STREWTH, MATE

Paine has tooth pulled out on pitch Roy’s century wins it

JASON ROY plundered a magnificent century as Australia captain Tim Paine lost a tooth, then the game.

Roy clubbed a fine 120 before Paine dismissed him with a brilliant one-handed catch low down to the left.

Only moments earlier, an Aussie medic had whipped out one of Paine’s gnashers after Nathan Tye’s legside delivery had smacked him in the chops.

Poor old Paine will have face ache for days, if the swelling on his top lip was anything to go by.

And a headache, too, as he tries to work out a way for Australia to turn round a 2-0 deficit in this ODI series, although they were better here than they were at The Oval earlier in the week.

Although watching England’s bowling attack, as Shaun Marsh and Ashton Agar threatened to make a tense finale of this one, was a lot like pulling teeth.

In the end, Adil Rashid had Agar well stumped by Jos Buttler. And when Marsh went, bowled by Liam Plunkett soon after, it was as good as game over.

Those two were the pick of England’s bowlers – Plunkett ending with figures of 4-53 and Rashid with 3-70. While Mooen Ali chipped in with 2-47 and Mark Wood 1-57.

But it was the batsmen who had really done the damage against the Aussies with a total that would have taken some effort to chase down. The day hadn’t started well for England with their own skipper, Eoin Morgan, in the wars.

He was forced to withdraw 20 minutes before the toss when a back spasm ruled him out. Sam Billings came in with Buttler taking over the reins as captain and the wicketkeeping gloves.

It was Jonny Bairstow who got England off to a flier with an impressive 42 off 24 balls. And when he went, Roy (below) assumed the mantle, taking control of the game for some time before Tye and Paine combined.

By then, Buttler was in full flow, too, and he smacked an unbeaten 91 from 102 balls as England reached 342-8.

Buttler’s ramp shot for six over fine leg off the bowling of Jhye Richardson was arguably the shot of the day – until he followed it up with a carbon copy which went even further into the stand off the following delivery. England put on 50-plus for each of their first five wickets – the first time that has happened in ODI history.

With Travis Head and D’Arcy Short out relatively cheaply, Australia didn’t make the swiftest of starts in their reply.

And it wasn’t until Marsh, who scored 131, and Agar combined they ever looked like getting near England’s total.

But when Agar went for 46, and Marsh followed soon after, the Aussies were left bloodied and bruised.