Fri, Dec 10, 2021 page16

• Head century crushes England’s hopes

  CONTROVERSY: People speculated that had the umpires called Ben Stokes’ overstepping earlier, he would have adjusted his run-up and checked Australia’s momentum

  • AFP, BRISBANE, Australia
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  Travis Head yesterday blasted a rapid-fire century to crush England hopes on the second day of the opening Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane.

  At the close of play, Australia were 343-7, a lead of 196 on England’s dismal first-innings total of 147.

  Head was on 112 from only 95 balls, alongside Mitchell Starc, who was 10 not out.

  

  England’s Rory Burns, left, attempts to take a catch from Australia’s Travis Head, center, on the second day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday.

  Photo: AFP

  England had threatened a comeback after tea when Ollie Robinson took two wickets in consecutive balls, but Head’s aggressive innings put to rest any hopes of a miracle recovery.

  Head came to the crease with Australia 189-3, after Steve Smith edged Mark Wood to cricketkeeper Jos Buttler just before tea.

  He then watched David Warner (94) and Cameron Green depart to Robinson’s accurate seamers after the break, with Australia still only 89 runs ahead.

  

  Australia’s Travis Head, right, celebrates with teammate Mitchell Starc after scoring a century on the second day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane, Australia, yesterday.

  Photo: AP

  However, the 27-year-old Head attacked from the outset, and was particularly harsh on spinners Jack Leach and Joe Root.

  He smashed two sixes and 12 tours in his century, his third overall and his first since the Boxing Day Test against New Zealand in 2019.

  Leach, 1-95 from 11 overs, failed to assert any control and with Ben Stokes also struggling for fitness, skipper Root had to rely heavily on his three-man seam attack.

  Earlier, Warner rode his luck in the first two sessions. The gritty opener was bowled by a no-ball by Stokes before lunch, then dropped by Rory Burns in the first over after the break, before Haseeb Hameed bungled a simple run-out when Warner was on 60.

  Warner’s good fortune began in the opening session when Stokes bowled him when he was on 17, but the all-rounder had overstepped to give the Australia opening batsman a reprieve.

  It later transpired that technology issues were at the center of the no-ball drama.

  England needed to take all their chances to keep their hopes of salvaging anything from the first Test after their disastrous start on Wednesday, when they were bowled out in just 50.1 calamitous overs.

  They started well when Robinson claimed his first Ashes wicket, Marcus Harris, with the score on 10.

  However, the seam attack of Robinson, Chris Woakes and the outright pace of Wood were able to keep the Australia batters pinned down early on with some tight and accurate bowling.

  Robinson was especially dangerous and made the breakthrough when he enticed Harris to play forward to a ball that left him slightly, the Australia opener edging to second slip, where Dawid Malan took a good low catch.

  Warner and Marnus Labuschagne consolidated, but late in the second session, Labuschagne sliced an attempted cut off Leach to Wood at backward-point to fall for 74.

  Soon after, Wood — who bowled with real pace all day — gave England some cheer when he removed the dangerous Smith in the penultimate over of the second session.

  When Warner slapped a short Robinson ball to Stokes at short-cover after tea and then Green was bowled next ball, England must have had some belief, but that was soon quashed by Head’s swashbuckling innings.

  NO-BALL CONTROVERSY

  England all-rounder Stokes was at the center of the no-ball drama.

  David Warner was on 17 when Stokes bowled him, only for the TV umpire to give the Australia opener a reprieve because Stokes had overstepped.

  It was a potential turning point on the second day, as Warner went on to make 94 and the hosts tightened their grip on the match in Brisbane.

  Television replays later showed that Stokes had also overstepped on the first three balls of his over, but nothing had been called.

  That led to speculation that had he been called earlier by the umpires, he would have adjusted his run-up and Warner’s prized wicket — on Stokes’s fourth delivery — might have stood.

  “If he had been called for a no-ball the first one he bowled, then of course he’s going to drag his foot back,” former Australia captain Ricky Ponting told Channel 7.

  Cricket Australia later released a statement saying that the technology that TV umpires use to help check no-balls was not working.

  “In recent years, the third umpire has called no-balls with the aid of technology for officially sanctioned ICC [International Cricket Council] matches,” Cricket Australia said. “Unfortunately, that technology is not working in this match and is unavailable.”

  “The officials have reverted back to using the old protocols/playing conditions whereby the on-field umpires will call no-balls when identified, and the third umpire can check no-balls, but only at the fall of a wicket,” it said. “Work is ongoing to have the no-ball technology available again as soon as possible.”
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