England flattered to deceive on day one of the final Ashes Test. Young batsman Harry Brook neatly sums up what the home side has delivered in this series, writes MIKE ATHERTON.
Brook brought up his fourth half-century of an interesting first Ashes for him, during which he has played a match-winning innings at Headingley after struggling at Lord’s in particular to find the requisite tempo. It was not always straightforward here, as he rode his luck early on, but then blossomed to play some brilliant strokes in an innings of 85 in 91 balls, the centrepiece of England’s first-innings score.
They were bowled out half an hour after tea on a frenetic day when both teams were left to regret missed opportunities. For Australia, these came in the guise of five dropped catches, including one off Brook, who was put down by Alex Carey off Pat Cummins on five, a straightforward chance that the wicketkeeper made look more difficult by going for it with one hand instead of two. It was a costly miss.
Matters of regret for England included two passages of play in particular: the first came either side of morning drinks, when they lost three wickets for 11 runs in 22 balls; the second arrived at the mid-point of the day’s play, when four wickets fell for 28 runs in 55 balls. In between, the runs flowed at more than five an over, but as this series has shown above all, the race does not always go to the swift.
Things progressed far more sedately when Australia batted, but only one wicket fell, despite the floodlights in operation, a perfect cross-breeze and the pitch still carrying its tinge of green.
As such, it was disappointing to see James Anderson pose such little threat in conditions to suit and it was left to Chris Woakes, who struck when David Warner edged to second slip, so falling between 20 and 40 for the fifth time this series.
Anderson was unthreatening in his opening four overs, offering little movement or consistency of line, and when he came back in tandem with Stuart Broad towards the end of the day, after the interlude from Mark Wood and Woakes, he found precious little movement again. With Moeen Ali off the field with a groin injury picked up during an innings of 34, the onus will fall on the seamers on the second day, so Anderson must find his mojo.
It was overcast and cool for the time of year and it was moot whether Cummins, winning the toss for the first time in the series, opted to bowl because he fancied the conditions or to stymie England’s preference. Maybe both. Whatever the case, the first hour belonged to the openers. They posted 50 within the first ten overs, including some eye-catching shots from Ben Duckett, in particular, who twice skipped down the pitch and flat-batted perfectly good balls to the boundary.
Duckett has been quiet since Lord’s but looked on his game here. Nevertheless, both were given a life in this period – Duckett was dropped by Warner at first slip and Steve Smith put down a difficult chance off Zak Crawley at second slip – a sign that there was enough in the pitch to keep the bowlers interested. Either side of drinks, that threat materialised into three wickets.
It was the introduction of Cummins that changed the complexion of the morning. By his own account, he was below par at Emirates Old Trafford, but from the outset here his line was impeccable, his pace up and as well as having Duckett dropped, he passed the edge of Crawley’s bat three times in his opening two overs. Quite why he doesn’t take the new ball is a mystery; despite his performance at Old Trafford, he is Australia’s outstanding bowler.
Cummins had a better day in charge, too, posting more practical fields throughout. On the hour, Duckett played away from his body and gloved a catch off Mitchell Marsh to Carey down the leg side and immediately after drinks, Crawley edged Cummins to slip, looking to work the ball to leg. When Joe Root dragged on to his stumps, looking for room that did not exist, 62 for none had become 73 for three and Cummins was reaping his rewards.
Ali was becalmed, a model of restraint early on. Brook enjoyed dollops of good fortune, twice edging through the slip cordon after his escape to the wicketkeeper, but began to flourish, taking Marsh for a driven four and hooking Mitchell Starc for six over fine leg. He is a dangerous customer when on the go. The counterattack was on, Brook’s 50 coming in 44 balls, the hundred partnership coming in 102.
During this, though, Ali pulled his groin attempting a single and the question was whether he was right to carry on, or whether he should have retired to come back later after treatment. He chose to carry on, but in far more aggressive mode, swinging Cummins for two sixes to leg and ramping him over the slips to the boundary. He was on 11 from 37 balls when injured and 34 from 47 when finally bowled by Todd Murphy, swinging to leg.
Ali’s dismissal sparked the next collapse, either side of afternoon drinks. Ben Stokes was comprehensively beaten by Starc, looking to score to leg only for the ball to seam from the pitch and flatten his off stump.
Jonny Bairstow dragged Josh Hazlewood on to his stumps and then Brook, closing in on a hundred, edged Starc to the wicketkeeper Carey, from a wider ball than the previous one that he had driven down the ground to the boundary.
It needed a cameo from Woakes and Wood, together as they so often have been in this series, to restore some equilibrium before tea. The first over after the break, the 51st of the innings, summed up much of England’s madcap innings: in three consecutive balls, Woakes was given out leg-before to Starc, overturned on review, then carved a boundary and then was dropped at fourth slip by Marsh.
Wood was bowled by Murphy, looking to drive square when straighter would have been a better option; Broad heaved Starc high to cover and when Woakes holed out to deep square leg, England’s innings was done in 54.4 overs, with two hours remaining in the day. Starc finished with four wickets, a reward for the attacking length and late movement that arrived as a result. Oh that Anderson and others can follow suit on the second day. Australia trail – now for your best Richie Benaud impression – by 222.
– The Times
Originally published as Mike Atherton: Harry Brook’s batting epitomises England’s shortcomings in this Ashes series
