Find out if Melinda Farrell and George Dobell beat the curfew to answer your questions on the opening day in Adelaide (4:35)
Tea Australia 6 for 306 (Marsh 49*, Starc 4*) v England
Live scorecard and ball-by-ball details
Stuart Broad struck with the third ball of the day, before a counter-attacking half-century from Tim Paine pushed Australia towards a strong total at tea on the second afternoon in Adelaide. Paine fell to Craig Overton for 57 late in the session but his impact was significant, and by the break the Australians had moved along to 6 for 306, having added 97 to their overnight total for the loss of two wickets.
Already Australia had the highest first-innings total achieved in any of the three day-night Tests played at Adelaide Oval, on a surface that appeared better for batting than in either of the past two years. While Paine moved the score along briskly, Shaun Marsh plugged away slowly but surely, growing his score by 29 runs in the two-and-a-half-hour session and going to tea on 49, alongside Mitchell Starc, who had 4.
The day had started with a ball that was only one over old, and Broad quickly got the new pink Kookaburra swinging in to trap Peter Handscomb lbw for 36, with no addition to his overnight score. But England’s hopes of running through the Australia lower order were thwarted by Paine, who showed his intent early by going after loose deliveries from James Anderson and finding the boundary on several occasions.
Both Paine and Marsh were given out lbw to Anderson by umpire Chris Gaffaney in quick succession, but on both occasions the batsmen reviewed and were reprieved by the ball-tracker showing the ball would have sailed over the top of the stumps. It was evidence of good bounce and carry from the Adelaide Oval pitch, which was also on display when Overton rapped Paine on his right hand, sending concern through the Australian camp given Paine’s injury history.
However, Paine batted on and brought up his fifty from his 91st delivery, before pulling a catch straight to Moeen Ali in the deep off Overton late in the session. It meant Paine had missed out on a chance to build just the second century of his first-class career – the first one having come 11 years ago – but he had done more than enough for the Australians, who four sessions after being sent in to bat, found themselves in a position of some comfort.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo