Brisbane, Nov. 27 (IANS): Batsmen David Warner (87 not out) and debutant Cameron Bancroft (82 not out) helped Australia beat England by 10 wickets and take 1-0 lead in the Ashes Test at the Gabba here on Sunday.
Australia needed just 16 overs and a little over an hour on the final morning to complete a resounding win, according to the International Cricket Council (ICC) website.
Warner and Bancroft’s 173-run stand broke an 87-year-old record for the highest ever unbeaten opening stand in a successful chase in Test cricket.
Warner was unbeaten when Bancroft brought up the winning runs.
It was Warner’s ninth Ashes half-century and his 25th in all Tests, while for Bancroft, it was a maiden Test fifty.
After England had been bowled out for 302 in their first innings, Australia were struggling at 201/7 when Smith came to its rescue with his 21st century.
With support from Pat Cummins, who made 42 in an eighth-wicket stand of 66, Smith made sure Australia eked out a slender but important 26-run first-inning lead.
England seemed well placed to make a match of it despite losing two early wickets, but the dismissal of captain Joe Root, trapped leg before by Josh Hazlewood for 51 shortly before lunch on day four, led to a remarkable collapse.
The last six wickets went down for just 82 runs as England was bowled out for 195 in 71.4 overs.
While Australia extended its unbeaten run at the Gabba to a 29th year since its defeat at the hands of Viv Richards’ West Indies in 1988, England remains winless at the venue since 1986. The teams now head to Adelaide for the first pink-ball, day-night Ashes Test starting on Dec. 2.
