Fri, Jul 10, 2015 page20

• Attacking Ali hits 77 to boost hosts’ first-innings total

  • AFP, CARDIFF
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  Moeen Ali’s dashing 77 helped England to a first-innings total of 430 on the second day of the first Ashes Test against Australia at Sophia Gardens in Cardiff, Wales, yesterday.

  Batting at No 8, the all-rounder posted his second-highest Test score, following his 108 not out against Sri Lanka at Headingley last year, seeing England past 400, which would have been the aim of captain Alastair Cook when he he won the toss and batted on Wednesday.

  Mitchell Starc led Australia’s attack with five for 114 in 24.1 overs — his third five-wicket Test haul and first abroad, but fellow left-arm fast bowler Mitchell Johnson — whose 37 wickets were central to Australia’s 5-0 Ashes rout of England in 2013-2014 — bowled 25 wicketless overs for 111 runs.

  

  England’s James Anderson, right, is bowled by Australia’s Mitchell Starc, unseen, on the second day of the opening Ashes Test in Cardiff, Wales, yesterday.

  Photo: AFP

  Australia openers Chris Rogers and David Warner then got through an awkward 38-minute spell before lunch to take the holders to 26-0.

  England resumed on their overnight 343-7 after Joe Root’s well-made 134 had rescued them from the depths of 43-3.

  After being axed for the Sydney climax of the last Ashes series Root has enjoyed a superb run of from with the bat.

  It was his fifth century in 13 Tests since then, with Root having scored 1,452 runs at an average of more than 85 following his recall.

  However, Root might have been out for a second-ball duck on Wednesday only for diving wicketkeeper Brad Haddin to drop a one-handed chance off Starc.

  England’s new Australian coach Trevor Bayliss had said prior to the match that the side needed to “fight fire with fire” if they were to regain the Ashes and Root put the theory into action with a century that came off just 118 balls.

  “When you come into positions like that, after losing three wickets quite quickly, you’re going to get opportunities to score — because they’re going to have aggressive fields,” Root told reporters.

  “It could have gone completely the other way and I could have got out second ball ... then you look a little bit silly, but I had that fortune today and made the most of it,” added Root, eventually caught in the slips off Starc.

  Root received excellent support in a fourth-wicket stand of 153 from Yorkshire teammate Gary Ballance, who made 61.

  “That was so important for us today — the mental strength he showed, the determination and Yorkshire grit,” Root said.

  Ali was 26 not out and Stuart Broad unbeaten on nought, with blue skies on a sunny day promising good conditions for batting yesterday morning.

  However, it was Broad who took the attack to Australia by driving Hazlewood for four and pulling him for six, although the paceman’s first over of the day saw the batsman, who has struggled against the short ball, duck into a delivery that hit him on the badge of his helmet.

  Australia thought they had Broad out for 11 when he gloved a rising delivery from Johnson to a diving Adam Voges at short-leg.

  Broad, heavily criticized in Australia for not walking during the first Ashes Test at Trent Bridge in Nottingham in 2013, appeared happy to go on this occasion, but the on-field umpires told him to wait while they asked third umpire Chris Gaffaney to check if the catch was clean.

  Replays indicated Voges had grassed the ball and the batsman was recalled.

  Next over there was a suggestion that Ali, on 34, might have got the thinnest of edges to Starc, but there was only a half-hearted appeal and the batsman survived.

  When Broad, who bats left-handed, drove Johnson past mid-off for four it meant the bowler had conceded 100 runs in the innings.

  Having previously indicated to spectators that Broad was uncomfortable against fast bowling, Johnson was greeted by an ironic standing ovation from a packed stand as he returned to his fielding position at fine-leg. Johnson, playing up to the role of pantomime villain, responded by doffing his cap and kissing the Australia badge.

  Meanwhile, Ali went to a 69-ball half-century with his seventh four, a streaky inside-edge off Starc.

  Another edged four by Ali, this time off Johnson, saw England’s eighth-wicket duo complete a half-century stand in 66 balls, but off-spinner Nathan Lyon broke the partnership with his first ball of the day when Broad’s bottom-edged sweep was caught by Haddin.

  However, left-handed batsman Ali connected with a slog-sweep boundary off Lyon that saw England past 400.

  His fine effort ended when he drove at a Starc away-swinger and was caught in the slips by Shane Watson.

  Starc wrapped up the innings by clean-bowling James Anderson with an excellent full-length delivery.
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