England power to best innings of Ashes series
Scott Bailey and Jasper Bruce |
England have powered to their highest total of an ill-fated Ashes series, with Joe Root’s blistering century helping the tourists make 384 in their first innings at the SCG.
It took a spectacular grab from Australia’s caught-and-bowled king Michael Neser to finally send Root (160 runs off 242 balls) packing 90 minutes into the second session on day two of the series finale.
Well down the pecking order before injuries this summer, veteran medium-pacer Neser (4-60) ended the innings only two balls later by blasting Josh Tongue’s stumps.
England prepared to bowl at their series-winning foes while seemingly in control of a Test for one of few times this summer.
It will have left England’s ardent supporter base wondering what might have been across the first three Tests, when irresponsible batting from the tourists helped Australia to an unassailable series lead.
After lunch at the SCG on Monday, Root and allrounder Will Jacks (27) withstood some tidy new-ball bowling from Mitch Starc and Scott Boland, two of their frequent tormentors this summer.
Australia were clearly desperate for a breakthrough, even asking Beau Webster to trade pace for off-spin, having controversially opted against picking a frontline spinner for the Test.
They’d earlier thrown the ball to part-timers Travis Head and Marnus Labuschagne, the latter profiting from a mindless shot to cover from Jamie Smith (46).
It was Neser who finally broke Jacks and Root’s essential 52-run stand through a low catch at gully by Cameron Green, who’d earlier overstepped on what could have been a wicket ball to dismiss Smith.
Green went on to dismiss Brydon Carse (1) caught behind, but the no-ball blunder will have intensified pressure on the streaky 26-year-old allrounder.
Smith and Root added another 49 runs for the sixth wicket after Green’s misstep, with the partnership only ending as Smith became the first man in Test cricket to fall to Labuschagne’s medium-pace.
Green has endured a tough campaign so far, with the allrounder having scored 112 runs at 18.66 and taking only four wickets.
The West Australian is viewed as a long-term Test player, but Webster was arguably the better allrounder in 2025 before missing the first four Tests of this series.
After England resumed at 3-211 on Monday, Australia briefly opened the door to go through the tourists when Boland and Starc struck in quick succession.
Boland first had the dangerous Harry Brook for 84, when the Victorian seamed a ball slightly away from the right-hander and it was late-cut straight to Steve Smith at first slip.
Starc then had Ben Stokes caught behind for a duck, but only after the England captain appeared unhappy to be given out on review with a spike showing on Snicko.
But from 5-229 England were able to regain control, with Root the man in command after finally hitting a first Test century in Australia three matches ago in Brisbane.
After being the more composed England batter in his 159-run stand with Brook on Sunday and early Monday, the 35-year-old cover-drove superbly and regularly worked the ball behind square on the offside.
He looked far more at ease than the man who has often edged off through this series.
Root’s 41st Test century took him level with Australia’s Ricky Ponting for the third most of all time, behind only India’s Sachin Tendulkar (51) and South Africa’s Jacques Kallis (45).
AAP
