England suffer late collapse

ENGLAND were bidding to capitalise on Jonny Bairstow and Dawid Malan’s centuries despite the dramatic collapse which followed on the second morning of the third Ashes Test.

Bairstow made 119 and Malan weighed in with 140 as they shared a fifth-wicket stand of 237, a record for England at the WACA.

But England’s Ashes fightback then suddenly faltered on the way to 403 all out.

Bairstow even allowed himself a headbutt of his helmet, as a cheeky reference to his infamous bar-room welcome f or Cameron Bancroft back at the start of England’s tour, as he celebrated his first Ashes hundred.

But Malan’s attempt to dominate Nathan Lyon ended with a diving catch at point — the first of six wickets to fall for 35 runs — before Australia moved to a mid-afternoon 48 for the l oss of key opener David Warner, caught behind off Craig Overton.

Malan, though, enjoyed every minute of the Australia pace barrage he had to withstand on his way to a maiden hundred which has breathed new b e l i e f i n t o E n g l a n d ’s Ashes campaign.

Malan said: “It was good fun actually.

“I really enjoyed it — I enjoyed the pace these guys come with and the short ball.

“With anything you do, it’s the self-belief you have — you need to prove to yourself you do belong.”

It is a world away from a paltry 35 runs in his first four Test innings.

“After those first two games, I didn’t think I’d ever score a run in Test cricket,” he said.

Dawid Malan