Smith, Marsh defiant after top-order collapse

Steve Smith helped his side revive a top-order collapse, lifting his side to 165 for 4.
Steve Smith helped his side revive a top-order collapse, lifting his side to 165 for 4.

Steven Smith, the Australia captain, and Shaun Marsh steadied Australia after a top-order wobble on the second day of the first Ashes Test against England in Brisbane on Friday (November 24).

At the close, Australia was 165 for 4, trailing England’s first-innings 302 by 137 runs. Smith was unbeaten on 64 and Marsh 44 not out.

England tried to bottle in Smith and goad him into playing a rash shot, but the captain held firm over 148 balls, even as Marsh offered him support by seeing out 122 deliveries. Their stand had stretched to 89 runs after a see-sawing two sessions earlier in the day.

When play began, England, who had started the day 196 for 4, got to 246 without losing any further wickets, with Dawid Malan and Moeen Ali looking good in an 83-run stand.

However, Malan’s dismissal soon after his fifty, top-edging Mitchell Starc to Marsh at deep square-leg, triggered a collapse, with England losing its last six wickets for 56 runs.

Seven balls after Malan’s dismissal, Nathan Lyon had Moeen lbw for 38, and struck again with the first ball of his next over, bowling Chris Woakes for a duck.

Jonny Bairstow, the wicketkeeper, followed shortly afterwards for 9, as Tim Paine took his first catch after seven years away from the Test side, off Pat Cummins.

Jake Ball and Stuart Broad made valuable contributions, each striking three fours to take England past 300.

Starc finished with figures of 3 for 77, Cummins 3 for 85 and Lyon 2 for 78, as Australia went to lunch the happier side.

However, England had the home side on the ropes again, reducing it to 59 for 3 and then 76 for 4.

Bancroft lasted 19 balls in his first Test, making 5 before his edge was caught by Bairstow off Broad.

Khawaja was deceived by Moeen Ali's spin, while Peter Handscomb, struck on the back pad, too fell leg before to James Anderson for 14 on review.

David Warner’s was the big scalp. Warner (26) attempted to pull Ball through the leg side, only to find Malan at short midwicket.

Smith and Marsh, though, dug in to ease home nerves.

Australia