Established 1961 13 Sports Sunday, December 17, 2017 England admit bowling attack flaws as Australia seize control Marsh completes family hat-trick of Ashes centuries PERTH: England conceded their bowling flaws were savagely exposed as Steve Smith and Mitchell Marsh’s relentless batting on day three of the third Test in Perth yesterday left the tourists praying for rain to salvage their Ashes hopes. Australia were 549 for four in their first innings by stumps, with Smith on 229 and Marsh on 181, having seized total control to lead England by 146 runs with six wickets still in hand. It was a horrendous day for the visitors, who must win or draw in Perth to keep alive their hopes of retaining the urn, but claimed just one wicket all day at a cost of 346 runs. England assistant coach Paul Farbrace said the weaknesses in the English attack, particularly in foreign conditions, were being cruelly PERTH: Australian captain Steve Smith (R) with England’s Jonny Bairstow (L) plays a shot on exposed. “I don’t think we’ve learned anything day three of the third Ashes cricket Test match at the WACA ground in Perth yesterday. — AFP from today that we didn’t already know,” he said in a sobering assessment of the English bowling unit. “We don’t have that extra pace, we knew he batted all day for his highest Test score, and Bradman (58 innings) and Sunil Gavaskar (101 that coming into that series, and we haven’t got passed 1,000 runs in the calendar year. Mitchell innings) have reached 22 Test centuries in fewer the highest quality of magical spin. “Our bowlers Marsh answered his critics to post his maiden innings. He then reached his double-hundred have been very honest ... we’ve got what we’ve Test ton on his home ground. from 301 balls, including 26 fours and one six, SCOREBOARD got, what can we do? Farbrace conceded the English were almost although he was content to milk easy singles “There is nothing that has surprised us.” powerless to stop Smith in his current form. against a defensive field as he reached the mile- Farbrace said rookie seamer Chris Overton was “We’ve tried all sorts, we’ve thought about our stone. Mitchell Marsh came to the crease after Scoreboard at stumps on the third day in the third Test between Australia and England on Saturday in being hampered by a “cracked rib”, and also plans to him for some time, but we’ve come up the dismissal of his brother Shaun under huge Perth, Australia. conceded the match turned when England lost against a player in the form of his life playing pressure to perform after a contentious recall, their last six wickets for just 35 runs in their first absolutely fantastically,” Farbrace said. and having dropped a simple catch and bowled England 1st innings 403 (D. Malan 140, J. Bairstow Total (for 4 wickets, 152 overs) 549 Smith and Mitchell Marsh dominated the flag- poorly during the England innings. innings to squander a potentially huge total. 119, M. Stoneman 56; M. Starc 4-91) ging England attack to put on an unbroken stand He started nervously but blossomed as his Fall of wickets: 1-44 D. Warner, 2-55 C. Bancroft, However, he wouldn’t concede the Ashes Australia 1st innings (Overnight: 203-3) defence was over. Australia lead the series 2-0 of 301 for the fifth wicket without even offering a innings went on and notched his maiden Test 3-179 U. Khawaja, 4-248 S. Marsh C. Bancroft lbw b C. Overton 25 and can regain the Ashes with victory at the single chance. It is the highest partnership for century from the penultimate over before tea on To bat: T. Paine, M. Starc, P. Cummins, N. Lyon, J. D. Warner c Bairstow b C. Overton 22 WACA Ground, with England’s hopes of staying Australia against England at the WACA. Captain his home ground, sparking scenes of jubilation Hazlewood U. Khawaja lbw b Woakes 50 alive in the five-match series seemingly resting Joe Root even turned to the part-time leg-spin from a parochial crowd. Marsh had faced 130 Bowling: J. Anderson 29-8-85-0 (nb-1), S. Broad of Dawid Malan late in the day in search of a balls for his hundred and a number of powerful S. Smith not out 229 with the local weather. Heavy rain is forecast for 28-3-112-0, C. Woakes 32-4-108-1(w-1), C. the fourth day, but is not predicted to arrive desperately needed breakthrough, to no avail. drives were a feature of his landmark Test S. Marsh c Root b Ali 28 Overton 23-1-102-2, M. Ali 31-4-104-1, J. Root 3- until late in the afternoon, reducing the chances Resuming on 92, Smith reached his 22nd Test innings. On the comeback trail after a major M. Marsh not out 181 of a draw. hundred early in the day from the 138th ball he shoulder injury, Marsh admitted there were times Extras (b-2 lb-10 nb-1 w-1) 14 0-13-0, D. Malan 6-1-13-0. England’s bowlers could not trouble Smith, faced, his quickest Test century in terms of balls during his rehabilitation that he feared his Test who notched his second Test double-century as faced. Coming in his 107th Test knock, only Don career was over. — AFP Westbrook nets Jadeja hits six sixes triple double for in an over ahead of never-say-die South Africa tour Thunder LOS ANGELES: Russell Westbrook registered 27 points, 17 rebounds and 15 assists and Oklahoma City outlasted Philadelphia in three overtimes. Westbrook shot 10 of 33 yet managed to notch his 10th triple-dou- ble of the season and the 89th of his career. Paul George and Carmelo Anthony scored 24 points apiece for the Thunder, who earned their third straight road win. It was also their 17th consecutive win over the Sixers. Joel Embiid led the Sixers with 34 points while playing a career-high 48 minutes. J.J. Redick scored 19 Ravindra Jadeja points and Dario Saric added 16. Jerryd Bayless had 14 points and Ben Simmons had 12 points, 11 assists and NEW DELHI: Swashbuckling all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja nine rebounds. smashed six sixes in an over in a local cricket match, send- ing selectors a reminder of his short-form prowess after ROCKETS 124, SPURS 109 being omitted from India’s recent Twenty20 squads. Chris Paul delivered an impressive two-way per- Jadeja scored 154 off just 69 deliveries in his explosive formance and the Houston Rockets rolled to a 124-109, innings during a district-level T20 game on Friday in wire-to-wire win over the San Antonio Spurs on Friday India’s western Gujarat state, including a total of 10 sixes. night at Toyota Center. Paul finished with 28 points, The 29-year-old left-hander has been left out of India’s eight assists and seven steals as the Rockets, who are one-day and T20 squads of late, last playing the shortest unbeaten with Paul in the lineup this season, extended WASHINGTON: John Wall #2 of the Washington Wizards passes the ball around Jawun Evans #1 of the LA Clippers version of the game at international level in July against the their winning streak to 12 games in large part courtesy in the second half at Capital One Arena on Friday in Washington. —AFP West Indies. of an early 3-point barrage. All five Rockets starters However, he has been a match winner for India in Tests- scored in double figures, with James Harden adding 28 a format in which he is currently ranked second in the points, seven rebounds and six assists. Clint Capela (18 knee to help with inflammation. Scott sank 9 of 10 shots added 18 points and eight rebounds for Toronto, Jonas world among all-rounders. Only four batsmen have ever points, 10 rebounds) and Ryan Anderson (12 points, 10 from the field. Lou Williams had 23 points and Jawun Valanciunas contributed 14 points and Jakob Poeltl and achieved the feat of hitting six sixes in one over in first- rebounds) had double-doubles for the Rockets, who Evans scored 15 for the Clippers. Los Angeles had won Norman Powell scored 11 each. Nik Stauskas had 22 class or international matches. are 13-0 with Paul in the lineup. The Spurs pulled their three in a row, starting with a 113-112 win over the points and seven rebounds off the bench for Brooklyn. India’s Yuvraj Singh and South Africa’s Herschelle Gibbs recorded the sixes in international cricket, while Gary starters in the third quarter, with LaMarcus Aldridge Wizards on Dec. 9. DeAndre Jordan finished with 12 points and 16 rebounds. TRAIL BLAZERS 95, MAGIC 88 Sobers and Ravi Shastri did so in first-class games. (16 points) leading that group with just 27 minutes. However, Jadeja’s innings will not be added to that list as it Damian Lillard scored 21 points and CJ McCollum Kawhi Leonard, playing in just his second game after a only came at local level, between Jamnagar and Amreli dis- quad injury, did not play after the break after scoring 12 PISTONS 104, PACERS 98 added 20 as Portland handed Orlando its fourth straight tricts. A wily left-arm spinner, Jadeja is expected to play a points in the first half. Andre Drummond had 23 points and 13 rebounds as loss.