Ashes 2019: Cameron Bancroft dropped for Headingley

England’s bowlers have claimed two victims before a ball has been bowled in the third Test.

England’s bowlers have claimed two victims before a ball has been bowled in the critical third Test at Headingley.

Steve Smith is concussed and will not play, the victim of a Jofra Archer delivery.

Now opener Cameron Bancroft has been dropped from the game at Leeds famous cricket ground and will be replaced by Marcus Harris.

Bancroft has scores of 8, 7, 13, 16 since being chosen ahead of Harris on the back of a stand-out innings in the opening tour game.

MORE: Can Warner survive Australia’s new-look team environment?

Extra pressure was put on Bancroft by senior partner David Warner, who has four single figure scores from the two Tests, but there is a belief in the team that the more experienced player is too valuable to drop.

Warner has 21 Test centuries and over 6000 Test runs. The Australians believe that it could take only one good innings from the batsman to win a game and secure the series.

Both players returned to Test cricket from their Cape Town bans at the start of the series. Warner had been in brilliant form. He was the top run-scorer in the IPL and second-highest run scorer at the World Cup, after scoring three centuries and three 50s.

Tim Paine and David Warner. Picture: Getty Images

Captain Tim Paine backed Warner in his column for The Australian., on Wednesday.

“David Warner hasn’t hit his straps yet and I notice people getting a bit trigger happy on that subject, but I am not worried,” he wrote. “We are one-nil up in the series and he hasn’t got out of the blocks. He is a match winner and the sort of player who comes up with an innings that takes the game away from the opposition. He is also the most mentally tough cricketer I have ever encountered. He is due a score and that is a dividend I am looking forward to.”

Coach Justin Langer admitted there were concerns about the top order ahead of today’s game.

“Whether it’s the bowlers or the batters we’ll just pick the team we think will win this Test match,” he said. “We’re all aware – and England will be the same – that the top orders haven’t fired yet. For either team to win this series against top attacks, our top orders are going to have to fire. The challenge is on for both teams and I’m sure we’ve got a couple of really senior players, as they’ve got their captain batting at No 3, to make a mark on this series.”

Ben Stokes, right, shares a joke with England bowler Jofra Archer. Picture: Getty Images

Archer’s debut in the second Test has changed the tone of the series. His short, fast bowling unsettled Smith before knocking him out and he is at the forefront of Australian concerns going into the third.

Langer admitted that his method of attack isn’t exactly what the visitors had prepared for in England.

“We’re expecting James Anderson to swing the ball, seam the ball and we’re going to have to be really tight in our defence,” he said. “He certainly brings a different dimension to the game and we saw he bowled quick, but also his economy rate was incredible, I think he went for just over one run an over, that is unbelievable bowling, it’s skilful bowling and he bowled some fast bouncers in between.

“That’s Test cricket, that’s what we love about it, that’s what gets you, you know you’re awake, you know you’re alive when you’re facing fast bowling. That’s what Test cricket’s all about, it’s bloody brilliant.”

Smith was replaced by Marnus Labuschagne in the last innings of the Lord’s match and the young batsman confirmed his place at Headingley with a courageous half century after being hit in the grille by Archer on the second ball he faced.

Marcus Harris. Picture: Getty Images

Harris played the first of his six Tests last summer and was expected to start the Ashes series. He was the leading run scorer in first class cricket in Australia in 2018-19.

Bancroft’s innings in the tour match showed incredible character on a difficult pitch and his courage and skill at short leg during the Ashes has been applauded, but it was not enough to keep him in the side.

The Australians had indicated they were only looking at making a change to the bowling attack ahead of the Test, but selector Trevor Hohn watched Bancroft closely at training yesterday while rumours swirled that he had already been dropped.

It is believed James Pattinson will come in to replace Peter Siddle for this match. He was rested from the Lord’s match in an attempt to have him completely fit for the game at Headingley.

England have their own concerns with opener Jason Roy looking ill-suited to the role of opener There has been discussion in the side about dropping him down to the middle order, but Joe Root defended the decision to bat him at the top of the order on the eve of the match.

Follow the action from the third Ashes Test with our live blog from 8pm AEST tonight.