VINCE MAKES NAME FOR HIMSELF

Written off by the mouthy Aussies, new No3 plays innings of his life

Nathan Lyon talked the talk in the most feverish way imaginable ahead of this first test, but he walked the walk at the Gabba yesterday when he pulled off a breathtaking run-out just when australia needed it most.

James Vince, picked on a hunch for this ashes tour by coach trevor Bayliss, was playing the innings of his life on his recall to the England side and was closing in on a first test century in the most demanding of environments.

then Lyon, who had said that he wanted to end English careers in this series, gathered the ball in the covers and threw down the stumps with a quite brilliant direct hit as Vince attempted a risky quick single.

It was cruel on Vince, who had batted with care and application to add to his obvious class to move on to 83 off 170 balls after putting on 125 with Mark Stoneman for England’s second wicket on the first day of this seismic series.

England’s ‘no names’, as they had been crudely labelled this week by another australian motormouth in Matthew hayden, had been taming what everyone here is quick to call the best and most fearsome attack in world cricket.

yet it was still a soft way to get out for a batsman who all too often looks a million dollars and then does not go on to the match-defining big innings that will be needed by England if they are to pull off an ashes upset.

you would never have dreamt that Vince averaged just 19 from his previous seven tests and had been picked for this tour despite a mediocre championship season when he averaged only 32 for hampshire.

Bayliss said earlier on this tour that it was a close call between Vince and the summer incumbent tom Westley but it is believed to be the coach who was adamant that 26-year-old Vince was wellsuited to australia.

here was the batsman who has earned comparisons with Michael Vaughan for the classical off-side play that saw him announce himself on the ashes by easing a gorgeous early trademark cover drive off Mitchell Starc to the boundary.

Vince was under enormous pressure when he walked out in this daunting concrete bowl after australia had drawn first blood by having alastair Cook snared by Peter handscomb at first slip in just the third over.

It came off the first ball with which Starc had managed to gain any sort of swing on an unusually slow Gabba pitch which offered little of the menace promised by the outspoken Lyon.

that did not make it any easier for a pair of English batsmen who struck up a rapport when they shared an apartment in Perth during the early days of this tour.

all too often England’s top order has crumbled but now they at last found a no 2 and 3 worthy of the exalted positions in the line-up as Stoneman and Vince passed any stand made by England on the ill-fated last tour here in 2013/14.

Surrey’s adopted Geordie Stoneman has looked the part ever since he set foot in australia and had made half centuries in his first three innings before adding a century in the last warm-up in townsville.

now he made his second test half century and had started with Vince to take England towards a position where they could start to dream before Pat Cummins bowled him with an absolute beauty just before tea.

When Vince, who had been dropped by australia’s returning keeper tim Paine off Lyon on 68, was run out, England had again seen two batsmen fail to convert having got to 50 and, thanks to their slow scoring rate with England desperate not to throw wickets away, the door had been left ajar.

australia then went a long way towards barging through it when Cummins took the huge wicket of Root with the help of the Decision Review System after umpire Marais Erasmus had surprisingly turned down his lbw appeal.

Moeen ali, promoted to no6 in the absence of Ben Stokes, produced the most positive batting in company with Dawid Malan, swinging Lyon for six as England finished a day shortened by ten overs by rain on 196 for four with honours just about even.

they went into today’s second day knowing they simply had to stretch that beyond 300 and as close to 400 as possible.

yet whatever happens England should now know that australia’s much-vaunted attack should hold no fears for them. there is nothing, at least not yet, to compare with Mitchell Johnson.

the bowler of the day, indeed, was not a fast bowler but Lyon, who gained appreciable turn on a pitch usually known for pace.

‘We talk about special plays and that Lyon run-out cracked England open,’ said the impressive Cummins, making his home test debut. ‘It was a huge effort and he also bowled beautifully. I’ve told him he should say stuff before every game if it means he’s going to bowl like that!’