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Friday 47 Sports Friday, December 15, 2017 Malan inspires England with first ton of series Opening day overshadowed by fixing allegations PERTH: England batsman Dawid Malan plays a shot on day one of the third Ashes cricket Test match against Australia in Perth yesterday. — AFP PERTH: Dawid Malan struck England’s first cen- spells before the tea interval, but the quicks were SCOREBOARD tury of the Ashes series as the tourists saw off let down in the field by three dropped catches. Australia’s marauding pace attack to emerge on The last of them reprieved lefthander Malan PERTH, Australia: Scoreboard at stumps on day one in the third Ashes Test between Australia top of an enthralling first day of the third test at on 92 off the first delivery with the second new and England in Perth on Thursday: the WACA yesterday. The middle order bats- ball from a frustrated Mitchell Starc late in the man’s unbeaten 110 anchored a flourishing 174- day. Coaxing a thick edge from the England England first innings Extras (b8, lb2, nb1, w1) 12 run stand with wicketkeeper Jonny Bairstow (75 number five, Cameron Bancroft dived across Cook lbw b Starc 7 Total (for four wickets; 89 overs) 305 not out), the pair pushing England to 305 for from third slip in front of his captain Steve Smith Stoneman c Paine b Starc 56 Fall of wickets: 1-26 (Cook), 2-89 (Vince), 3- four at the close of a glorious day in Perth. Eng- to grass the chance. “Obviously no one goes out Vince c Paine b Hazlewood 25 115 (Root), 4-131 (Stoneman). land captain Joe Root and his predecessor Alas- trying to drop catches but I think when the Root c Paine b Cummins 20 Bowling: Starc 19-3-79-2, Hazlewood 20-7- tair Cook may have failed with the bat, but the wicket’s that flat and it’s that hard for our Malan not out 110 62-1 (1nb), Cummins 21-6-60-1 (1w), Lyon 19- skipper won perhaps the most important contest bowlers, it’s certainly disappointing,” Australia Bairstow not out 75 4-61-0, Marsh 7-1-25-0, Smith 3-1-8-0. of the day when he guessed correctly at the toss wicketkeeper Tim Paine said. The 30-year-old and opted to bat first. Malan went on to raise Criticised for elect- his century in style, holders seek to claw back from a 2-0 deficit in Starc appeared to graze Stoneman’s right glove ing to bowl in the sec- pulling paceman Josh the five-match series. They weathered some but the caught behind appeal was turned down ond test defeat in Hazlewood to the fence nervy moments. Bairstow, promoted to sixth in Australia reviewed and third umpire Aleem Adelaide, Root was re- Root wins toss, to trigger a standing the order, all but played onto his stumps during Dar overruled Marais Erasmus on the strength warded this time with ovation from a crowd of all-rounder Mitchell Marsh’s third over when on of a noise picked up on the ‘snicko’ technology three of his batsmen opts to bat first 22,148. 39. Opener Mark Stoneman was out for 56, hav- England number three James Vince contributed passing 50. “Tomorrow ing twice been dropped after reaching his sec- 25 in a 63-run stand with Stoneman before being the first hour is crucial Nervy moments ond half-century of the series and also struck on caught behind off Hazlewood before lunch for us,” Malan told re- Bairstow played a the helmet with a vicious short ball by Hazle- Cook’s 150th test started sourly, the 32-year-old porters after celebrating fine support role on his wood. He was first put down by Mitchell Marsh opener lasting just 16 balls in the morning before his maiden ton in his eighth test. “We’re going to return to the city where he drew unwanted at- in the slips, then a diving Nathan Lyon was un- being trapped lbw by Starc for seven. Day one have to be quite ruthless the way we play tomor- tention for ‘head-butting’ Bancroft at a local bar able to complete a difficult low chance at point. at the WACA was overshadowed by spot-fixing row morning and put them under pressure, get on the first night of the tour. The pair came to- Root was out softly for 20, caught down the leg- allegations in a British newspaper. The ICC said some more overs into their legs.” Australia’s gether with England 115 for three just after lunch side by wicketkeeper Tim Paine, and Stoneman it took the accusations “seriously” but said there pacemen were generally superb through much and their ability to survive for nearly two ses- followed in controversial circumstances. Paine was no evidence to implicate any of the match’s of the day and breathed fire in some hostile sions will have inspired Root’s team as the Ashes leapt high to take a fine one-handed catch after players or officials.— Reuters seriously” but do not think the match has been fixing occurs when corrupt players agree to dence to the International Cricket Council, who No evidence compromised, global cricket’s governing body manipulate part of a match by, for example, said they would be investigated by its Anti- said yesterday. The Sun reported that under- bowling a wide on a particular delivery or en- Corruption Unit. ground bookmakers from India had offered to suring a particular run rate. The corruption “From my initial assessment of the material Ashes test under sell undercover reporters from the newspaper in- does not usually affect the overall outcome of there is no evidence, either from The Sun or via formation about spot-fixing in the test between the match but gamblers in the know can use our own intelligence, to suggest the current test Australia and England, which started in Perth the information to beat the betting market. The match has been corrupted,” Alex Marshall, ICC fixing threat yesterday. Cricket Australia said the report was underground bookmakers told the reporters General Manager Anti-Corruption, said in a a “serious concern”, while the England and Wales they had previously manipulated matches in statement. PERTH: The ICC are taking allegations in a Cricket Board (ECB) said they were “aware” of the Indian Premier League and were also tar- “At this stage of the investigation, there is no British newspaper about attempts to organize the allegations even if there had been no sugges- geting Australia’s Twenty20 Big Bash League. indication that any players in this test have been spot-fixing during the third Ashes test “extremely tion any England players were involved. Spot- The newspaper said it had passed all the evi- in contact with the alleged fixers. —Reuters.