Burns 100 gives England the edge

Birmingham, August 2 

Rory Burns’s unbeaten maiden Test century saw him defy Australia for more than six-and-a-half hours as he led a determined England batting effort in the Ashes opener. 

England were 267/4 at stumps on the second day of the first Test, just 17 runs behind Australia’s first-innings 284. Ashes debutant Burns was 125*, with the Surrey left-handed opener, whose innings started on Thursday, receiving a huge ovation from the crowd as he walked off England vice-captain Ben Stokes was 38*, having helped Burns add an unbroken 73. Australia’s total had been built on a superb 144 from Steve Smith in the former captain’s first Test since a 12-month ban for his role in a ball-tampering scandal in South Africa.

England, dismissed for just 85 in the first innings of their Test win against Ireland at Lord’s last week, resumed on 10/0 with Burns (4) and Surrey teammate Jason Roy on six. Roy, on 10, edged fast bowler James Pattinson low to Smith at second slip, with England then 22/1. Captain Joe Root had returned to No. 3 in a bid to lead from the front. But he was almost bowled leaving off-spinner Nathan Lyon’s sharply turning first ball. The star batsman had an even luckier break on nine when given out caught behind off Pattinson only for his review to reveal the ball had hit the off stump without dislodging a bail. Meanwhile, Burns was content to pick off anything loose, including an over-pitched ball from Pat Cummins he on-drove for four.

Root had another moment of good fortune when given out lbw to recalled paceman Peter Siddle on 14. But in a match already full of overturned decisions, his immediate review revealed an inside edge. Root cashed in as he too, like Burns, completed a 110-ball fifty.

But frustratingly for Root, he fell soon afterwards when he chipped a Siddle slower ball back to the bowler, who took a fine one-handed catch to end a second-wicket partnership of 132. — AFP

1ST Rory Burns is the first England opener since Graham Gooch in 1993 to score century in the first Test of a home Ashes

6775 Runs for Joe Root take him past the tally of Graham Thorpe (6744) to become the 14th highest run-scorer for England in Tests