2, leading byjust seven, with its hopes revolving around Joe Root. Not having won at the Gabba since 1986, England needed their captain to lead from the front and Root looked up to the task until he was trapped in front by Hazlewood for 51, shortly before the lunch interval.

A collapse

Cook and Moeen Ali were in the middle of a rescue act with a stand of 39 for the fifth wicket, but the captain’s dismissal triggered a collapse as the visitors lost their last six wickets for the addition of just 82.

It was Lyon, however, who struck the early blows as England sought to make up for the overnight dismissals of Alastair Cook and James Vince. The off-spinner got the ball to grip and turn to catch the outside edge of Mark Stoneman’s bat and for Steve Smith to take a smart catch low to his left at slip. Lyon then followed it up with the wicket of Dawid Malan, also caught by Smith at slip, to leave England struggling at 74/4.

Root resisted staunchly, but once he was sent packing by Hazlewood, only Ali and Jonny Bairstow offered any resistance. Ali was adjudged stumped by Tim Paine off Lyon for 40, the off-spinner finishing with 3/67. Hazlewood had figures of 3/46.

Starc, who had had a quiet time until then, cleaned up the England lower-order in next to no time. Bairstow had dug in for 42 off 75 deliveries when he was caught at third-man, while Stuart Broad was caught behind on review and Chris Woakes was pouched by Smith at second slip, the Australian captain’s fourth catch of the innings. Those three late strikes helped Starc, the left-arm paceman, end up with 3/51.

Pat Cummins, the third paceman, signalled the end of the England innings by having Jake Ball caught behind with a nasty lifter.

After England had posted 302 in their first innings, Australia was bailed out by a 21st Test century by Smith, whose unbeaten 141 rallied his team from 209/7 to 328.

Australia hasn’t lost a Test at the Gabba since 1988 when they were felled by Viv Richards’ West Indian side. – ANA