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Ashes first Test, Day 2: Australia dig in

Steve Smith has played a captain’s knock and Shaun Marsh has defied the critics to get Australia back into the 1st Test.

17 min read
7:01PMNovember 24, 2017.
Updated 10:20PMNovember 24, 2017
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Steve Smith celebrates as he reaches his half century on the second day of the first Ashes Test. Picture: AFP
Steve Smith celebrates as he reaches his half century on the second day of the first Ashes Test. Picture: AFP

Welcome to live coverage of Day 2 of the first Test between Australia and England from the Gabba. Ashes play begins at 10.30am (AEDT).

Wayne Smith 6.51pm: Smith rights the ship by stumps

That’s stumps on Day Two, with Australia fighting back determinedly to be 4-165 off 62 overs. It comes as no surprise that Steve Smith is leading the revival with 64 off 148 balls but Shaun Marsh’s unbeaten contribution of 44 off 122 balls comes as a pleasant surprise. This is the eighth time he has been recalled to the Australian side and that by definition speaks of a man the selectors cannot make up their minds about. There have been moments today where he had looked particularly scratchy; yet at other times he has played in almost imperious fashion. That’s how he needs to continue tomorrow because the Australians are still 137 runs in arrears with only six wickets in hand.

The England bowlers are pretty much replicating the Australian performance with the ball, with the paceman performing well, if not brilliantly. Moeen Ali is doing his best to emulate Nathan Lyon’s role but so far no bowler on either side has looked as menacing as the Australian off-spinner.

It looks like another engrossing day’s play tomorrow, with play starting two minutes early - at 9.58 Brisbane time - because of yesterday’s rain. Who calculates that? Two minutes? Join us tomorrow for our continued coverage of the First Ashes Test.

6.33pm: Aussies hit back late on day two

After struggling in the early part of the day with Cameron Bancroft, Usman Khawaja and Peter Handscomb all failing it was left to Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh to rescue Australia. The duo took the home side to 4-165 at stumps, coming together at 4-76 after Jimmy Anderson trapped Handscomb leg before. Smith finished the day on 64no and Marsh 44no. The Aussies trail by 137.

6.15pm: And she said yes

Apparently the couple that goes to the cricket together, sticks together. Kudos to this happy couple at the Gabba.

5.57pm: Australia starting to accelerate

And just like that the 150 is up for the Aussies as Smith hits a beautiful cover drive to the boundary. At 4-151 the Aussies are starting to look the goods and Shaun Marsh is doing well at the other end with 34 off 88.

5.50pm: Meanwhile back at North Sydney Oval - it’s all about the big show

Wayne Smith 5.38pm: Smith playing a captain’s knock

Australia needed a period of consolidation and that’s precisely how it has panned out, with Steve Smith bringing up his personal 50 - the 22nd of his career - moments after he and Shaun Marsh had combined for a half-century stand. The total is still precarious at 4-137 but it’s still a huge improvement on 4-76. The Australian captain is batting with his usual aplomb but Marsh (25 off 68 deliveries) is contributing strongly after looking vulnerable early in his innings.

5.15pm: Australia hit 100

The Smith-Marsh partnership starts to build, with the Australian skipper hitting back-to-back boundaries for the milestone. Smith moves closer to his own half century with things looking a little steadier for the home side.

4.55pm: England’s appeal waved away

Huge lbw shout after Broad struck Marsh outside off stump, but the referral confirmed the initial decision of not out. Marsh and Smith are slowly piecing together something to work with as the afternoon slog continues.

4.44pm: Meanwhile, at North Sydney Oval...

Wayne Smith 4.19pm: Smith and Marsh left to rescue innings

England celebrate. Picture: AP.
England celebrate. Picture: AP.

Not the start Australia needed to the final session as Handscomb departs in the first over after the internal, as Anderson claims his first wicket of the series. Initially umpire Aleem Dar wasn’t interested when Handscomb played back onto his stumps - as he normally does - and was hit on the back pad. The English supporters roared, the Australians groaned as Root called for a review and sure enough there was no doubt that the decision needed to be overturned. Handscomb departed for 14 and Australia was now reeling at 4-76.

That brought to the wicket the last of the recognised batsman, Shaun Marsh. Within four balls he had shown the best and worst of his game, getting beaten all ends up by Anderson outside off stump from the first all he faced but then waiting on the England bowling spearhead and crunching him through the covers for a brilliant four to get off the mark. Australia 4-81 at the start of the 28th over.

Peter Handscomb. Picture: Getty Images.
Peter Handscomb. Picture: Getty Images.

4.06pm: Review sends Handscomb packing

Wicket! Not long into the final session of the day, Anderson snares the wicket of Handscomb after a successful review. It’s not looking good for the Aussies, let’s see what Smith can produce.

Wayne Smith 3.50pm: Tea offers little respite for Australia

Tea on day two and it’s turning into a real slog for Australia which has advanced to 3-76 after 24 overs. Handscomb (14) has settled down and is proving a good foil for Smith (19) but England would realise that if they can break this stand they could potentially rush right through the home team.

The England team is bowling well with the wickets so far spread between Broad, Ali and Ball and so far no chance has been missed in the field. It is Test cricket at its best.

England bowler Jake Ball, right, celebrates after taking the wicket David Warner, left. Picture: AP.
England bowler Jake Ball, right, celebrates after taking the wicket David Warner, left. Picture: AP.

Wayne Smith 3.36pm: Handscomb’s chance to shine

Peter Handscomb. Picture: Getty Images.
Peter Handscomb. Picture: Getty Images.

Warner is out. Newcomer Ball strikes in only his second over when he catches Warner in two minds. That’s not the way he plays. It’s usually see ball-hit ball but this time he tries to stop himself from playing the pull shot to a ball a little too far up to him and succeeds only in punching a catch straight to Malan at shortish mid-wicket. It’s a curious position and clearly Root didn’t have him there by accident. Malan juggled the straightforward catch but came up smiling when it stuck, He, like everyone else at the ground, realised just what a huge wicket that was England.

Warner had looked comfortable if, by his standards, relatively sedate but was just starting to break free of the tackles, executing a exquisite late cut to Ali in the over before he was dismissed. But with his removal for 26, Australia has slumped to 3-59 chasing England’s 302. Peter Handscomb has come out to join his captain and the pair have moved the score to 3-63 in the 22nd over, thanks to a delightful square cut for three from the first ball Handscomb faced. That said, he won’t last long if he continues to play as wildly as he just did, lashing out wildly to Ball.

3.21pm: Warner out

Huge moment for England with Ball the main man, Warner pushing one to Malan at mid-wicket. Don’t some of England’s more vocal fans love it?

Wayne Smith 2.57pm: Root’s masterful leadership

England captain Joe Root. Picture: Getty Images.
England captain Joe Root. Picture: Getty Images.

That’s brilliant captaincy by Joe Root, introducing Moeen Ali to the attack after only eight over to try to exploit Khawaja’s weakness against spin.

The first seven ball Ali bowled were to Warner but after only two balls to Khawaja he traps him lbw. Umpire Aleem Dar wastes no time raising his finger and it takes only a confirming glance from Warner to convince the Queenslander there would be no point wasting a referral.

Australia is now 2-30 and the match could well hinge on what happens while the country’s two top batsmen, Warner and Steve Smith are at the crease. Smith certainly wastes no time getting busy, grabbing a single of Ali and then crunching Woakes to the mid-on boundary. Australia 2-35 after 12 overs.

2.46pm: Khawaja out

Ali traps Khawaja out in front, lbw for just 11. Australian captain Steve Smith joins Warner in the middle. The home side are searching for a partnership to kickstart their innings, and with arguably the country’s best two batsmen out there now, this could be it.

Usman Khawaja. Picture: Getty Images.
Usman Khawaja. Picture: Getty Images.

2.30pm: Romance at the Gabba

Wickets, runs and ... love? It will be a day to remember for two fans, with a proposal on the Gabba pool deck.

Wayne Smith 2.24pm: Bancroft’s choice backfires

Warner said he would offer Bancroft the choice of whether he wanted to take the first ball of the innings and clearly the WA debutant decided he wanted to get into the action right from the start.

Cameron Bancroft. Picture: AAP.
Cameron Bancroft. Picture: AAP.

In fact, he didn’t just take the first ball, he took the first 12, snatching a single off the last ball of Anderson’s over to then take Broad’s first over as well. He looked to be handling it with aplomb when Broad got a little extra lift outside off-stump. Bancroft followed it but succeeded only in edging a low catch to keeper Bairstow and he was out for five off 19 balls. Usman Khawaja, regarded by the selectors as a must-pick at home, if not so abroad, came to the wicket to join Warner with the score 1-7 after 3.4 overs.

2.15pm: Bancroft falls early

Test debutant Cameron Bancroft didn’t last long in his first appearance, edging behind off Broad. That brings Usman Khawaja to the middle, with the more experienced head hopeful of building a strong partnership with Warner.

1.58pm: Play resumes

Cameron Bancroft and David Warner are out in the middle, with the debutant facing Jimmy Anderson in his first over in the Test arena.

Cameron Bancroft. Picture: AP.
Cameron Bancroft. Picture: AP.

Wayne Smith 1.24pm: Morning belongs to Australia

Starc switches to the Stanley Street end to bowl the last over before lunch and it works a treat as Dave Warner takes a marvellous diving catch at leg slip to remove Ball for 14. The tall Englishman got himself into a tangle as the ball whizzed past his body and Warner made light of his supposed neck injury to take an acrobatic catch.

Australia celebrate on day two. Picture: Getty Images.
Australia celebrate on day two. Picture: Getty Images.

Because of the wicket play has been extended for another half-hour, if needed, with England down to his final pair of Broad and James Anderson. Still, they’ve been known to frustrate Australia many times in the past. It should have been all over within minutes this time as Broad skied Starc down to the backward square leg boundary but the veteran got himself into a tailspin and dropped the ball. Worse, it went for four. And then Broad reloaded and helped himself to another boundary off Starc to bring up the psychologically important 300 for England.

Still, it has been Australia’s session. England began at 4-196 and proceeded calmly to 246 before losing their first wicket. Since then, they have lost 5-40 and eventually 6-58 after Hazlewood finally wrapped up the England tail by having Broad caught on the pull shot by Peter Handscomb for 20, Anderson remained unbeaten on five.

That’s lunch, with Cameron Bancroft and Dave Warner to open the batting for Australia on the players return.

1.20pm: England out for 302

Wicket! Handscomb with safe hands off Hazlewood to dismiss Broad, with England all out for 302.

1.11pm: Marsh’s mistake

Shaun Marsh let England off the hook, dropping Broad in the deep with the visitors holding on at 9-295.

1.02pm: Another one down

Wicket! Warner takes a spectacular catch as Starc strike again, with Ball gone for 14. Anderson and Broad in the middle now with Australia well and truly finding their feet on day two.

Wayne Smith 12.55pm: Cummins joins in

Wicket! Bairstow’s breezy innings comes to an end as he attempts to pull Cummins and succeeds only in skying the ball on the leg side where keeper Paine completes the catch — his first Test wicket for Australia in seven years. England now 8-270 and could be struggling to reach 300. Cummins now has 3-78 off 28 overs and certainly has been the pick of the fast bowlers. He has bowled with energy throughout.

Tailender Jacob Ball comes to the wicket and clearly takes the view that attack is the best form as he pulls Lyon out to square leg and then rocks onto the back foot and cracks the next one out to the point boundary for four. In no time flat, he has reached 14. Broad is being more restrained although not with his mouth because he clearly is revelling in stirring up the Australians. England 8-285 after 113 overs.

Wyane Smith 12.36pm: The Test is coming to life!

Finally Lyon starts to reap the rewards of his brilliant bowling as Woakes gets an inside edge to the off-spinner and has his off-stump bent back. It was a marvellous piece of bowling and it brought Woakes undone after just four deliveries as England loses its seventh wicket for 250.

Nathan Lyon. Picture: Getty Images.
Nathan Lyon. Picture: Getty Images.

The Gabba crowd has long memories and booed Stuart Broad all the way to the wicket — his controversial decision not to walk when caught at Trent Bridge in 2013 still resonates, obviously — and Lyon proceeds to tie him up in knots. He is lucky to survive. And he takes his good fortune to the other end where Cummins gives him a working over, ducking under a delivery that almost bowled him and then standing up to the next delivery and being hit in the chest. Finally, the Test is coming to life!

12.23pm: Lyon strikes again

Wicket! Lyon bowls Woakes for a duck, with Australia hitting their stride ahead of lunch.

Wayne Smith 12.18pm: Australia back in it

Mitchell Starc celebrates after taking the wicket of Dawid Malan. Picture: Getty Images.
Mitchell Starc celebrates after taking the wicket of Dawid Malan. Picture: Getty Images.

A wicket at last and it is Starc who claims it, finally having some success as he bounces Malan. This time the left-hander doesn’t quite get over the shot and skies it straight to Shaun Marsh at square leg. Ironically, an hour before Starc and Marsh were involved in a collision that could have taken Starc out of the game but here they are combining to bring about the wicket that Australia so desperately needed.

They have put on 83 for the fifth wicket to take the total to 5-246 and now Lyon steps up, trapping Ali in front of the stumps for 38 and dramatically England have slumped to 6-249. Ali called for the review but there were no reasons for Aleem Dar to change his initial ruling.

Now England have two new batsman at the crease with Chris Woakes joining Jonny Bairstow at the wickets and Lyon is now well and truly enjoying his work, appealing unsuccessfully for another lbw after hitting Woakes on the pad first ball. England 6-249 after 104 overs.

12.14pm: Australia on a roll

Wicket! After a slow start to the day for the home side the wickets are starting to fall, with Lyon finally rewarded for some tidy overs with the wicket of Ali.

12.05pm: Starc strikes

Wicket! Starc with the breakthrough dismissing Malan, caught by Marsh. Starc claims his 150th Test wicket. Jonny Bairstow next up for England.

Wayne Smith 12.00pm: Starc returns as England roll on

Malan bring up his third Test half-century just on the brink of drinks with an impressive sweep of Lyon for a single. He’s certainly had his share of luck, particularly against Lyon, but he has doggedly fought his way through it and now has joined with Ali in a 71-run partnership for the third wickets. With drinks taken 15 minutes later, England has advanced from 4-196 to 4-234, a modest 38 in 75 minutes.

Happily for Australia, Starc is able to resume bowling after the drinks break. Looks like the damage was only tag marks to his trousers. And he almost jags a wicket with the last ball of his over as Malan hit one straight into the grill of short leg fieldsman Cameron Bancroft. The Test debutant doesn’t flinch and amazingly goes through the actions of getting his hands up for the catch. It certainly was no catch in the real sense of the word and indeed the incident shows what an accomplished close-in fieldsman the West Australian is. After another testing over from Lyon, Starc resumes to Malan who has all the time in the world to wait for a short delivery and spank it down to short leg. The Gabba wicket was supposed to be at its liveliest today. Not much to get excited about at this moment. Indeed, Malan drives home the point with an effortless pull shot off Starc later in the over. England 4-242 after 101 overs.

Wayne Smith 11.37am: Starc hurt in outfield collision

This could be disaster for Australia as Starc is forced off after Shaun Marsh slid into his left knee at fine leg as they moved to cut off a pull shot by Malan.

It could be a re-opening of an old injury from September 2016.

Certainly Starc was signalling to the dressing room as soon as the collision occurred and immediately was signalling to the dressing room at he was leaving the field.

Australian cricketer Mitchell Starc runs from the field with an injury. Picture: AAP.
Australian cricketer Mitchell Starc runs from the field with an injury. Picture: AAP.

Australian doesn’t have a Shane Watson-like all-rounder to carry the bowling load this series and if Marsh is out of the attack from any length of time, it means the load will have to be carried for Hazlewood, Cummins and Lyon, with possibly Steve Smith to bowl some leggies. It’s a worrying thought.

Wayne Smith 11.29am: First Test’s holding pattern

England bring up their 50-run partnership with a scampered single by Ali off Nathan Lyon’s opening over of the day but he and Malan are lucky still to have their partnership intact after a mesmerising delivery from the Australian off-spinner from his fourth ball of the day. He gave it extra speed and upped the rotations and the ball fairly whizzed past Ali’s bat, missing the off-stump by a mere fraction and thudded into Paine’s gloves. Ali, as an off-spinner himself, can only stand and admire Lyon’s work — and give thanks that he is still at the wicket.

At the other end, Cummins is working up a good deal of pace and, more importantly, aggression. There is nothing in this wicket for him but he is bending his back and giving both batsmen the occasional hurry-up as he drops one in short. The scoring rate has slowed dramatically. After putting the Australians away from three boundaries in the first couple of overs, England is now being forced to grind out the runs, with only 20 scored in the first 55 minutes of play. The game seems to be in a holding pattern. Which way will it swing?

11.15am: Another 50 partnership for England

If you thought the Australians were going to roll through the visitor’s top and middle order, think again, with Malan and Ali building a steady partnership to start the morning session.

Wayne Smith 10.44am: Signs of an entertaining second day

First over of the morning — or rather the first three balls, as Starc completed his interrupted over of last night — and England brings up its 200 off 486 deliveries with a Malan push for four to wide mid-on. He barely put any aggression into the shot but on the quick Gabba outfield it fairly scooted away to the rope. And now, at the other end, Ali does likewise, lofting Hazlewood over the fieldsman at mid-off, Dave Warner, and out to the fence. If this is an indication of English intent, it promises to be a far more entertaining day today.

There’s further evidence that’s precisely what they intend to do, as Malan leans into a full-pitched delivery from Starc and magnificently strokes the ball through the cover field for four. The new ball is now four overs old but the England batsmen look to be handling it with ease. There is not a lot of life in the wicket for the bowlers to exploit and scarcely a ball is coming through to keeper Tim Paine on an upwards trajectory. England 4-208 after 83 overs.

10.41am: ‘Australia must lift’: Warne

After a strong finish yesterday the Australians have started this morning’s session a little flat, according to Shane Warne.

Wayne Smith 10.30am: Play resumes on day two

It’s a beautiful morning in Brisbane and forecasts indicate it will stay that way all day. Play will get underway at 9.30am local time to make up for yesterday’s rain with Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali resuming on 28 and 13 respectively in a total of 4-196.

Honours were shared on the first day, with Australia not happy to have taken only four wickets — and one a run-out — but England was tied down by generally tight bowling and certainly didn’t score enough runs to dictate terms. All of which sets us up for an engrossing first session.

Off spinner Nathan Lyon backed up his uncharacteristic pre-match aggro by bowling beautifully, even if he went wicketless, while Pat Cummins worked into the day, taking two valuable wickets late in the day. The two senior paceman Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood bowled well but without luck but there is little doubt that captain Steve Smith will be wanting them to step up this morning.

Unknown England batsmen James Vince and opener Mark Stoneman had a memorable day on day one, both managing their highest Test scores, 83 and 53, though the two senior batsmen in the England team, Alastair Cook (2) and Joe Root (15), didn’t get going.

Right now the red carpet has been rolled out, with Smith about to make a presentation to retiring Gabba curator Kevin Mitchell Jnr. For more than four decades, he and his father have prepared the Brisbane wicket and turned it into one of the best strips in world cricket.

The expectation is that it will play at its best and fastest today. We’re about to discover if that is true.

10.20am: Lyon “excited” by new partnership with Paine

10.00am: England’s ‘known unknowns’

England's Mark Stoneman, right, congratulates teammate James Vince. Picture: AFP.
England's Mark Stoneman, right, congratulates teammate James Vince. Picture: AFP.

They weren’t big names. They didn’t arrive with the usual hype. But according to Gideon Haigh, the performance of England’s batsmen on day one put a name to those who many Australians dismissed as “Batty McBatface”.

“With their teammates, James Vince and Mark Stoneman had played three warm-up matches on pitches where bowling at speed was as rewarding as pushing rope. It looked to some educated observers like a honeytrap, designed to spring at the Gabba, with the revelation of 22 yards of fiery hell.

“But if such a memo existed, it never reached Kevin Mitchell, whose pitch, under a sun too gentle to bake it hard, mocked the Australian muzzle velocities of around 140km/h. And so the anonymous Vince and Stoneman bedded in on the crucial variable of the surface, with promising security.”

Read the full story here.

9.40am: It can’t rain today ... surely

9.16am: “Bowling, Garry!”

After Nathan Lyon brought some life to day one in an unexpected fashion, Australian fans will be hoping to hear much more of this during today’s play.

8.45am: Hostile chin music to come?

It may have just been a bit of friendly Twitter banter between Shane Warne and Piers Morgan yesterday, but if Warnie’s predictions are true, we’re in for a treat when play resumes this morning.

Warne foreshadowed an “extremely hostile” start to day two of the first Ashes Test, with “lots of chin music” as Australia’s pacemen try to assert their ascendancy with a new ball that’s just a few deliveries old.

With England at 4/196, two early wickets will signal the introduction of England’s bowlers to the batting crease ... and give Australia an opportunity bowl out the old enemy for a total under 300.

8.30am: Cummins stars

Australian quick Pat Cummins proved he was worth the wait with a sterling performance at the Gabba yesterday, writes The Australian’s Peter Lalor.

Pat Cummins celebrates the wicket of England captain Joe Root. Photo: AFP
Pat Cummins celebrates the wicket of England captain Joe Root. Photo: AFP

“Pat Cummins’ first home Test was a long time coming. So too his first wicket on these shores. They both were, however, worth the wait.

“Having done that, Cummins was not done. You don’t spend the best part of six years in traction for just one moment of glory.

“The bowler’s second scalp came courtesy of a screaming, jagging ball that embedded itself into the front pad of England captain, Joe Root, and wrested back some of England’s hard-won advantage.

“Playing his sixth Test, Cummins and his mates slogged away on a soft deck that offered nothing until the back end of the second session when the afternoon sun had hardened the surface.”

Read the full story here.

8.10am: Atherton praises Lyon

Writing in The Australian today, former England captain Mike Atherton was full of praise for an outstanding piece of fielding from Australian off spinner Nathan Lyon.

“Nathan Lyon had his say, after all,” Atherton writes.

“For a long time during the opening day of the Ashes series, it looked like James Vince was intent on ramming Lyon’s pre-match words back down his throat. Finishing careers? Vince was intent on creating one. He made 83. For all the world, he looked like he’d make at least 17 more. Given the limitations of his previous form, it would have been a remarkable first Test hundred.

“Then, five overs after tea, he pushed a short ball from Josh Hazlewood into the covers and set off, calling his captain for a harum-scarum single. Lyon was prowling at backward point, in on the single, which was a surprise in itself given that Australia had operated with a deep cover for much of the afternoon to Vince, to limit his punchy off-side play.

“Crucially, the ball bounced invitingly into Lyon’s grasp, as he moved across swiftly, and, one-handed, he threw down the stumps at Vince’s end: a moment of pure theatre on a hitherto humdrum day.”

Read the full story here.

England batsman James Vince is run out by Nathan Lyon on day one of the Ashes first Test. Photo: Getty Images
England batsman James Vince is run out by Nathan Lyon on day one of the Ashes first Test. Photo: Getty Images

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