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The Ashes: Australia finally show batting patience

20th August, 2015
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David Warner certainly lives by the sword... (AFP PHOTO / Peter Heeger)
Expert
20th August, 2015
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It was the best type of boring cricket. The run rate was trickling but, more importantly, the wicket column was static as Australia belatedly batted in Test fashion in the final Ashes match overnight.

At Trent Bridge, amid one of the most frenetic batting displays in Test history, Australia were rolled for 60 as their batsmen played at everything, thrusting their blade at the ball with hard hands.

Last night, their top order remembered that succeeding in English conditions is all about the subtleties of batsmanship – judgment, patience and allowing the ball to come to you.

Retiring opener Chris Rogers has set an example over the first four Tests, leaving the ball impressively and meeting deliveries under his eyes. Unfortunately, none of his teammates took any notice and the Ashes were handed back in meek fashion.

Belatedly, the Australians found that a dash of circumspection often reaps dividends on English surfaces.

The Oval pitch looked so inviting for bowling that Australian skipper Michael Clarke appeared rueful when he lost the toss and was sent in.

Where at Trent Bridge every delivery seemed to kiss an Australian edge, here Rogers and David Warner shouldered arms at regular intervals. In between they showcased a sturdy defence, with Warner in particular far more unhurried than in previous innings.

Neither batsman was perturbed by clusters of dot balls. Warner loves to dictate the pace of a Test when he’s at the crease, yet in the first hour he was happy to be subjugated by some accurate but not overly threatening England bowling.

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At drinks, Australia had dawdled to 0-19 from 14 overs. Rarely in his career, if ever, has Warner been restricted to just 14 runs from his first 42 balls. It was encouraging to see that he did not look unsettled by this slow progression.

Such grafting work often pays off for top order batsman as the game inevitably opens up for them and the run rate flourishes. So it was after drinks as Australia scored 63 runs from the next 13 overs leading up to lunch.

Having deprived England of any early momentum the Aussies were in a prime position to begin to dictate terms. First drop Steve Smith followed suit after coming to the crease in accommodating circumstances with the score at 1-110.

While he was not as assured in defence as either Warner or Rogers, Smith appeared similarly intent on protecting his wicket early on.

With only four runs to his name after 20 balls he may have been tempted to try to break the shackles. Instead he waited until the bowlers eventually strayed into his scoring zones.

What the Australians displayed was basic Test match batting – leave as many balls as possible, look for ones and twos, get used to the nature of the wicket and then unfurl more expansive strokes once well set.

Again, had the Australians been taking notes when Rogers was batting earlier in the series they may well have avoided the embarrassment of the past two Tests.

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