Malan makes the Australians pay for dropped catches

PERTH; Dawid Malan struck England’s first century of the Ashes series as the tourists saw off Australia’s marauding pace attack to emerge on top of an enthralling first day of the third Test at the WACA yesterday.

The middle order batsman’s unbeaten 110 anchored a flourishing 174-run stand with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow (75 not out), the pair pushing England to 305/4 at the close of a glorious day in Perth.

England captain Joe Root and his predecessor Alastair Cook may have failed with the bat, but the skipper won perhaps the most important contest of the day when he guessed correctly at the toss and opted to bat first.

“Tomorrow the first hour is crucial for us,” Malan told reporters after celebrating his maiden ton in his eighth Test.

“We’re going to have to be quite ruthless the way we play and put them under pressure, get some more overs into their legs.”

Australia’s pacemen were generally superb through much of the day and breathed fire in some hostile spells semi-final 2, 5.30am,SS8 TOMORROW Cricket Third Test, day 3, Australia v England, 4.20am, SS2 RamSlam T20 Challenge, final, 5.45pm, SS2 Golf Asian Tour Indonesian Masters, day 3, 5am, SS6/CSN Soccer ABSA Premiership, Mamelodi Sundowns v Bloemfontein Celtic, 3pm, SS4; Free State Stars v Orlando Pirates, 5.30pm, SS4; Kaizer Chiefs v Ajax Cape Town, 8pm, SS4 English Premier League, Leicester City v Crystal Palace, 2pm, SS3/ MaXimo1; Chelsea v Southampton, before the tea interval, but the quicks were let down in the field by three dropped catches.

The last of them reprieved lefthander Malan on 92 off the first delivery with the second new ball from a frustrated Mitchell Starc late in the day.

Coaxing a thick edge from the England No 5, Cameron Bancroft dived across from third slip in front of his captain Steve Smith to grass the chance.

“Obviously no-one goes out trying to drop catches but I think when the wicket’s that flat and it’s that hard for 4.30pm, SS3/MaXimo1; Arsenal v Newcastle United, 4.50pm,SS5/ CSN; Stoke City v West Ham United, 4.50pm, SS6; Manchester City v Tottenham Hotspur, 7pm, SS3/ MaXimo1 LaLiga Santander, Athletic Bilbao v Real Sociedad, 5.10pm, SS7; Eibar v Valencia, 7.25pm, SS7; Atletico Madrid v Alaves, 9.40pm, SS7/ MaXimo1 Fifa Club World Cup, third place match, 4pm, StarSat24; Final, 7pm, Star Sat245 Bundesliga, Eintracht Frankfurt v FC Schalke 04, 4.30pm, StarSat240; FC Augsburg v Sport-Club Freiburg, 4.30pm, StarSat243; VfB Stuttgart v FC Bayern München, 4.30pm, our bowlers, it’s certainly disappointing,” Australia wicketkeeper Tim Paine said.

The 30-year-old Malan went on to raise his century in style, pulling paceman Josh Hazlewood to the fence to trigger a standing ovation.

Bairstow played a fine support role on his return to the city where he drew unwanted attention for ‘headbutting’ Bancroft at a local bar on the first night of the tour.

The pair came together with England 115/3 just after lunch and their ability to survive for nearly two sessions will have StarSat246; Borussia Dortmund v Hoffenheim, 7.30pm, StarSat246 Ligue 1, Stade Rennais FC vs PSG, 5.50pm, StarSat243; Caen vs Guingamp, 8.50pm, StarSat243 Serie A, Inter vs Udinese, 4pm, StarSat241; Torino vs Napoli, 7pm, StarSat240; Roma vs Cagliari, 9.45pm, StarSat245 Squash PSA World Tour, AJ Bell PSA World Championship, Women’s semi-final 1, 3pm, SS8; Men’s semi-final 1, 4.15pm, SS8; Women’s semi-final 2, 7.30pm, SS8; Men’s semi-final 2, 8.45pm,SS8 Tennis Australian Wildcard Play-off, Women’s semi-final 1, 2am, SS8; inspired Root’s team as the Ashes holders seek to claw back from a 2-0 deficit in the fivematch series.

Opener Mark Stoneman was out for 56, having twice been dropped after reaching his second half-century of the series and also struck on the helmet semi-final 2, 3.30am, SS8 Sunday Boxing Billy Joe Saunders v David Lemieux (WBO World Middleweight title), 4.40am, StarSat241 Cricket Third Test, day 4, Australia v England, 4.20am, SS2 Third ODI, India v Sri Lanka 3rd ODI, 9.45am, SS6 Cycling UCI Cyclo-Cross World Cup, Women Elite, 2.30pm, SS5; Men Elite, 4pm, SS5 Golf Asian Tour, Indonesian Masters, day 4, 5am, SS5/CSN Soccer with a vicious short ball by Hazlewood. He was first put down by Mitchell Marsh in the slips, then a diving Nathan Lyon was unable to complete a difficult low chance at point. Root was out softly for 20, caught down the legside ABSA Premiership, Baroka FC v SuperSport United, 2.30pm, SS4 English Premier League, West Bromwich Albion v Manchester United, 3.30pm, SS3/MaXimo1; AFC Bournemouth v Liverpool, 6.15pm, SS3/MaXimo1 Bundesliga, Hannover 96 v Bayer 04 Leverkusen, 4.30pm, StarSat246; RB Leipzig v Hertha Berlin, 7pm, StarSat245 Ligue 1, Nantes vs Angers, 3.50pm, StarSat243; Lyon vs Marseille, 9.45pm, StarSat248 Serie A, Hellas Verona v Milan, 1.30pm, StarSat245; Bologna v Juventus, 4pm, StarSat245; Crotone v Chievo Verona, 4pm, StarSat243; Fiorentina v Genoa, 4pm, StarSat by wicketkeeper Tim Paine, and Stoneman followed in controversial circumstances.

Paine leapt high to take a fine one-handed catch after Starc appeared to graze Stoneman’s right glove but the caught behind appeal was turned down.

Australia reviewed and third umpire Aleem Dar overruled Marais Erasmus on the strength of a noise picked up on the ‘snicko’ technology.

England number three James Vince contributed 25 before being caught behind off Hazlewood before lunch. 241; Sampdoria v Sassuolo, 4pm, StarSat240; Benevento v Spal, 7pm, StarSat246; Atalanta v Lazio, 9.25pm, StarSat245 LaLiga Santander, Girona v Getafe, 12.55pm, SS7; Celta Vigo v Villarreal, 5.10pm, SS7; Las Palmas v Espanyol, 7.25pm, SS7; Barcelona v Deportivo La Coruna, 9.40pm, SS7/ MaXimo1 Squash PSA World Tour, AJ Bell PSA World Championship, Women’s final, 7pm, SS8; Men’s final, 8pm, SS8 Tennis Australian Wildcard Play-off, Women’s final, 2am, SS8; Men’s final, 3.30am, SS8

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