Cameron Bancroft back in the runs in Ashes tour match
Cameron Bancroft has outscored Marcus Harris in Australia’s Ashes tour match against Worcestershire as England look to turn the heat up at Lord’s.
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It wasn’t a bat-off to open at Lord’s but Cameron Bancroft put his Edgbaston nightmare behind him at New Road with a nerve-settling 33 against Worcestershire as Australia got back to Ashes work.
Scores of eight and seven weren’t what Bancroft was after in his Test return, having been preferred ahead of Marcus Harris despite the Victorian’s solid case to hold his spot.
Bancroft chopped on to his stumps before lunch, after Harris was bowled leaving a ball on 14, two early victims as the tourists pushed to 2-78 at lunch in the more serene surrounds a tour game provides.
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It will be wildly different at Lord’s for the second Test next week and England coach Trevor Bayliss has declared “more pace” could be the answer to his team’s Ashes problems.
Worcestershire threw four fast bowlers at the Aussies to as a precursor to what they should expect in London.
Jofra Archer is a near certainty to replace the injured Jimmy Anderson in the second Test at Lord’s next week after an injury to fellow quick Olly Stone ruled him out two weeks.
Bayliss has put a premium on producing more fast bowlers and thinks England is finally “up to speed”.
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“Obviously we would like a bit more pace,” Bayliss said.
“We’ve been waiting for some guys with a bit more pace. We are starting to see younger guys coming through with a bit more pace: the likes of Olly Stone, Jofra Archer and Mark Wood. Woody’s obviously injured at the moment but some of those guys are getting very close to selection. And that’s exciting.
“That’s what we’ve been waiting for, for those guys to get up to speed. I don’t think we are too far away from that.”
Spin was also an issue for England at Edgbaston, with Moeen Ali posing little threat to the Australian batsmen while Nathan Lyon exploited a turning track to finish with nine wickets for the game.
But while the pressure is mounting on Ali, Bayliss wouldn’t write him off or rule him out of the second Test.
“We have seen him go through one or two periods like this,” Bayliss said.
‘”We know he is a good player. It can be one innings, one good spell of bowling that can get him back on track.
“Everyone’s a confidence player but I think with Mo it is very much like that. He’s got to try not to put too much pressure on himself and go out and enjoy it.”
Originally published as Cameron Bancroft back in the runs in Ashes tour match
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