Moeen Ali struck on the stroke of lunch to dismiss David Warner after he had led a bold start to Australia’s mammoth run chase on the fourth day of the first Ashes Test against England yesterday.
Warner’s exit for 52 left Australia 97 for two at the interval and needing a further 315 runs to reach what would be a new Ashes record fourth-innings winning total of 412.
Steven Smith, the world’s No. 1 Test batsman, was 29 not out after off-spinner Ali had Warner LBW as he shuffled across his stumps to a ball that came in on the angle rather than turning away from the left-hander.
Photo: Reuters
It had seemed Australia, bidding for their first Ashes series win in Britain in 14 years, would get through the session for just the loss of Warner’s fellow left-handed opener Chris Rogers.
The most any side have made to win in the fourth innings of an Ashes Test was Australia’s 404 for three at Headingley back in 1948 when Arthur Morris scored 182 and Donald Bradman, widely regarded as cricket’s greatest batsman, an unbeaten 173.
However, Australia, who dismissed England on the stroke of Friday’s stumps for 289 in their second innings, knew they had two days in which to rewrite the record books as their openers walked out to bat under blue skies yesterday.
Photo: Reuters
A feature of this match had been England’s much-improved fielding, but their first major blemish came when third slip Joe Root dropped Rogers, then on four, off James Anderson, despite getting both hands to the ball as he dived to his left.
Fortunately for England, it was not an expensive miss, with Rogers out for 10 when he edged a sharply rising delivery from Stuart Broad low to Ian Bell at second slip, leaving Australia 19 for one.
It was a fine reward for Broad during a miserly opening spell of one for 10 off six overs.
Warner, belying his reputation for all-out aggression, scored just a single run from his first 23 balls faced, but his next 49 came in 49 deliveries.
England captain Alastair Cook brought Ali on as first change, but when he dropped short, Warner pulled him for six and cut him for four off consecutive balls, but the spinner got his revenge.
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