Ashes 2017: England learn little from first taste of pink ball in Australia

The paucity of this CA XI’s bowling attack meant that even those that did score runs couldn't take much away about the challenges ahead

England learned little from their first exposure to the pink ball on this tour (Getty)

As far as England’s Ashes preparations are concerned, the first day of this pink-ball tour match against a Cricket Australia XI offered little of value for Joe Root and his players.

It wasn’t just the fact that Alastair Cook registered another failure or that out of the top six only Dawid Malan, one of three players to post half-centuries, batted under lights.

No, the paucity of this CA XI’s bowling attack meant that even those that did score runs would have learned little about the challenges ahead against Mitchell Starc and company in the Ashes.

There was no pace in either the opposition bowlers or the pitch and no real value in the runs being scored. Only when the second new ball came under lights in the final session did things start happening.

Mark Stoneman, with another half-century following his 86 in the opening warm-up game in Perth last weekend, and captain Joe Root, who scoring 58 after making only nine in that first game, will take the runs and at least some confidence too.

But this really isn’t what England needed in terms of getting battle-ready for the start of series in Brisbane on November 23 and the first-ever day-night Ashes Test here in Adelaide early next month.

They threw in a late collapse, too, as Chris Woakes, Craig Overton and Malan fell in quick succession to the second new ball under the Adelaide floodlights, the tourists reaching the close on 278 for eight.

This day, though, really belonged to 21-year-old leg-spinner Dan Fallins, who on his first-class debut claimed the notable scalps of Stoneman, James Vince, Root and Jonny Bairstow to return figures of four for 71.


 Cook fell cheaply again 
 (Getty)

England went into this match knowing that getting their batsmen attuned to the pink Kookaburra ball was their main priority.

Stuart Broad, rested here at his own request so he can play next week’s final warm-up match in Townsville, and Gary Ballance, the batsman dropped, were the only changes to the 12-man team England fielded in their tour opener against a Western Australia XI last weekend.

That match saw both Cook and Root fail in their team’s only innings but both were given another opportunity to get their tour up and running when home captain Tim Paine won the toss and asked England to bat on the first day here.

Things didn’t exactly go to plan, Cook departing in the seventh over after edging seamer Jackson Coleman behind.

There was a let-off for England’s other opener on 17, Stoneman dropped by wicketkeeper Paine off the bowling of Gurinder Sandhu.

Stoneman and Vince looked like seeing England safely through to tea – remember there is no lunch in a day-night contest. But their stand was broken when Vince was bowled by a full toss from Fallins.


 Stoneman brought up fifty to boost confidence ahead of the first Test 
 (Getty)

England’s No3, a surprise call into the squad for this tour after he had been dropped following a poor 2016 home summer, made 33.

Vince had started his tour with 82 in Perth and although he looked good here again before his dismissal there was still the odd shot outside off-stump he came close to edging.

That was the weakness exposed during his first spell in Test cricket and England will hope he can keep those moments of edginess to a minimum when he comes up against Australia’s attack.

The tourists started the middle session of the day on 85 for two following Vince’s departure, with Root at the crease alongside Stoneman.

Both brought up their fifties, before Fallins picked up two more prized wickets to send England into the dinner break on 180 for four. Stoneman reached his half-century in 102 balls with a single off Fallins in the 40th over.

But he was out on 61 when he smashed the same bowler straight to midwicket.


 Only Malan batted under the lights 
 (Getty)

Root had started the tour with a disappointing innings of nine in Perth.

Yet he was in fine touch here against a pedestrian attack, reaching fifty in 75 balls, before he holed out to the young leg-spinner.

Fallins was enjoying a dream first-class debut and it got even better in the fifth over after tea when he dismissed Bairstow with a wide delivery England’s wicketkeeper edged behind, the tourists now 195 for five.

A partnership of 76 between Malan and Woakes stabilised the innings but it was broken when Coleman made the breakthrough with the second new ball under lights.

Overton, dismissed by Sandhu, followed and Malan, after reaching fifty in 101 balls, perished to Coleman in the final over of the day to keep the CA XI well in contention in this four-day match.