England’s Bazballers have to overcome 40 years of grim history in Perth to pull off unlikely win in first Test

England’s cocky Bazballers will have to overcome 40 years of grim history in Perth to pull off an unlikely win in the first Test of the blockbuster Ashes series. The Poms — who were seen swanning around town just 24 hours out from one of the biggest contests either country has ever seen — have won just one match in Perth from 14 attempts. Today’s Test is the first match between the two sides at Perth Stadium after a long history of fiery clashes across the river at the WACA Ground. But the tourists almost never come out on top. Their one and only victory here came against a depleted Australian side in the 1978/79 series. Even the glorified 2010/11 team that beat Australia on their own soil were trounced in Perth first. That dismal record is hanging over the heads of Ben Stokes, Joe Root and coach Brendon McCullum as they prepare for the start of the series on Friday. Stokes was spotted having a relaxed coffee with fast-bowling teammate Mark Wood in Perth’s CBD before fronting the media and facing questions around their poor run of performances in WA. England haven’t won a single Test match in Australia since 2011. It will be the first time the two sides meet in a test match at Perth Stadium, with England having not featured in WA as part of an Ashes tour since 2017, prior to the opening of the new stadium. Stokes attempted to brush off just how difficult the fast and bouncy Perth conditions are by pointing to a century he made at the WACA Ground 12 years ago. But he did then concede just how hard it is to beat Australia here. “This is my first time playing at this stadium in particular. I didn’t mind the WACA last time, (I) did alright there,” Stokes said. “Coming to Australia, playing against Australia, they are a seriously good team. Everyone, including myself, including the team and all you guys know that the record of England over the history of Ashes series in Australia isn’t the best, but we have got an opportunity here over the next two-and-a-half months to write our own history. “We have obviously come here with a goal and that is to get on the plane in January returning to England being Ashes winners, but we know it is going to be very, very hard because beating Australia and Australia is not an easy thing.” The pre-Ashes war of words which has gripped the cricket world across the past two weeks continued in the pre-match press conference, with Steve Smith launching a stunning rebuff to former England player Monty Panesar’s calls for English players to needle the stand-in Aussie captain about his involvement in the sandpaper saga eight years ago. Smith recalled Panesar’s comically bad appearance on British TV quiz show Mastermind, where he made a series of embarrassing blunders including answering “Athens” to a question about a German city and answering “America” when asked to provide a city for an answer. “Who of you in the room have seen Mastermind and Monty Panesar on that? Any of you?” Smith quipped. “Well, those of you who have, you’ll understand where I’m coming from. “And those of you who haven’t, do yourself a favour because it’s pretty comical. “Anyone that believes that Athens is in Germany, that’s a start. “Doesn’t really bother me, those comments.” England continued with their lowkey approach to preparing for the Test during a final training session at Optus Stadium on Thursday. That session did not include pace pair Jofra Archer and Mark Wood, with the bowlers taking it easy less than 24 hours out from the massive clash. The bluster around England’s outlandish BazBall style — about to face its biggest challenge yet — had a pin put in it by former spinner Graeme Swann, who said the whole concept was a myth. “Bazball doesn’t exist,” Swann told The West Australian at the launch of SportsBet’s giant tissue box for whinging Poms at Forrest Place. “You boys need to look at that more solidly. Aggressive cricket works anywhere, if it’s played properly, if England played good cricket, I think they can do well.” Swann also said the team that wins this weeks’ crucial first Test is a strong chance to go on and win the series. Australia enter the match without two of their ‘big three’ fast bowlers. Captain Pat Cummins and star Josh Hazlewood will miss with injury. “It (Australia) can be really tough; it can also be really rewarding,” he said. “Whichever team gets on top, it tends to be a hard place to come from behind, so whoever wins this first test, I reckon, will win the series.” Swann also claimed an England victory to be on the cards. “England win three one because they’re the better team.”