MOEEN: WE’VE LET OURSELVES DOWN

MOEEN ALI admitted England had ‘let ourselves down’ after their second batting collapse of the game condemned them to certain defeat in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba. ‘We’re very disappointed,’ he said. ‘We played well over the first three days and were in the game. Today we let ourselves down. With the bat especially, we got in and never went on to get that big score that we needed.’ Moeen conceded that England had missed chances to take control of the first Test at a venue where Australia have not lost for nearly 30 years. ‘There were quite a few with the bat,’ he said. ‘We had a couple of biggish partnerships, and that run-out of James Vince was a big one. Then we had them 80 for four. Steve Smith was a big difference between the line-ups. Without him they’d have struggled to get anywhere near 300. ‘Australia are a good side, but not as good as we sometimes make out. We know we can compete and we’re going to have to compete very well over the next two games.’ And Moeen didn’t shy away from the hole that Ben Stokes’s absence has left in the side. ‘He’s one of our best players in the past few years,’ he said. ‘He’s always going to be missed.’