"Not to say that a lot of Australians would exactly have been tuning into the Sydney Ashes Test hoping to hear that England were doing well, but at least seeing a couple of sessions yield a score of 211 for three felt normal. The run rate was trending towards the adventurous, but it was a day within the accepted frame, and that is a template that not many days this series have been able to match."
"When first drop Jacob Bethell nicked off on 10 though, having looked in excellent early touch both defensively and in attack, the score of 57 for three put a little tremor through onlookers. Three wickets in half a dozen overs? Was it about to happen again? Another collapse, another Test match with a brick on the accelerator and the vehicle aimed at a lake? And then, that fate didn't materialise."
"There had been enough seam movement for Scott Boland to get the ball moving away from Bethell's edge, enough for Michael Neser to smack it into Zak Crawley's pads. Enough swing for Mitchell Starc to curl it away from Ben Duckett's defensive push. But the ageing ball did a little less, a few edges went into the turf or over the cordon or past the leg stump, and suddenly things settled."
England reached 211 for three after a day that felt comparatively normal, with an enterprising run rate and a rapid opening 35 from 40 balls. Early wickets fell, including Jacob Bethell nicking off for 10 to leave 57 for three and briefly alarm observers, but a fuller collapse did not follow. Seam and swing from Scott Boland, Michael Neser and Mitchell Starc created chances, yet the ageing ball offered less movement and several edges evaded fielders. Joe Root and Harry Brook steadied and accelerated, employing the cut shot against deliveries wide of off, while Australia's attack looked short of alternatives.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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