Ashes 2021-22: Jonny Bairstow breaks England's century drought, Scott Boland's injury scare

Veteran Jonny Bairstow has showed incredible courage to score England's first century of the Ashes after Australia's own hero sent a scare through the home team.

Stuart Broad has let his batsmen know exactly what he thinks. Picture: AFP Images

Australia was forced to park bowling “Bulldozer” Scott Boland as the Ashes finally erupted into a bare knuckled scrap from which England’s Jonny Bairstow stood up to be counted.

Bairstow showed immense courage after being hammered on the thumb by a vicious Pat Cummins delivery, only to battle on and post in the last over of the day and on the anniversary of his father David's death, the first hundred by an Englishman on this otherwise sorry tour.

Boland was sent for scans on his right side after falling badly on the final delivery before tea, but not before the Victorian magic man again destroyed England’s top order to write another chapter into his glorious two-match Test career.

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Jonny Bairstow celebrates scoring England's first century of the series.

And there’s England’s first Test ton on Aussie soil this summer… on the third last ball of Day 3. Well done, Jonny Bairstow 👏 👏 #Ashes pic.twitter.com/Ju3oWIHVY9

— News Cricket (@NewsCorpCricket) January 7, 2022

As Boland grimaced in pain, Ben Stokes and Bairstow stared down members of the crowd who abused them on their way up the players’ race to tea.

But it was nothing compared to the physical pain the stoic England pair were forced to endure out in the middle as they combined for a century partnership of immense character.

Coming to the crease with England in crisis at 4-36, Stokes was in visible agony as he batted through the side strain he suffered the previous day.

But a day of embarrassment finished as a day of pride for England, with Bairstow 103 not out – although in reality the visitors still trail by 158 at 7-258, with Boland due to return to the Australian attack after being cleared by medical staff and returning to the field late.

"I’m absolutely over the moon to be really honest with you. It's my hardest (hundred) so far," said Bairstow, who looked to the heavens after bringing up triple figures in memory of his dad, former wicketkeeper David Bairstow who tragically committed suicide.

"Just with the circumstances ... it takes quite a bit to get me off the park.

"Yes (thumb) was sore, but obviously in the circumstances of the game, it was one of those where it was a decision I made to stay out there."

When Australia tightened the screws early on day three with an astonishing 70 consecutive dot balls, England somehow found a way to box their way off the ropes for the first time this series.

Stokes struggled to play certain shots and wore several body blows from the Australian quicks, but his 66 off 91 balls was a reminder that even in a tough series for he and his team, the all-rounder is one of Test cricket’s greatest ever warriors.

Not to be outdone Bairstow played a counter-punching innings for the ages – his second Ashes hundred in Australia – despite some commentators fearing he’d broken his hand.

Ben stokes survived this bizarre non-dismissal.

“The first two hours was just as relentless a bowling as I’ve seen from an Australian cricket team. Nine maidens. Incredible bowling," said Australian coach, Justin Langer.

"And as we’ve been waiting for, it was a great fightback. Ben Stokes was courageous with his side. Jonny Bairstow, a brilliant Test hundred."

On a fiery and emotional day, there was even the first sign of real sledging in this series, as Mitchell Starc and Nathan Lyon had words with England’s Zak Crawley early, before Boland knocked over the opener’s off-stump with the most sizzling delivery of his cracking career start.

There was a chance Boland might have been left a one-Test wonder, but given another opportunity he picked up from where he left off, building on his 6-7 heroics at the MCG to start with figures of 2-0 in Sydney.

Bairstow copped a sickening blow to his thumb.

Boland bowled five consecutive maidens before conceding a single off the second last ball of his sixth over, with CricViz declaring his combined handiwork in Melbourne and Sydney the most accurate period of bowling seen in Test cricket since their records began in 2006.

That put Boland in the world class of South African master Vernon Philander and miserly Pakistani maestro Mohammad Abbas, but to Australian audiences he’s become more like the cult hero of yesteryear Merv Hughes in terms of his popularity with the crowd.

England still look set to give up a sizeable first innings deficit, but when at one point it looked like they’d fell well short of the follow-on mark, this was a day when a battered team refused to lay down.

It was an odd first session and a half for Australia, in that four catches were dropped, on top of Mitchell Starc’s no ball costing them a wicket on night two – yet it made no difference to them putting England to the sword.

Re-live all the day three action in our live blog below.

Originally published as Ashes 2021-22: Jonny Bairstow breaks England's century drought, Scott Boland's injury scare

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