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Ricky Ponting tees off as ‘ineffective’ Poms still can’t get it right

Travis Head tore the heart out of England once again but he was far from the only one in scenes that resembled an English countryside.

Nic Savage and Andrew McMurtry
10 min read
January 14, 2022 - 11:45PM
Ricky Ponting has slammed England's bowlers for letting Australia get away again. Photo; Getty Images
Ricky Ponting has slammed England's bowlers for letting Australia get away again. Photo; Getty Images

Travis Head has stolen day one of the fifth Ashes Test by piling the pain once again on England on a green top at Hobart’s Blundstone Arena.

The rain may have cut off what shaped as an absorbing final session early, but it was another day that had it all.

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England won the toss and made the bold decision to bat first but it paid off as David Warner and Steve Smith were both dismissed for ducks and Usman Khawaja could only manage 6 before all three were caught behind.

It was very nearly four down as Marnus Labuschagne was dropped on zero but made England pay.

Labsuchagne combined with Travis Head to rescue Australia and batted Australia back into respectability before Labuschagne was bowled middle stump around his legs by Stuart Broad in comical scenes.

The quirky right hander moved across his stumps to give himself room but ended up on his face, bowled for a 53-ball 44.

But Head continued on, plundering the English attack and monstering 101 off 112 balls before being dismissed on his 113th ball.

Travis Head has come of age. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Travis Head has come of age. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

But he and Cameron Green, who scored a stylish 74, batted Australia back into the match.

Green was removed just before the rain started, leaving Alex Carey and Mitchell Starc at the crease on 10 and zero not out respectively.

Australia’s hunt for a 4-0 series victory appears to be on track while England will once again rue its missed chances.

England is seeking its first Test win on Australia soil since January 2011 — the Poms have not tasted victory in 14 consecutive Tests Down Under — but let Australia off the hook.

On Channel 7, Ricky Ponting raged about England’s lack of strike power, particularly in the most English style conditions of the tour.

“The thing they’d be most disappointed with, they’ve actually had England-type bowling conditions for a lot of time they have played and they have still looked quite ineffective,” Ponting said.

“Stuart Broad last week came out and said, ‘Look, it doesn’t matter how well we bowl. If we’re are only getting 140 in the first innings then it doesn’t matter what we do’,

“Well, have a look at today, Mr Broad, they are best bowling conditions you could ever imagine and Australia have snuck away yet again.”

England had Australia where they wanted them. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
England had Australia where they wanted them. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

150km/h quick Mark Wood was the most expensive, going for more than a run a ball as Australia smashed him for 1/79 in 11.3 overs.

On BT Sport, former England star Mark Boucher slammed the visitors for not picking a spinner in Australia as Jack Leach was once again left out.

“Australia is a country where pitches can go very, very flat,” he said. “If you get a sudden changed in the weather, you need that point of difference.

“And Australian cricket knows in order to get the very best out of your world class quick bowlers, you need time when they’re not bowling.

“You need time in the game when the Kookaburra’s not doing anything where they’re not bowling donkey overs, which we saw Mark Wood do in the last innings of the previous Test. Why have you got a Ferrari digging holes, which was what was happening in that last Test?

“A spinner serves two purposes in Australia and perhaps it should in England as well. One is the guy has to be good enough to hold the game. And the other is when the condition suit, you’ve got a genuine match winning option. And for a long time England have been suspicious of spin and perhaps that is because we don’t have any outstanding candidates.”

He said it’s a bit of a chicken and egg situation that if you don’t respect the art, you don’t invest in it and when you need spinners, they’re not ready.”

It’s a sad state when Joe Root is your frontline spinner. Photo by William WEST / AFP
It’s a sad state when Joe Root is your frontline spinner. Photo by William WEST / AFP

On Fox Cricket, Adam Gilchrist said Australia had the edge in the match.

“At that moment (3/12), that was the chance for them (England) to really blow Australia away,” he said. “It’s advantage Australia, it just depends what happens in the opening stanza tomorrow.”

Due to the wet weather, the match will start half an hour early at 2.30pm AEDT.

Rain ruins final session

The rain has come in midway through the final session of the day.

Australia are 6/241, with only Cameron Green was dismissed for 74 off 109 balls.

It spoiled his chance for his first century but undoubtedly cemented his place as the Aussie number 6 and all-rounder going forward.

‘Truly brilliant’: Aussie’s utter madness

Travis Head has come of age. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
Travis Head has come of age. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Coming in at 3/12, Travis Head has smashed a 112-ball century that made him look like he was batting on a different wicket to everyone else.

Head brought up his century after thrashing 12 fours in a brisk innings that as he tormented England’s bowlers.

Having had a question mark against his name before the series, Head has cemented his spot at No. 5 with his second century of the series, having belted 349 runs at an average of 69.80, topping all run scorers this Ashes despite only having had five innings.

Unfortunately, the next ball he was out to a leading edge, but Australia was thrilled as the middle order stood up to get Australia out of trouble.

Head shared a 121 run stand with Cameron Green as the Aussies reached 2015 at tea.

Green was 57, Alex Carey on 1.

Counter attack Australia needed’: Aussies right the ship

Travis Head has hit a backs to the wall 50 to bring Australia right back into the match.

Coming to the crease at 3/12, he smashed his 50 off just 53 balls, making it seem like he was batting on a different pitch to the rest of the Aussies.

The 28-year-old has cemented his place in the Australian Test side this Ashes however, dominating the English attack yet again.

Australia are 4/127 off 32 overs.

Smith can’t help himself after viral ‘calamity’

Marnus Labuschagne is alway entertaining. Photo: Fox Cricket
Marnus Labuschagne is alway entertaining. Photo: Fox Cricket

Marnus Labuschagne has been dismissed in one of the most bizarre dismissals you will see in Test cricket.

He and Steve Smith have made careers on taking on the bowler laterally across the crease, but a slippery green Blundstone Oval pitch has undone the Aussie star.

Having helped Australia rebound along with Travis Head, Labuschagne moved a long way across but slipped at just the wrong moment, ending up flat on his stomach as the ball from Stuart Broad cannoned into middle stump.

Laughing, Fox Cricket’s Michael Vaughan said “I’ve never ever seen this in Test cricket”, saying he “tripped over his own feet”.

Mike Hussey added: “That is one of the most bizarre dismissals you’ll ever see in Test cricket.”

Labuschagne was out for 44 off 53 balls.

Social media was blown away.

The Twitter account for Flash Cricket even posted that the Aussies were enjoying the vision of the dismissal with Steve Smith and Pat Cummins sharing a laugh when it happened.

Australia got into the dinner break at 4/85, a long way from the 3/12 they were after 9.5 overs.

‘Counter attack Australia needed’: Aussies right the ship

After a terrifying first hour, the gremlins seem to have lessened in Hobart as Marnus Labuschagne and Travis Head get Australia back in the game.

The pair have raced to 37 off 41 for Labuschagne and 23 off 17 for Head after 18 overs.

It was after the side was 3/12.

It’s now 3/68 and on Triple M Cricket, Gus Worland declared it “the counter attack Australia needed.”

‘Disastrous’: Warner’s historic shocker

England had Australia where they wanted them. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images
England had Australia where they wanted them. Photo by Robert Cianflone/Getty Images

Ollie Robinson has snared the early breakthrough for England, removing the dangerous David Warner for a 22-ball duck.

The pink Kookaburra was seaming viciously off the Hobart deck, and Robinson finally got one to catch the outside edge of Warner’s bat. Zak Crawley made no mistakes at second slip.

It was Robinson’s 10th scalp of the series, Warner’s 10th duck in Test cricket and the first time Warner has been dismissed for a duck in an Ashes Test in Australia.

And while also his most balls faced for a duck, it was also a slice of history as the most balls for a duck faced by an Aussie opener in history.

His 22 balls beat Shaun Marsh’s 21-ball duck against India in 2017, and Sammy Jones’ 20-ball globe against England in 1888.

The news got worse for the Aussies as Marnus Labuschagne was dropped for zero before Usman Khawaja and Steve Smith following in quick succession as the side dropped to 3-12.

On a green top in a cool Hobart with clouds overhead, England are making the most of British-like conditions.

Final Ashes Test underway

The fifth Ashes Test between Australia and England is underway, and paceman Stuart Broad got the historic fixture underway by falling face first onto the pitch.

The delivery had struck Australian opener David Warner high on the pad, and Broad couldn’t resist turning back for a cheeky appeal.

England wins toss

England captain Joe Root has won the toss and elected to bowl first.

Australia has made one change to its starting XI, while the visitors have swapped out five players due to injury and form.

The first ball will take place at 3.30pm local time — rain permitting.

Australia XI: David Warner, Usman Khawaja, Marnus Labuschagne, Steve Smith, Travis Head, Cameron Green, Alex Carey (wk), Pat Cummins (c), Mitch Starc, Scott Boland, Nathan Lyon

England XI: Rory Burns, Zak Crawley, Dawid Malan, Joe Root (c), Ben Stokes, Ollie Pope, Sam Billings (wk), Chris Woakes, Ollie Robinson, Mark Wood, Stuart Broad

Toss to take place in 20 minutes

Cricket Australia has confirmed that the toss will take place at 3pm local time, in about 20 minutes from now.

Covers coming off

The covers are starting to be dragged off by curators at Blundstone Arena.

Still no official confirmation on a time for the toss.

England debutant handed maiden cap

Wicketkeeper Sam Billings looks sets to make his Test debut at Blundstone Arena, with veteran seamer James Anderson presenting the 30-year-old with his maiden cap before play.

He becomes England’s 700th men’s Test cricketer.

Billings has scored 3327 first-class runs at 34.29, including six centuries and 15 fifties.

Bad news, cricket fans

There’s light raining in Hobart, and the covers are on at Blundstone Arena.

The toss, which was scheduled for 2.30pm AEDT, has been delayed.

Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey and David Warner. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images
Usman Khawaja, Alex Carey and David Warner. Photo by Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

Adorable 28-year cricket snap goes viral

Marcus Harris will not feature in the series finale, with Usman Khawaja set to open the batting alongside childhood mate David Warner.

Khawaja has opened the batting on seven occasions at Test level, scoring 484 runs at 96.80, including two centuries and two fifties.

The Queensland captain and Warner have scored 1348 Test runs at the crease together, boasting an average partnership of 53.92.

The Khawaja-Warner bonds extends back 28 years, with the duo playing alongside each other at junior level.

On Thursday evening, Warner posted an adorable image of himself and Khawaja in cricket whites from when they were kids.

“The 90s just seemed way easier,” Warner captioned the photo.
Warner’s wife Candice commented: “What a journey you have both been on to get to where you are. Enjoy the moment and walk out there for those two little boys who used to hit balls against the wall at Waverley Oval.”

Former Australian batter Matthew Hayden replied: “Now that is a priceless pic.”

Khawaja’s wife Rachel responded: “This is too good.”

The post received more than 343,000 likes in 15 hours.

Former Australian U19 assistant coach Matthew Mott, who mentored the pair as teenagers, told The Daily Telegraph: “They both really call it how they see it. Davey will admit he’s quite brash in his openness about how honest he is. If Uzzie is ever asked what he thinks, he won’t say what’s popular, he’ll say what he thinks is right.

“And they’re both really good family men. Having just been down in that (Australian team) bubble, seeing them with their young families that was pretty cool. They’re very good fathers and very good husbands and they’ve got a very strong sense of family.”

Although Harris has been axed from the starting XI, Cummins is adamant the Victorian’s Test career isn’t over.

“The message to Harry is we think he’s going really well. It’s really tough on him,” he told reporters at Blundstone Arena on Thursday.

“Uzzie and Davey have really earned that spot to open the batting, but the reality is they’re both 35 years old.

“While that doesn’t mean anything in the short-term, there will be a day when we need to find some other openers.

“Marcus still absolutely has got a huge future with us. He’ll be, I’m sure around the squad.

“There might even be an Aussie A squad going overseas in the off-season; there will be Shield cricket, county cricket, lots of opportunities.

“This is probably more of a case of someone demanding a spot rather than Marcus losing a spot due to form.

“It’s not too often someone comes in and hits two hundreds in the same game.”

Green Hobart pitch turns heads

When the covers were removed on Friday afternoon, curators were greeted by a green seamer at Blundstone Arena.

The Hobart deck replicated something cricketers would expect to see in New Zealand, with a thick cover of grass.

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Seamers from both sides would be licking their lips, particularly considering the overcast conditions in the Tasmanian capital.

“It looks quite green with a nice covering of grass, but it’s quite flat,” former Australian spinner Shane Warne said on Fox Cricket.

“So I think both captains if they win the toss would like to bat first, but I reckon they might want to lose it too because there might be a little bit in this early.”

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