Skipper Paine bears brunt of Aussie Ashes frustrations

Captain Tim Paine bore the brunt of Australian frustrations yesterday at throwing away the third Ashes Test, with former skipper Ian Chappell saying he “lost his brain” in the final hour. Justin Langer’s men were on the brink of retaining the Ashes at Headingley on Sunday, but Ben Stokes’s remarkable 135 not out saw England reach an unlikely victory target of 359 with one wicket left. The incredible outcome, after England were all out for just 67 in their first innings, could have been very different.

West Indian umpire Joel Wilson turned down a massive lbw appeal against Stokes from Nathan Lyon as the game edged to a climax. Replays showed he should have been out, but Australia had no reviews left. That’s because Paine used their last one on a dubious lbw shout against No.11 Jack Leach, when the ball clearly pitched outside leg stump. Chappell said Paine appeared to be flustered in the heat of the battle.

“When Leach got hit on the pad, clearly not out, by any stretch of the imagination, and the Australian’s reviewed it?” Chappell said on the website of broadcaster Channel Nine, which was covering the Test. “That was the moment the situation got to them, and Tim Paine lost his brain. Everyone knows it’s way outside leg.

Why would they go through with it (the review)?” Another ex-Australian skipper Mark Taylor, now a pundit, was also bemused, saying Paine used his reviews “frivolously”, while former wicketkeeping great Ian Healy said he “burnt a review stupidly” and it cost Australia the match.