SLOPPY ENGLAND LET IT SLIP
BATSMEN NOT YET FULLY IN THE GROOVE AS PRAPARATIONS CONTINUE FOR FIRST ASHES TEST
a succession of “sloppy” dismissals added up to a disappointing first day for England in their pink-ball match against a Cricket Australia XI.
The opener was one of three batsmen - captain Joe Root and Dawid Malan were the others - to pass 50 yet get no further than 63 in a total of 278 for eight at the Adelaide Oval.
He did not absolve himself from criticism after being caught at midwicket off a fulltoss from rookie leg-spinner Daniel Fallins, who finished with figures of four for 71.
England then lost three late wickets to the second new ball under lights in the second fixture of their Ashes tour, and Stoneman said: “We’re a fraction disappointed.
“Some of the dismissals we had today were a touch on the sloppy side, so it was a little bit frustrating more than anything that we didn’t kick on and probably have a couple of hundreds scored out there today.
“Everyone got a bit of time in the middle, so that was encouraging - but we also need to be scoring hundreds, and big hundreds.
“So there are lessons to be learned from today.”
A young home team therefore remain in contention, and Stoneman added: “Credit to (them) - they’ve got themselves back in the game.
“Obviously there’s been a progression from the opposition we faced in Perth... it was a step up.”
The opener, who again saw Alastair Cook dismissed cheaply at the other end, posted his second successive 50 but rued his own error when a bigger score was there for the taking.
“The bat twisted a little bit in my hand, and I clothed it to midwicket - so it was pretty disappointing,” he said.
“There was a chance there to go on and make a really big score, and really get myself into the tour.”
He is not concerned about Cook’s lack of runs in two innings so far, though.
“He’s had a couple of decent balls early, up front,” he said.
“That’s the nature of opening the batting... but I think the feeling between us is quite good, and there’s a decent level of chemistry. His record speaks for itself.”
Stoneman was dropped by wicketkeeper Tim Paine on 17 but did not report that facing the pink ball was too taxing. “It was fine,” he said. “There was the odd one that seamed early on, but not a great deal of movement.
“It was quite a slow wicket and a slow outfield as well - so 278 is probably worth about 320 - but those dismissals took the edge off the day.”
Twenty-one-year-old Fallins, meanwhile, had a firstclass debut to remember. He marked each wicket with a ‘double-dab’ celebration which he is building as a personal trademark.
“It came from a few of my mates mucking around,” he said.
“It started in grade cricket, and I keep getting invited to these bigger and bigger games - so I thought I’d carry it through.”