Ton-Up Malan Keeps His Head Amid Aussie Attack

ALL THE talk of the WACA pitch having slowed down was blown away just two balls into this third Ashes Test when Mitchell Starc sent down a delivery clocked at 91 miles per hour.

- Chris Stocks

 What followed was an examination of the technique, heart and guts of England’s batsmen as Starc and his fellow frontline quicks in Australia’s attack, Pat Cummins and Josh Hazelwood, regularly broke the 90mph barrier.

Before lunch it was pace that did it for Cook, pinned lbw by a 92mph thunderbolt from Starc. Afterwards, England captain Joe Root was also undone by sheer speed, strangled by Cummins down the legside.

But it was a spell from Josh Hazelwood, during which he peppered opener Mark Stoneman with short-pitched deliveries that really set the pulses racing.

During an enthralling passage of play, Stoneman was hit flush on the grille by a rising delivery. He was also dropped twice on 52, including when he fended another bouncer to a diving Nathan Lyon, before finally being dismissed, controversially, by a short-pitched Starc delivery.

Australia reviewed thinking Stoneman had been caught behind and he was sent on his way by third umpire Aleem Dar after much delay despite realtime replays proving inconclusive as to whether he had actually made contact with the ball.