Australia rally against Somerset on first day of Ashes tour

By Sam SheringhamBBC Sport, at Taunton

Last updated on .From the section Cricketcomments43

Australia players celebrate
Tour match, Taunton (day one of four)
Somerset 320 all out Australia 2-0
Match scorecard

Australia took a flurry of late Somerset wickets to finish a difficult opening day of their Ashes tour on a note of triumph.

Chris Jones struck his maiden first-class hundred and Nick Compton responded to being dropped by England with a confident 81 as Somerset reached 304-2 after tea.

But a new-ball barrage from Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson, in which the hosts lost six wickets for no runs in six overs, saw them collapse to 320 all out.

Australia's openers then batted out one over to reach 2-0 at the close.

Starc finished with figures of 4-33 and Pattinson 4-56 to strengthen their claims to open the bowling in the Ashes, which start on 10 July at Trent Bridge.

But in truth, their late heroics only served to mask the failing of Australia's other bowlers, who rarely looked threatening and at times were treated with disdain by the unheralded Jones, who cracked 21 fours and two sixes.

Jones came into the match with a first-class average of 17 and was only playing because of an injury to regular number three Alviro Petersen, but by the time he had sliced James Faulkner to gully he had made 130, 61 more runs than his previous highest first-class score.

Taking his lead from the increasingly confident Compton, he helped steer Somerset to 97-1 at lunch after former England opener Marcus Trescothick had pulled Pattinson to Starc at fine leg in the fourth over of the day.

Compton, who was left out of the England squad for next week's Ashes warm-up match against Essex, brought up his fifty off 82 balls from the second delivery after lunch and cracked Peter Siddle for successive fours to close in on a century.

On 81, however, he pushed forward to the spin of Nathan Lyon and edged to slip, where Australia captain Michael Clarke took a one-handed catch at the third attempt.

Jones brought up his three figures with a punch through the off side off Faulkner for four and added a further 30 before he aimed a tired-looking drive at the same bowler and got a thick edge to Shane Watson.

As Jones left the field to handshakes from the Australian players, there was little indication of the fireworks that would follow with the new ball.

First, Starc bowled Craig Kieswetter with an inswinging yorker and then James Hildreth's breezy 66 came to an end when he was trapped lbw by Pattinson.

Somerset's next five batsmen failed to add a single run between them as Starc accounted for Alex Barrow, Craig Meschede and George Dockrell, while Pattinson got Jamie Overton and Peter Trego.

All five were either clean bowled or lbw, with only last man Gemaal Hussain surviving the onslaught to finish unbeaten on six.

Match scorecard

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43 comments

  • Comment posted by Unlimited, at 01:18 27 Jun 2013

    I got Chris Jones out a few times at youth level. Very early on too, one time first or second ball if I remember right. Going to be honest and say I never thought in my wildest dreams he'd be capable of something like this. I was obviously wrong and fair play to him. It's great to see that he made a hundred against an international team.

  • Comment posted by Lohengrin, at 20:47 26 Jun 2013

    @14 You are Mickey Arthur and I claim my $5.

  • Comment posted by Hugo, at 19:00 26 Jun 2013

    And this is why we've only won one game. Promise soo much then throw it away.
    Best bowling attack in the world still made to look poor.

  • Comment posted by U9657679, at 05:15 27 Jun 2013

    Bizarre scorecard. Somerset will probably be glad to switch from CC to T20 for a while. Aussies can't afford to let England get to 300-2 since they won't calypso callapso in quite such spectacular fashion. Funny that the bitter Sussex fan is trying to make this thread about how great his county side is. I like Sussex actually and have plenty of respect for them. I don't like haters quite so much.

  • Comment posted by U14607231, at 22:36 26 Jun 2013

    25 I thought you'd resent the fact Surrey were not even playing!

  • Comment posted by U14607231, at 22:09 26 Jun 2013

    23 Grow Up, Sussex are a good side but nothing annoys me more than arrogant fans.

  • Comment posted by U14825856, at 21:50 26 Jun 2013

    Both Mitchell Starc and James Pattinson are quality young bowlers. If they keep fit they're going to be world class. There's no doubt, they both will probably be starting the first test with Peter Siddle.

  • Comment posted by U14607231, at 21:13 26 Jun 2013

    Whilst Somerset by their own omission have have had a poor start to the season please remember this is the side that in the past few County Championships have come 2nd(2012,2010(same points as Lancs), 3rd (2009), 4th(2011,2008). I would hardly call them a poor side overall and a decent opposition for Aussies.

  • Comment posted by Knavesmire, at 20:50 26 Jun 2013

    @15. Nonsense Lohengrin. 14 is Glenn McGrath who has mellowed slightly. I claim my 10 Guineas.

  • Comment posted by TheFridge, at 19:11 26 Jun 2013

    Last 8 wickets down for 16 runs after cruising past 300, strangle old game.

  • Comment posted by jmack42, at 18:57 26 Jun 2013

    Compton not doing himself any harm for selection, a solid 81 against the Aussie attack.

  • Comment posted by U15769174, at 17:45 27 Jun 2013

    'Lehman effect just beginning'. That's a ridiculous comment, he's hardly been there long enough to do anything yet.

  • Comment posted by U15329534, at 16:30 27 Jun 2013

    Australia's bowling was always going to be their strong suit.

    Comparisons with 1989 are overdone though. In 1989, Australia's opening tour matches went very badly. Also they had a secret weapon in Ted Dexter, England's chairman of selectors.

    They're batting OK, but 260-4 against that attack on a ground the size of Taunton's shouldn't be over-interpreted.

  • Comment posted by guy evans, at 15:54 27 Jun 2013

    ominous. after shaky bowling display at first Oz get their act together and rip thru the Somerset card then post decent total for a so-called chaotic and flaky batting line-up. Lehman effect just beginning. dont write them off just yet. could be 1989 all over again.

  • Comment posted by U4342075, at 09:56 27 Jun 2013

    Well done Compo - 81 - not bad at all. Lets make Miller eat his words, not the best person to be opening with Cook - pah!
    Without Compo we would have been staring down the barrel of test defeat away in NZ and Australia would have been champing at the bit to get at us. How short the memories of our selectors are.

  • Comment posted by U15417362, at 09:50 27 Jun 2013

    So depressing to see an aggressive, confrontational attitude between 'fans' coming in to cricket.
    I cant be the only person thinking this

  • Comment posted by U14701642, at 09:42 27 Jun 2013

    35. tonep
    "What has Fawaz Ahmed ever done to warrant such expectation?"

    I have to agree. While I'm proud (and a little surprised) to have a refugee in our team, I can't see that he's going to be much of a threat. Still, you don't get into the Aus team if you're a complete bunny, not even this Aus team, so someone's seen something in him.

  • Comment posted by Steak and Ale Pie, at 09:06 27 Jun 2013

    Oops, wrong thread! Although Croft did go to school with Broad !
    I agree with tonep though - fear not England fans on Fawaz Ahmed, just because he is a leg spinner doesn't make him Shane Warne, or even Macgill. Ian Salisbury was a leggie and I think he is statistically the worst test bowler in history.

  • Comment posted by tonep, at 08:26 27 Jun 2013

    32/33

    What has Fawaz Ahmed ever done to warrant such expectation? His stats prove that the only people he has ever "caused trouble" for is the immigration department. His 1st class record is way poorer than Lyon, he was bog average against Glos and Ireland, taking 2 wickets in 4 innings. And he's 31 years old, what he is now is what he will always be. Just dont get it, all hype no substance.

  • Comment posted by U15743506, at 04:56 27 Jun 2013

    @32
    Interesting , his citizenship is been rushed through , with a special act of parliament in Australia.
    May pave the way for more Pakistan, cricketers playing for the Aussies.
    England certainly can't whinge about that.

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