No wonder Tom Westley received a congratulatory text message from Alastair Cook, after scoring a brilliant century that went a long way to demystifying Australia’s attack six days before the start of the Ashes. The tourists may have rested Mitchell Johnson for this final tune-up before Cardiff, yet three of the bowlers who are likely to join him in the team for that first Test were treated with disdain by the Essex batsmen.
Nathan Lyon, the off-spinner who in a bone-dry summer will hope to make hay against England’s battery of left-handers, suffered especially. At one point during a harrowing opening spell, in which Lyon went for more than 10 runs an over, Westley launched him high over long-on and into the river Can.
Mitchell Starc and Josh Hazlewood also had moments to forget as Essex ended the day on 299 for three in response to Australia’s first-innings 562.
Starc, whose left-arm pace partnership with Johnson will be key to Australia’s hopes of ending their 14-year wait for an Ashes series win in England, started with a wide that would have induced a wry smile from Steve Harmison.
The 25-year-old, dropped for two of the five Tests during an uncomfortable debut Ashes series in 2013, started badly, sending his first ball of the tour in the direction of second slip – precisely how Harmison infamously launched into the 2006-07 Ashes series.
By the end of the day Starc at least seemed to find rhythm and range, going round the wicket to bowl Westley, the Essex batsman having made 144 during a 214-run second-wicket partnership with Ravi Bopara.
Bopara, of course, made a hundred himself against the touring Australians 10 years ago, an innings that launched his international career. Now seemingly out of the reckoning after a harrowing World Cup campaign earlier this year, he at least reminded everyone present why he has played more than 100 games for his country, reaching the close unbeaten on 86.
The day, though, was Westley’s. “I’ve already got a message from Alastair Cook, he said. Like Graham Gooch and Cooky always speak about, it’s all about getting big hundreds. We were looking to get after spin as well and it worked well today.”
Westley, who like Cook and Bopara before him has been mentored by Gooch at Essex, has high hopes of emulating those three and playing for England. The 26-year-old’s form last summer, when he scored more than 1700 runs at an average of 55 across all formats, is an indication he may have what it takes.
Nasser Hussain, another former Essex and England captain, has also been instrumental in the Cambridge-born batsman’s development, although it is Andrew Strauss, who made his international debut at 27, who is Westley’s real inspiration.
“Playing for England is definitely an ambition of mine,” he said. “Strauss is a bit of a role model because he made it fairly late himself. It just goes to show being grounded in county cricket can be beneficial for going on and representing England.”
Australia’s labouring in the field against a Division Two County Championship team should be qualified by the fact that this pitch at Chelmsford is flatter than the nearby A12 dual carriageway.
Mitchell Marsh had starred with a century on day one, which Australia closed on 440 for six, and he was eventually out for 169 yesterday, bowled by seamer Matt Salisbury. He was the ninth Australian batsman to fall and a 73-run last-wicket stand between Lyon and Peter Siddle took the tourists total above 500.
Lyon, who made 41 from 30 balls, then went on to endure a tougher time with ball in hand, ending the day wicketless and shipping 110 runs from his 19 overs.
Siddle, unlikely to play in Cardiff, was actually one of the best Australian bowlers on show and he said: “It was a bit of a blowout for the young lads who haven’t played in a few weeks. We were pretty poor with our consistency from both ends.”
That will be music to English ears.
