Another day, another frustrating incident

PATIENCE WEARING THIN WITHDRINKERS

TREVOR Bayliss is fast losing patience with a minority of England’s Test squad after Lions opener Ben Duckett’s bar antics provided the latest regrettable Ashes tour headlines.

The England coach is angered that a handful of players appear to have become repeat offenders whenever a drink-related issue comes to light and has even hinted he may consider their place in the Test team, as a result.

Duckett was provisionally suspended and dropped from England’s tour match against a Cricket Australia XI, in which he was scheduled to open, and will discover his punishment via a disciplinary process to be completed in the next 24 hours.

Bayliss confirmed the 23-year-old is in trouble for pouring a drink over a senior Test player’s head late on Thursday night or early Friday morning, when around 10 members of the full squad joined up with the Lions after England and Wales Cricket Board director Andrew Strauss lifted a midnight curfew on their return to Perth.

The player, understood to be James Anderson, is not deemed to be at fault and therefore unlikely to become further embroiled in the disciplinary process.

Asked directly if Duckett had poured a drink over one of the Test regulars, Bayliss said: “I think that was the issue.

“It was boys being boys, I suppose, but totally unacceptable.”

Strauss imposed the curfew 12 days ago after it emerged Jonny Bairstow had delivered a curious ‘headbutt’ greeting for Cameron Bancroft – a playful jest from the Yorkshireman, also in a Perth bar back in October.

It was an unfortunate gesture which came back to haunt England and their wicketkeeper, prompting Strauss to take action after the first of two Test defeats which have left the tourists 2-0 down to Australia with three to play.

Bairstow’s faux pas occurred on the very first night of England’s tour, and Duckett’s came on the first after the Test squad arrived back in Perth for the third Test.

It was when Bayliss was asked if relaxation of the curfew may be reviewed that the extent of his annoyance became apparent.

“I might review who’s in the team,” he said.

“We can’t keep making the same mistakes.

“Most of the (test) guys are fine, (but) somewhere along the line some (of them) have got to pull their head in.”

England’s off-the-field behaviour was already under the microscope before they arrived in Australia, because vicecaptain Ben Stokes was pulled out of the tour while he waits to discover if he will be charged over a late-night fracas in Bristol in September.

Bayliss described Duckett’s misdemeanour as “trivial” in isolation, but far from that in England’s circumstances.

The latest twist on England’s troubled tour could scarcely have come at a worse time.

“I think it’s fairly trivial but, in the current climate, it’s just not acceptable,” added Bayliss.

“It doesn’t matter how trivial it is, in this environment and what we’ve had to go through already, it is just not right.

“I’m not exactly sure what more I can say, (but) I’m sure there will be some stern words from above.”

Back on the pitch, on a rain-interrupted first day against the CA XI at Richardson Park, opener Keaton Jennings (80) and number nine Tom Curran (77no) provided the respite for England in a patchy 314 for nine declared.

Moeen Ali, playing as a specialist batsman and captain as he rests his sore spinning finger, got his wish for extra time in the middle – although it amounted to only 24 runs and 36 balls before he was caught-behind off Gabe Bell.

The hosts replied with 62-1 at stumps, Curran capping his fine all-round performance by having Josh Philippe lbw. England’s Ben Duckett was involved in a ‘trivial’ incident, but it was something that again brought the issue of players’ bad behaviour into the headlines