Root’s knock overshadowed as England rally

Root’s contribution of ‘only’ 36 made him the odd man out, the solitary batsman of 11 to have taken guard at the WACA over the past two days to be dismissed under 53.

Bowlers continued to suffer on both sides as first Jim Allenby and Ashton Turner ensured all the Chairman’s XI top six exceeded 50 in a total of 451 for five declared; then Michael Carberry (78), Jonathan Trott (64no) and Ian Bell (77no) - continuing his prolific form of last summer - all followed suit in England’s 270 for two at stumps.

If nothing else, as batsmen enjoyed a perfect opportunity for morale-boosting practice, their near-seamless progress put the travails of England’s bowling attack into context on a benign surface which loaded the balance of the game against them.

Root’s inability to join the happy throng will not alter the fact that he remains inked in as Alastair Cook’s opening partner for the Ashes.

But it was doubtless nonetheless a little galling for the young Yorkshireman that, having had to watch six opposition batsmen pass 50 and then been in attendance 22 yards away when Carberry did so too, he was not part of the far-from-exclusive club.

There was more to smile about for Bell in particular, whose three centuries against Australia were the cornerstone of England’s home Ashes success this year.

Root was in position to cash in too by the time he shuffled across his crease to be lbw to medium-pacer Allenby, to end an opening stand of exactly 100.

Carberry also had the opportunity to make a more resonant statement, passing a 61-ball half-century with a succession of impressive off-side boundaries but failing to go on to three figures.

Opening here only because of Cook’s absence with a sore back, he needed an innings of more magnitude for his performance to be rated anything much more than incidental.

It was especially regrettable for the 33-year-old left-hander therefore that an apparent lapse of concentration just before tea saw him cut into the hands of gully to become Turner’s maiden first-class victim in the 20-year-old off-spinner’s first over just before tea.

Trott and Bell were two banker candidates to make the most of conditions.

Neither had a significant scare on the way past 50 - Bell predictably the more fluent, with nine fours off 71 balls.

There had been no respite for England’s bowlers on another sunny morning as Glamorgan all-rounder Allenby (53) and then Turner (62no), in his first innings at this level, kept the half-centuries coming.

England could muster just one wicket - and their hosts moved from an overnight 369 for four past 400 with a rush of eight boundaries in 33 runs and just 27 minutes off Chris Tremlett and James Anderson.

Not all the fours came off the middle of the bat. But two down the ground by Turner off Tremlett resoundingly did, and Allenby also got plenty on the one off his legs from Anderson for his eighth boundary to take him past 50 and his team past 400.

He was gone soon afterwards - for the lowest completed score by a home batsman in this match, lbw playing slightly across the third ball of Steven Finn’s first over.

Turner remained assured, however, completing his 50 alongside wicketkeeper Tom Triffitt - who was dropped by his opposite number Matt Prior, racing back towards fine-leg from a mishook at Boyd Rankin, shortly before the declaration came.

Root and Carberry made it safely to lunch. But seamer Burt Cockley did not, limping out of the attack in his third over for scans on a knee injury.

Triffitt was then an afternoon casualty, struck in the face standing up without a helmet to Michael Beer and needing six stitches below his right eye before returning temporarily to his duties behind the stumps.

Life continued to be much less hazardous for batsmen, Root and Carberry eventually contributing to their own downfalls but Trott and Bell declining to do so in an unbroken stand of 133.