Another day of Ashes misery for beleaguered England just two days into the series and the UK media has given up on the first Test, consigned to a heavy defeat at the Gabba.
Travis Head rammed home the Australia’s advantage with a blistering unbeaten century after David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne set the platform with contrasting half-centuries.
John Etheridge, writing in The Sun, does not see any way out for Joe Root’s tourists after being outplayed over the first two days in Brisbane.
“England endured another day of misery and self-inflicted problems in the First Test and it is difficult to see anything other than a heavy defeat,” Etheridge wrote.
“For a time, Joe Root’s men dragged themselves back into contention by taking four wickets for 29 runs either side of tea.
“But a rampaging century by Travis Head – who reached three figures from just 85 balls – swept the match out of England’s grasp once more.
“Whether it was dropped catches, missed run outs, Ben Stokes’ injury, Ollie Robinson’s cramp or having a wicket cancelled because of a no-ball, the problems piled up for England.”
Jack Leach and Joe Root had bad days at the office. (Photo by Chris Hyde/Getty Images)
The Evening Standard correspondent Will Macpherson wrote: “The brutal realities of touring Australia hit an English side at a different moment on each tour. This time, it only took five sessions.
“Many of England’s problems are self-inflicted. They have got a lot wrong. Selection. The call at the toss. Some insipid batting when being bowled out for 147.”
The Telegraph’s Nick Hoult said the Australians were on course for victory, propelled by Heads’ counter-punching century.
“Travis Head nursed a bruised jaw from a Mark Wood beamer but it was England’s legs that were wobbling after his stunning century put Australia on course for victory in the first Test,” he said.
“Head slammed the joint third-fastest hundred in Ashes history off 85 balls – quicker than Ian Botham managed at Headingley in 1981 – as he rubbed England’s noses in the Gabba dirt by scoring a century in a session after tea.
“England trooped off broken by Head and shelled out by the effort of trying to stay in the hunt after two days of gruelling Ashes cricket that have snuffed out all the pre-series hope that it might be different this time around.”
Veteran cricket watcher Scyld Berry said captain Joe Root had got it completely wrong by picking hapless spinner Jack Leach.
Writing in The Telegraph, Berry said: “They had to pack their side with four seamers, plus Ben Stokes, and no spinner except Root. A specialist spinner was a luxury, which England could not afford in their extraordinary circumstances.
“If James Anderson was even less match-fit than everyone else, and had to be saved for the second Test in Adelaide, Stuart Broad had to play at the Gabba. Having played three Tests on the ground, Broad had the local knowledge, while seven of this England team are playing their first Test in Australia.”
Paul Newman, in the Daily Mail, agreed: “It was brutal. It was pre-meditated. And it was a calculated attack that looks likely to knock Jack Leach out of this Ashes and quite possibly beyond.
“The figures tell the sorry tale of England’s spinner in this horror show of a first Test. The man who was meant to bring control while England’s seamers found their legs in the Brisbane heat was smashed for 95 off 11 overs on a second day that confirmed beyond all doubt Joe Root and Chris Silverwood picked the wrong team at the Gabba.”
“England know they will have to better their first-innings effort just to make Australia bat again.” he wrote.
“Missed chances and the ineffectiveness of Jack Leach aside, England could do little more on a second day that exposed the inadequacy of their performance and decisions on day one.
“When a team is bowled out for 147, it seems churlish to rake over bowling selections, but the way Leach was singled out raises further questions over the exclusion of Stuart Broad and James Anderson, and leaves doubts over the part he could play in the remainder of the series.
“Robinson was superb, Wood bowled with extreme pace and Chris Woakes often beat the bat. However, the sight of Stokes limping is a huge concern and his nine overs cost 50 runs.”
The Daily Mail’s Lawrence Booth said England found “fresh ways of messing things up.”.
“If England’s first-day horror show at the Gabba wasn’t enough to satisfy their most ghoulish critics, they found fresh ways of messing things up on the second,” Booth waxed.
“At stumps, Australia had recovered from a spot of relative discomfort at 195 for five to reach 343 for seven, thanks to a remarkable 85-ball hundred from Travis Head. They should win easily from here.
“But just as worrying for England was the state of their bowling attack only two days into the series’ potential 25.
“It became clear that Ben Stokes’s body had not responded to his return as he would have liked. As early as the first session he was flexing his right shoulder, and soon pulled up after chasing his own misfield to the boundary.”
Former England captain Mike Atherton wrote in The Times that England were “on their knees.”
“The drama came late in the day, the turning points much earlier. Travis Head, a struggler in the Championship for Sussex last summer and in the 2019 Ashes, put England’s weary bowlers to the sword and became the first man to score a Test hundred at the Gabba in a single session,” Atherton opined.
“Hopes raised during the hour either side of tea, when five wickets fell, were snuffed out brutally, and England finished the day on their knees.”
There was praise for stout-hearted paceman Ollie Robinson, who was England’s best performed bowler with three wickets.
“On a gruelling day, Robinson brought the few precious breakthroughs, picking off both Warner and Marcus Harris before inviting the 6ft 6in Green to leave a ball that rattled his off-stump,” The Telegraph’s Oliver Brown said.
“Some rookies can be cowed by the stresses of a first tour of Australia, but Robinson adapted superbly.”
Mike
Guest
Yep, I'm totally aware of all that history thanks. My point was hinting at always respect your opponent and the moment you stop because you think you've got it in the bag is the moment (as Gould says) "you invite disappointment into your life". My words of caution aren't about a fear of losing but more about pushing hard until you cross the line and not giving a sucker a break. Always, always, always respect your opponent and save your talk about winning until you've actually won!
Ace
Roar Rookie
The man is only saying rubbish on purpose. Trying to stir the pot for some strange reason Its not even Frank . Apparently he is dead and it's his brother. Very weird
Once Upon a Time on the Roar
Roar Guru
The reality is that 6 times a 200+ deficit has led to a win in 145 years. Two of those occasions were minnows too inexperienced to close it out, a third was thrown and two of the remaining three involved a freakish once in a lifetime super human performance by a phenomenal player. Fearing such a rare occurrence is as silly as the reds under the beds fear circulated by our politicians back in the day. The large majority of occasions 150-200 deficits lead to relative capitulation and chances of a draw are minimal when significantly more than a full day's play remains.
Paul
Roar Guru
I'd assume so. If England had wanted to play a 4 day game or two, they only needed to come out a little earlier to complete the quarantine, then CA could have re-arranged the Shield fixtures to give them some cricket against Qld at least.
Dave
Guest
Were Cricket Australia even in a position to offer them any first-class matches?
ken gargett
Guest
sadly for you, frank, if only wishing it, made it come true. sure, long way to go in this test and the series but it does seem that all your really bizarre predictions are looking a bit nonsensical.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Tend to agree re Broad, although previous Australian tours wouldn't have offered much confidence - 34 wickets in 12 matches @ 37.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Da Loser.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
"A specialist spinner was a luxury, which England could not afford in their extraordinary circumstances." What were those circumstances? I can only think he means the pace attack being depleted and Anderson being rested prematurely. But why on earth wouldn't you pick one spinner if you've got four pace options? Leach may have looked very ordinary yesterday but he had a decent enough record to date - a better average than Nathan Lyon, amazingly, not that he's in Lyon's league. But as always there's a hell of a lot of wisdom of hindsight in the media. England's batting wasn't particularly insipid - few bad strokes, slow early on, but any team could have been bundled out for 150 in those conditions by that attack. Australia has had a lot more luck - maybe they batted more positively than England early one, but on another day it could have gone just as badly.
Dingo
Roar Rookie
The English press really know how to kick a team while they are down but surely you play your best team for the opening test of a 5 match series. The English need to WIN more tests to reclaim the ashes. By playing 7 debutantes in Australia, at the Gabba, is a strange call and considering they’ve had years to prepare for what Root says is “a defining moment in my captaincy” doesn’t say much for the planning.
Sgt Pepperoni
Roar Rookie
Great work from the Australian team who were themselves under pressure going into the match. Hopefully stokes isn't out for the series. Burns under serious pressure and the Australians may have smashed Leach out of the next game. Can't really ask for much more
Paul
Roar Guru
Can I ask a question Frank - how do you pronounce the last name of your moniker?
Paul
Roar Guru
I’m tired of reading how supposedly underdone the England players are. They’ve been crowing for the past 6 months or more about how much Test cricket they’ve played in the last year and a half and all the wonderful advantages that’s given them over Australia. They played their last Test three months before this one started, so did they suddenly lose match fitness in 3 months? And if they were concerned about that, why not have their blokes play some County cricket to keep them fit with the last round of matches starting at the end of September. They also decided to come over and the preparation they wanted was two 3 day games. Granted these barely got off the ground, but to suggest these players are not match fit because they missed those games is complete nonsense.
Chanon
Roar Rookie
I feel the Poms will be bowled out in 2 sessions when they come on to bat in the 2nd. Hoping for a more tighter contest, shame! Now l hope Aussies pulverise the English in some way it will be fun to watch :boxing:
Damo
Guest
That's pretty benign reaction from UK media. Even they seem defeated.
Tony Harper
Editor
You had me in the first half :laughing:
Mike
Guest
Good call Frank - although it does seem very unlikely. It's not over yet and victories in the past have been gained from worse positions. Headingly 1981 - England had a much better captain and a fit Botham. They had a rampaging Willis and Botham to bowl in the 4th innings - and they were at home. If England win this one, I reckon it'll be a bigger achievement than that 1981 win. Jack Leach was surprisingly inaccurate. His line to Head was atrocious. Root bowled much better than Leach. That's the way they'll go from here, which will just put more of a load on Root for the series. I can't believe Broad was left out. He has always put in big time in past Aussie tours. Much more so than the less lion-hearted Anderson who tends to bundle drop when conditions aren't to his liking. Broad was missed yesterday - I don't think Anderson would've contributed much. I think he would've been seeking the sanctuary of the changeroom in that last session until he could come out for the new ball. I see him as a "tough conditions dodger" whereas I have begrudging respect for Broad.
Rowdy
Roar Rookie
Leach strangles the ball. He has a lazy grip which tends to include the ringfinger. This means there is too many fingers on the ball at the moment of ball release.
Frank delosa
Guest
This test is far from over!! AUS post a lead of say 250, ENG score 380 in 2nd dig and the skittle AUS for 100 in 2nd inns. Clam it up AUS. Jack Leach is easily the most handsome player in world cricket.