After winning the toss and batting first in Brisbane, only Hampshire batsman, James Vince, back in the team after an absence of 2 years at no.3, contributed with 83, as England failed to capitalise on good starts to make 302 all out.
Australia’s response was in doubt at one stage with 4 wickets down for 150 runs. But captain Steve Smith’s wonderful 141 not out, gave his team a lead of 26. Early dismissals for former England captain Alistair Cook hasn’t helped for the grounded start the team needed against the new ball, and with skipper Joe Root being hit towards the end of the 3rd day, England were up against it. But his 51, gave England hope, with contributions down the order from Bairstow and Ali who was controversially stumped.
With a 173 needed, Australia got the start they needed with David Warner and Cameron Bancroft having a 100 partnership which carried on into the 5th day as England hardly created any wicket taking opportunities. The test was over inside an hour’s play with the hosts going 1-0 up in the series to win by 10 wickets.
Afterwards, it was already a known fact that Yorkshire wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow had ‘headbutted’ Australian opener Cameron Bancroft as a gesture of meeting one another at a bar in Perth 4 weeks ago. But, this didn’t stop, Cameron sitting alongside his skipper Steve Smith to laugh at the whole situation that happened, with Smith laughing it all off in front of a packed press conference.
Bancroft explained “I got into a very amicable conversation with Jonny and yeah he just like , just greeted me with a headbutt kind of thing. I was expecting a handshake. It wasn’t the greeting of choice that I was expecting and that was the way I took it. There was certainly no malice in his action and we continued on having very good conversation for the rest of the evening.”
The incident, yet again, highlights a problem that has re-surfaced again, with England players out in the bars. England are currently without Ben Stokes for an incident in Bristol in September after a one-day international against the West Indies. Though pictures emerged of him this week, apparently getting a plane to New Zealand to see family and play cricket for the winter. Will he feature for England in the Ashes though?
The 2nd Test is the day/night fixture in Adelaide under the floodlights, that begins at 3.30am UK time. Coverage is live on BT Sport and on Test Match Special on BBC Radio 5 Live Extra.
