Ashes first Test: Nathan Lyon has last word in day of nip and tuck

Nathan Lyon may have once again turned a cricket Test match, just not in the way one would usually expect.

Australia's Nathan Lyon, second from right, celebrates the run out of England batsman James Vince. Picture: AFP

Nathan Lyon had his say, after all. 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. Aleem Dar, the umpire, called for a replay, but he did so nodding. He knew Vince was short, and so did Lyon who had already set off on his lap of honour, chased by teammates. Vince’s grand opening had been cut short cruelly and a day that had begun so promisingly in the main for England, was again in the balance.

Now the 35,000-strong crowd had the cricket it had come for. They had sat in silence for most of the day, unable to comprehend how two of England’s ‘unknowns’ could look so comfortable against an attack they had been told was their best ever in Ashes cricket. After the early demise of Alastair Cook, nibbling his 10th ball into the hands of first slip, feet stuck in concrete on the popping crease, they must have been thinking of scars, and 2013-14, as they had been encouraged to do.

But then the day defied expectations. Lyon himself had bowled a dozen of the opening 40 overs, and had looked as threatening as anyone, getting purchase off a holding surface. The vaunted pace trio, splashed over the Brisbane Courier Mail in the morning like three horsemen of the Apocalypse, had bowled tamely. The pitch? By Brisbane standards, it was a pudding. There was even a drop of English-style drizzle that cut an hour and 35 minutes of play after lunch.

There was none of the fire and brimstone expected in the opening session, which meant the crowd sat silently, puzzled by what they were watching. This was not what they had been promised. The opening over from Mitchell Starc passed through to Tim Paine at ankle height; the first bouncer wasn’t bowled until the fifth over and the only batsman hit in the first session was Mark Stoneman, and that because he was through his stroke too quickly. This wasn’t how it was supposed to be.

Vince replaced Cook and stood tall, imposing, piercing the off side with seven crisp boundaries in a fine maiden Test 50. Stoneman brought some northern grit to proceedings. He looked solid, compact, dependable and their second-wicket partnership of 125 — bigger than anything England managed four years before — was hugely reassuring, and promising in the context of the series.

Stoneman barely made a mistake. He played and missed once to the quicks, a couple of times more to Lyon. He took 150 balls to get to his half-century, but lasted only nine more, before Pat Cummins beat him for pace from around the wicket, to peg back his middle stump just before tea. Stoneman leant on his bat a fraction in disappointment but this had been an excellent start.

Collar up, sleeves buttoned to the wrist, Vince has always looked a good player. What he hadn’t done — a small sample size of seven Tests hitherto, notwithstanding — is scored enough runs. Concentration has always seemed an issue. On 64, he played a lazy drive on the up to Cummins and as he turned to jog a second, he tapped the popping crease in frustration.

Then, without addition, another loose drive and self-admonishment.

This was danger time: on 68, he propped forward to Lyon from around the wicket and edged behind only for Paine to drop a straightforward chance. Maybe this was to be his day. Lyon’s swoop and throw eight overs later changed all that.

With Vince gone, the crowd were expectant. The ball had begun to reverse-swing a fraction for the quicks and now was moving considerably in the air. Cummins and Starc are especially dangerous with the old ball. Lyon was spinning the occasional ball like a top. They wanted England’s captain, above all.

Dawid Malan, replacing Vince, pushed forward to a ball from Lyon that spun two feet. He nodded in appreciation. Welcome to Ashes cricket, Dawid.

Shadows filled the ground. Cummins, the gamest of all Australia’s quicks on the opening day, came in for his fourth spell, moving the old ball late now. The fourth ball of his 17th over, the 70th of the day, was fast and dipped in late, towards Joe Root’s pads. If Root has a flaw, it is that his head can sometimes fall slightly to the off side with the result that his front pad gets in the way of the ball. Mind you, this quick, reverse-swinging in-ducker would have done for a few.

Cummins turned to Marais Erasmus, jumping up and down, pleading, uncomprehending when Erasmus remained unmoved. He looked at his captain, indicating he should review. Steve Smith acquiesced. Australia’s players looked to the big screen. Root, likewise. Once upon a time, England’s captain would have lived to fight another day, but not now. Replays showed the ball homing in on middle stump. Cummins clenched his fists. He had his man. Australia were back in the game.

Malan, like the other Ashes freshers on the opening first day, did not look unnerved. Ali slog-swept Lyon for six. The second new ball was taken just before the close. Malan survived a throaty leg-before shout in the final over and he and Ali did well to survive. After a sluggish start, we had seen 80 overs of nip and tuck Ashes cricket. Lyon, improbably from cover, had the last word.

The Times