Australia v England, First Ashes Test day five: Australia romp to 10-wicket victory
Australia eased to a 10-wicket victory over England in little more than an hour on day five at the Gabba.
First Ashes Test: Final scoreboard
Australia win by 10 wickets
Australia 2nd inns: 173-0 (50 overs. Bancroft 82*, Warner 87*)
England 2nd inns: 195 (71.4 overs. Root 51, Bairstow 42, Ali 40, Stoneman 27, Woakes 17; Hazlewood 3-46, Lyon 3-67, Starc 3-51, Cummins 1-23)
Australia 1st inns: 328 (130.3 overs. Smith 141*, Marsh 51, Cummins 42, Warner 26, Handscomb 14; Broad 3-49, Anderson 2-50, Ali 2-74, Root 1-10, Woakes 1-67, Ball 1-77)
England 1st inns: 302 (116.4 overs. Vince 83, Stoneman 53, Malan 56, Ali 38, Broad 20, Root 15, Ball 14; Starc 3-77, Cummins 3-85, Lyon 2-78)
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Day five report
England's 10-wicket defeat in the first Ashes Test was confirmed in little more than an hour as Australia knocked off the 56 runs still needed on the final morning at the Gabba.
David Warner (87no) and Cameron Bancroft (82no) took their opening stand to an unbroken 173, eclipsing the target England were able to set with more than two sessions to spare.
A decidedly one-sided outcome here was not an entirely true reflection of an opening contest which ebbed and flowed through the first two-and-a-half days.
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Since then, however, Australia have been on an uncompromising victory surge thanks largely to their captain Steve Smith's epic 141 not out as he near single-handedly hauled them into a first-innings lead of 26 runs.
Joe Root was unable to follow his opposite number's example, falling to the very next ball after reaching a sterling half-century on the fourth morning in an England second innings which fell short of requirements.
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The tourists were two down before they even managed to wipe out the minor arrears – and although Moeen Ali and Jonny Bairstow also both hinted at some lasting resistance, no one was able to even approach a contribution to match Smith's.
Australia were therefore left with a task which appeared from the outset almost certainly well within their reach, all the more so when their openers reached 114 without loss at stumps on the penultimate evening – each with an individual half-century under his belt.
England therefore returned with no realistic ambition of avoiding a 1-0 deficit at a ground where they have not won a Test since 1986/87.
There was still the possibility of a minor morale boost if they were able to nip out a late wicket or two.
It was not to be, though, as the combative Warner finished just short of following his captain to a 21st Test century.
Debutant Bancroft, meanwhile, kept his mind efficiently on the job too.
He had made only five in his first Test innings, and since then reports have surfaced that England have questioned their wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow about an alleged incident in which he 'headbutted' Bancroft at the very start of their tour in a Perth bar four weeks ago.
On the pitch, England have not managed to land a significant blow of any kind – physical or metaphorical – since Smith shut them out here on Saturday.
Day five reaction
Australia opener Cameron Bancroft has described an incident where he was allegedly headbutted by England wicket keeper Jonny Bairstow as "really weird" but without malice.
Describing the "random" encounter, the Ashes newcomer said: "I don't know Jonny Bairstow but, you know, he says hello to people very differently to most others and we got along for the rest of the night quite well and let it go and moved on from it and it was fine."
The England and Wales Cricket Board has spoken to Bairstow after reports emerged describing the alleged altercation in Perth four weeks ago.
Speaking at a press conference following England's defeat in the first Test of the Ashes, Bairstow said there was "no intent, nor malice about anything during the evening".
Captain Joe Root earlier downplayed the reports, saying "a mountain's been made out of a molehill".
The incident was revisited with levity on the Australia bench during the conference, in which Bancroft drily gave his version of events – leaving Australia captain Steve Smith in fits of laughter.
Bancroft said: "I remember it very clearly. We just won a sure game for WA (Western Australia). At the same time obviously that coincided with the English team arriving in Perth for the tour game and it was very friendly, mingling the whole night, some of our players knew some of the English players, things like that.
"As the night progressed it was great to be able to meet some of those guys, I got into a very amicable conversation with Jonny and you know, he just, yeah just greeted me with a headbutt kind of thing.
"I was expecting a handshake, it wasn't the greeting of choice that I was expecting and that was the way that I took it.
"There was certainly no malice in his action, we continued on having very good conversation for the rest of the evening."
Asked if the wicketkeeper apologised, Bancroft said: "At the time he said sorry. For me personally it was just really weird – obviously it was so random and I certainly didn't expect it coming.
"As I said a handshake or a hug would have been something I would have expected more than a headbutt. As I said there was certainly nothing malicious about his action."
Asked to describe the alleged headbutt, Bancroft said: "He didn't, like knock me over. I've actually got the heaviest head in the Western Australia squad, it's been measured.
"There's an actual measurement for it so yeah, just took the blow quite well and moved on from it.
"It was a good hit. Play on."
Bancroft alleged Bairstow "connected with my head and with a force that would make me sort of think wow, that's a bit weird, and that was it."
Bairstow told the conference: "We were just in the bar having a good laugh, a good evening out, it was very enjoyable.
"Cameron and I enjoyed the evening and continued to do so, there was no intent, nor malice about anything during the evening.
"As you can see out there today there's no animosity between myself, Cameron or any of the other Australian players and hopefully now we can swipe this underneath the table, continue what's going to be a fantastic and exciting series and we move on from there."
Commenting on the Bairstow alleged headbutt, England coach Trevor Bayliss admitted that Ben Stokes' experiences might have prompted the players to be more careful: "That was what I thought after Bristol as well. They'd be extra dumb and stupid if it didn't.
"That's the disappointing thing - we make dumb decisions ... if you put yourself in that situation you are fair game."
Day four report
England could perhaps cite one moment of minor controversy as mitigation as they moved to the brink of a resounding defeat in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba, with Australia now just 6/4 to win by 10 wickets.
By stumps on day four, in pursuit of just 170 to win after England mustered 195 all out, Australia put themselves bang on course to wrap up their long-accustomed Brisbane victory.
David Warner (60no) and his debutant opening partner Cameron Bancroft (51no) both bagged half-centuries as the hosts closed on 114 for none after England had hinted at a more substantial target on the back of a half-century from captain Joe Root (51).
Moeen Ali's dismissal, stumped after the tightest of third-umpire rulings amid mutterings about a bulge in the hand-painted popping crease counting against him, did not help England - who lost their last five wickets for 40.
But they were in trouble long before their all-rounder departed the scene.
Warner and Bancroft were then in no initial hurry on the home straight, but shut England out nonetheless in an assured century partnership.
A session earlier Nathan Lyon, and wicketkeeper Tim Paine, had done for Moeen - along with an element of batsman error - as the off-spinner joined seamers Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood with three wickets.
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England's second innings was a flawed one, of transient promise but not fulfilment.
Root played well, especially having needed concussion tests to resume his innings after being hit on the helmet by Starc the previous evening.
But in departing to the very next ball, his 104th, after reaching his half-century - lbw across his stumps to pace as in the first innings - he had not done nearly enough.
Mark Stoneman and Dawid Malan were already gone by then, both caught at slip by Root's opposite number Steve Smith when the impressive Lyon found telling turn and bounce from round the wicket.
It was Moeen's controversial and marginal mid-afternoon departure that prefaced England's final descent, though.
The whys and wherefores were pondered all round the Gabba, and doubtless far beyond into another hemisphere, after third umpire Chris Gaffaney ruled Moeen had nothing grounded behind the slightly wiggly whitewash line when Paine took off the bails.
The other suspicion, though, was that Moeen could have relatively easily helped himself and his team by making sure he knew where his back foot was as he reached forward and missed an off-break.
Chris Woakes and Jonny Bairstow responded well initially to the setback, keeping their composure in a seventh-wicket stand which was handy but no more before the former was bounced out by Starc.
When Bairstow, like Moeen, fell short of his half-century with a misjudgment - upper-cutting Starc straight to third man - England's last two wickets were sitting ducks, and duly delayed Australia by just eight more balls and one run.
The tourists' failure to exert any pressure with a more substantial total was then put into stark context by Warner and Bancroft.
Day four reaction
Moeen Ali, England
On his dismissal:
"Once you're given out you have to respect that and move on. I'm more disappointed with myself. I got in and then got out. These things happen in cricket but you have to respect the umpire.
"I think a few of us got in and had to go on and score a big 100, one of the top six or seven had to build an innings and play a bit more to the situation, probably a bit more aggressive.
"We never got that big score we needed to have a good lead against Australia."
On his injured spinning finger:
"I split it in the first innings quite badly. It's part of being a spinner, but no excuses, I didn't bowl that well today. Obviously it was a difficult day to bowl. It's more mental than anything, trying to grip the ball never feels the same but it's part of being a spinner."
Mitchell Starc, Australia
"We know they bat deep - Moeen and Jonny have scored runs - but thought if we stuck to our plans we would a find a way to take wickets.
"We got stuck into the tail pretty quickly.
"The way our boys bowled at them in the last home Ashes, we used that as a blueprint.
"They can expect more short stuff as the series goes on."
Day three report
England suddenly had to battle to stay in the match on day three of the Ashes after Steve Smith's outstanding hundred helped to pile the pressure back on them at the Gabba.
Smith's brilliance and two late wickets saw Australia's price tumble to 2/5, with England now out to 9/2.
Much rests on captain Joe Root's shoulders and he's an 11/4 Price Boost to emulate his opposite number and top-score as England look to battle back on day four.
Root's men did their utmost to frustrate Smith by drying up his run-scoring options, but he refused to be distracted for more than eight and a half hours in his unbeaten 141 as Australia scrambled to 328 all out and a lead of 26.
England then made a miserable start to their second innings against Josh Hazlewood on the way to 33 for two, with the early loss of Alastair Cook for his second single-figure score in three days and then James Vince - unable to follow up his maiden Ashes half-century here.
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That was 17 for two, and only a run later still scoreless Root had his helmet rearranged by a brute of a bouncer into the side of the grille from Mitchell Starc.
A torrid time continued for the England captain and opener Mark Stoneman, as Pat Cummins also bowled a rapid and menacing spell up to stumps - but they stood firm.
Smith's was a tour-de-force performance, entirely fitting of a home captain out to put his stamp on this Ashes series from the outset.
His opposite number, and England's attack bowling to order, made him scrap for every run as they put a block on his options with a stalemate leg-side field and no leeway to hit through the off.
Smith was therefore restricted to just 17 runs before lunch and did not register his 50th of the day until the first ball after tea.
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He refused to panic, though, and received very significant support.
It came first from Shaun Marsh (51), Australia's returning number six who did the bulk of his work the previous evening but was a more than equal partner in a fifth-wicket partnership of 99 and completed his deserved half-century before a curious mis-drive at Stuart Broad (three for 49) to hole out at mid-off.
The second new ball then accounted for Tim Paine and Starc inside two overs.
Paine was very well-caught behind by Jonny Bairstow off James Anderson, and Starc followed a memorable six off Broad over long-off to get off the mark third ball by falling to his fifth when he poked a return chance back to the same bowler.
It was Cummins who did most to help Smith ensure the first innings lead, batting well above the pay grade of a number nine with organised defence and attacking flair to match until Chris Woakes broke his duck for the series when he had him edging to a tumbling Cook at second slip.
Smith still managed to engineer another 53 for the last two wickets and, after barely a false shot to any of his 326 balls, he was still in situ when Nathan Lyon was neatly caught at leg-slip by Cook off Root.
England had rarely looked like getting him out at any point on this untypically slow Brisbane surface.
Yet as soon as it was the tourists' turn to face the new ball again, everything seemed to be happening too quickly for them.
Cook's mode of dismissal, to a mishook to long-leg, was especially concerning - and then Vince came and went quickly, caught at second slip in the fashion many had predicted he might during this series.
Day three reaction
Steve Smith, Australia
"It meant everything. I needed to really dig deep and get through difficult periods and just bat some time.
"Obviously there were some defensive fields set so there weren't a lot of boundaries to score but if you spend enough time out there it gets easier.
"I thought they were pretty defensive from the outset. It was as if they were waiting for batters to make mistakes.
"It felt very defensive, (so) it might be a series where boundaries are hard to come by."
Stuart Broad, England
"I think we did pretty well to lose only two wickets. We'd have liked to get out the session unscathed but it really was a brilliant time to bowl.
"Tomorrow will be a bit of a different story, they'll have to plan for bowling a lot more overs, I hope.
"It's in our hands, if we bat well tomorrow we can put Australia under a lot of pressure on day five.
"For a day three pitch, that pitch is very, very slow and flat. It didn't really turn today, I thought the moisture had gone out the pitch a little bit and I think day three and four will be the best time to bat on this pitch.
"Fortunately it's our chance to have a bat now."
On a supposed injury to James Anderson, spotted grimacing and holding his side:
"I don't really know where this mystery injury has come from. He's just bowled 30 overs for 50.
"I've spent the whole day with him - he's not moaned about anything, or said he's sore or injured."
Day two report
The Ashes delivered on its pre-series hype as Australia captain Steve Smith edged an epic battle of will and skill with England's bowlers on an absorbing second day at the Gabba.
After another day of ebb and flow, the odds are almost back where they were before a ball was bowled with Australia 8/11 favourites, England 9/4, and the draw on the drift slightly at 4/1.
Joe Root's men did themselves no favours when they lost three wickets for four runs, and their last six for 56, after a stand of 83 between Dawid Malan (56) and Moeen Ali en route to an apparently under-par 302 all out.
But they responded in the field by sticking to their captain's effective plans with sustained, accurate spells, until Smith (64 not out) emerged from the home pack to revitalise his team from 76 for four to 165 without further loss at the close in an unbroken stand with Australia's returning number six Shaun Marsh.
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Smith needed to be at his most watchful and determined on his way to a hard-earned 112-ball 50 after four England bowlers had taken a deserved wicket each.
Stuart Broad was rewarded first, when debutant opener Cameron Bancroft pushed out on the front foot and was smartly caught behind by a diving Jonny Bairstow.
Usman Khawaja was lbw to one that did not turn from Moeen, brought on after just eight overs by Root.
England kept David Warner becalmed throughout, and the combative opener blinked first when he whipped Jake Ball to midwicket, where Malan was relieved to take a sharp catch at the second attempt.
James Anderson then out-thought Peter Handscomb to have him plumb lbw, a dismissal which required a review to overturn the initial decision but should not have done.
That was as good as it got for England, who were undone by Smith.
Marsh too grew in confidence towards the end of a stamina-sapping examination for the touring attack, who nonetheless will still be able to resume with realistic designs on a first-innings lead.
England had managed to add 105 more runs to their overnight total in an extended first session, thanks largely to Malan and Moeen.
While the fifth-wicket pair were prospering, though, Root must have been hoping for substantially more than a mere 300 benchmark.
It was not to be.
Malan became the third of England's Ashes novices to pass 50 here at his first attempt, and there were some authoritative drives among his high boundary count of 11.
It was Moeen who had looked most vulnerable once Mitchell Starc (three for 77) began a barrage of short balls, to a field of leg-side catchers. Yet it was his partner who succumbed, rightly frustrated with himself when he mis-pulled the left-armer to deep square leg.
Moeen followed an over later, a first victim for the deserving Nathan Lyon who deceived the left-hander with one that did not turn and won the lbw.
Chris Woakes was bowled attempting an ambitious drive at the off-spinner and Bairstow could not halt the slide either, - entirely mistiming an attempted pull at Pat Cummins (three for 85) to give wicketkeeper Tim Paine an unmissable catch.
It therefore fell to England's tail to try to burgle some much-needed scraps, and Broad and Ball rode their luck effectively to do so.
Day two reaction
Jake Ball, England
"The wicket isn't too bowler-friendly so you have to stick in there and wait for the mistake. We didn't quite expect the pitch that we have got here but I think we have adapted well with bat and ball.
"It's pretty good, we just had a chat and we know if we get two quick wickets in the morning then you have (Pat) Cummins and (Mitchell) Starc coming in, so two quick wickets in the morning and we are right in this game.
"I think we have done excellently well today. We have executed our plans and we are due a bit of luck so in the morning hopefully we will get that.
"The atmosphere is amazing. I got a bit of stick down by the pool but that just adds to the whole occasion and that's what you expect. It has been a really good start, a good couple of days' cricket and I'm looking forward to the next three."
Mitchell Starc, Australia
"I guess we had to sort of adapt to the wicket - it's not a general Gabba wicket that we see, it usually gets a bit harder on day two but it's like a normal day one wicket.
"But we had to find a way to generate a few wickets and I think six for about 115 is a great way to finish with the ball and then a great partnership between Steve and Shaun is a great way to finish too.
"They have done fantastic. It is not the ideal start with the bat to be four for not a lot, but they dug in, faced a lot of balls and ground it out and found a way to build a nice partnership, got us to stumps and something to build on tomorrow now."
Day one report
James Vince blunted the much-hyped Australia attack but fell foul of England's new number one enemy Nathan Lyon just when he was all set to tame the Gabba on day one of the Ashes.
Vince (83) responded to the departure of lynchpin opener Alastair Cook in just the third over of the series by sharing a century stand with Mark Stoneman which belied inevitable nerves on this huge stage.
After he was dropped by wicketkeeper Tim Paine on 68 pushing forward to Lyon, England's latest number three appeared on course for a maiden Test century only for the off-spinner to snatch it away with a brilliant direct-hit to run him out attempting a faulty single to cover.
It was a moment which reinvigorated Australia and their hostile home support as captain Joe Root then also fell, lbw to Pat Cummins' old-ball swing and pace, in a stumps total of 196 for four.
With Lyon at the centre of Vince's exit, it had an added significance after the spinner spoke out so forcefully earlier this week – apparently out of character – about Australia's uncompromising intent this winter.
Vince had stroked a succession of stylish off-side boundaries among his 12 fours from 170 balls, as he vindicated pre-tour predictions from the England camp that he has the ideal game to prosper in Australian conditions.
He previously flattered to deceive in seven Tests, the last more than a year ago, averaging under 20 with a joint top-score of 42.
Ultimately, there was an undeniable element of job half-done here too, just when the notoriously partisan Brisbane crowd was becoming becalmed.
An untypically sluggish Gabba pitch was arguably in Vince's favour, and the lack of sideways movement off the surface – a menace to his aspirations at home – was very handy too.
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Nonetheless it was an admirable effort after Vince and Stoneman (53) joined forces at two for one when Mitchell Starc had made short work of England's all-time record runscorer Cook – caught at first slip pushing forward to some well-directed new-ball swing from the left-armer.
There were precious few further edges or plays-and-misses as Vince unfurled some of his favourite cover-drives and back-foot forces, and Stoneman played the percentages to continue his sequence of passing 50 in every innings on tour so far – following his three half-centuries and a century in England's warm-up fixtures.
The opener departed just before tea, during a rain-shortened second session, hanging back slightly in defence and done for pace by Cummins from round the wicket.
Lyon was then the most constant threat into the final hour, finding both turn and bounce and giving the batsmen precious little leeway, but it was Cummins who ousted the England captain before Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali's spirited partnership closed out the evening.
Much of the pre-match chat from Australia had centred on how fearsome a prospect their three-man pace attack was going to be.
England were not put off, though - and despite the shock of losing Cook so early after Root had won the toss, and then Vince's partially self-inflicted disappointment, they established a foothold in the series at least.
Day one reaction
James Vince, England
"My decision-making was pretty good, the pitch was quite easy-paced, I stuck to my gameplan throughout, so yes there's lots to build on for me.
"I feel like my game is in good order and I just tried to replicate that today.
"It's a disappointing way to go. It's a great piece of fielding but if I could rewind then I would have stayed at the end.
"It's nice to get off to a good start. A few comments I've read have said that I'm not ready for Test cricket so hopefully I've proved a few people wrong."
Nathan Lyon, Australia
"The wicket is probably a lot softer than we're used to at the Gabba.
"Stoneman and Vince batted extremely well but I'm very pleased with that fightback."
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