Fast bowler Peter Siddle was excluded while inexperienced all-rounder John Hastings found a berth in Australia’s 15-man World Cup squad that was annunced here Tuesday. Skipper Ricky Ponting and veteran Michael Hussey were named in the squad despite injuries. Ponting is recovering from a finger fracture while Hussey suffered a serious hamstring injury Sunday. Hussey [...]
Posts Tagged ‘Michael Hussey’
Hastings in Australia’s World Cup squad, Siddle dropped
January 18th, 2011 |
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Cricketers auction for IPL 4 begins in Bangalore
January 8th, 2011 |
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Seated eight to a table at the over 7,000 sq ft pillar-less Mysore Hall of ITC Royal Gardenia Hotel here, business leaders and film stars Saturday began picking up cricketers for the Indian Premier League’s (IPL) fourth season. The IPL-4 beginning April 8 will see 10 teams and 74 matches in the shortest version of [...]
Super Kings need to get right mix against Mumbai
April 5th, 2010 |
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The Chennai Super Kings play their toughest match when they meet leaders Mumbai Indians in a crucial Indian Premier League game here Tuesday.
While the Super Kings, after an up-and-down performance, are on eight points from nine games, the Mumbai Indians are on a roll with seven wins in eight outings to emerge likely semi-finalist.
The last [...]
Oz players wise to opt out of IPL-3: Roebuck
January 27th, 2010 |
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Sydney, Jan.27 (ANI): The Australian cricketers decision to give a miss to the third edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) is both wise and promising, feels noted columnist Peter Roebuck.
In an article for the Sydney Morning Herald, Roebuck opines that the Australians are fully aware of the workload that is before them, especially in [...]
Australia secure series win against Pakistan with Adelaide ODI victory
January 27th, 2010 |
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Australia secured a series win against Pakistan on Tuesday by emerging victorious in the third one-day international played at the Adelaide Oval here.
Australia defeated Pakistan by 40 runs. Replying to Australia’’s 286 for six in 50 overs, Pakistan folded up for 246 in 47.4 overs. For Australia, fast bowlers Ryan Harris (5/43) and Clint McKay [...]
Spinner Hauritz to be part of Oz squad against Windies
November 25th, 2009 |
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Australian captain Ricky Ponting has confirmed that off-spinner Nathan Hauritz will be a part of the first Test squad taking on the West Indies at the Gabba in Brisbane on Thursday.
Pacer Doug Bollinger will be the 12th man, while the other quicks featuring in the team would be Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus, [...]
International matches better preparation for Tests than first-class cricket: Hilditch
November 23rd, 2009 |
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Australia’’s National Selection Panel (NSP) Chairman Andrew Hilditch believes that international competition – regardless of what form it takes – is better than domestic matches while preparing for Tests.
Hilditch’s comment follows the decision to rest players who won the recent seven-game ODI series in India from Shield games.
Much of Australia’’s line-up for Thursday’’s match against [...]
Watson departs after prolific show
November 5th, 2009 |
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With the help of Shane Watson cracking half-century(93), Australia were 146 for one at the end of 26th over after skipper Ricky Ponting won the toss and elected to bat on a batting paradise wicket against India in the crucial fifth cricket one-dayer at Rajiv Gandhi stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.
India have made [...]
Dhoni should bat higher up the order: Gilchrist
October 27th, 2009 |
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Former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist is in favour of Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni batting higher up the order, enabling him play as many overs as possible.
“He’s (Dhoni) such a danger to play against. I would like to see him bat up the order especially in the abbreviated version of the game. You [...]
Australia beat NZ to lift Champions Trophy
October 6th, 2009 |
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Australia crowned the 2009 ICC Champions Trophy winner after Shane Watson’s unbeaten century guided the defending champions to a six-wicket victory over a depleted New Zealand in the low-scoring final match in Centurion last night.
Watson hit an unbeaten 129-ball 105 (10X4, 4X6) and starred in a 128-run stand with Cameron White (62) under tremendous [...]
Ponting tells team not to ease off against England
September 15th, 2009 |
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Australian middle-order batsman Michael Hussey has revealed that skipper Ricky Ponting has told the team not ease off against England in the ongoing one-day series despite taking a series-winning 4-0 lead.
“Ricky’’s been on our hammer already basically about trying to maintain our momentum. We”ve also identified some areas we need to improve. We want to [...]
Australia defy England to earn draw
August 3rd, 2009 |
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Third Ashes Test, Edgbaston (day five):
England 376 drew with Australia 263 & 375-5
Match scorecard
By Oliver Brett
BBC Sport at Edgbaston
England were forced to settle for a draw at the rain-hit Edgbaston Test and will move on to Headingley on Friday with a 1-0 lead.
Michael Clarke (103 not out) and Marcus North (96) came together before lunch with Australia in a precarious position, four wickets down in their second innings and only 48 runs ahead.
But after Shane Watson (53) and Michael Hussey (64) had been dismissed in the morning session, Clarke and North put on 185 for the fifth wicket in 50 overs to shut the door firmly on England’s victory bid.
The match ended with Australia, who resisted the temptation to have a crack at England’s batsmen, leading by 262 on 375-5 when the captains agreed on an early draw at 1750 BST, with 13.4 overs remaining in the day.
Clarke, with his second century of the series, again proved the biggest obstacle for England to shift – and whereas at Lord’s he was finally dismissed, here he was undefeated for 192 balls and 283 minutes, in which he hit 14 fours.
He had two massive bits of luck in the 90s as he tortuously moved towards his century, Stuart Broad shaving his stumps with a ball that failed to dislodge the bails and Ravi Bopara having him caught at gully on 96, but off a no-ball.
With Australia 88-2 overnight, still trailing by 25 runs, the fans came expectantly in their thousands – and made it the first ever sell-out for the final day of a Test match in Birmingham.
After most of Thursday and the whole of Saturday had been lost to rain, there were no interruptions on Monday – but England’s bowlers were not at their very best.
Australia batted well, there was little swing on offer, and the wicket played pretty flat.
Watson was 34 and Hussey 18 when play started, and Andrew Flintoff bowled brilliantly early on at the left-handed Hussey, without any luck.
The deficit had been wiped out when Flintoff beat Hussey’s outside edge for the fifth time in the day, and when the left-hander cut the disappointing Graeme Swann for four Australia nudged into the lead.
Flintoff had mostly been bowling at Hussey all morning, but now had Watson in his sights, and struck the right-hander flush on an unprotected forearm. Bravely, Watson played out the rest of a testing over impeccably.
On the hour mark, the all-rounder moved to his second half-century of the match by flogging a full-toss off Swann through the covers for four.
Finally James Anderson, England’s outstanding bowler of the series, was permitted to have a bowl and struck in his first over – a hint of outswing, a thin edge from Watson, and an easy catch for Matt Prior.
Hussey continued to play well, hitting a short ball from Swann through the on-side for his 10th four, taking him to his fifty.
With England seeking further inspiration, Broad was given a ball that was 50 overs old for his first bowl of the innings. He began with a half-volley driven to the extra-cover fence for four by Hussey.
But he was much better in his second over, and the first ball from round the wicket was sent down in the perfect channel outside Hussey’s off-stump and just caught the edge.
606: DEBATEThe Eternal Optimist
At lunch Australia were 172-4, ahead by 59, and Clarke and North – batting with the sun on their backs soon after the interval – made smooth progress after the interval to give their team further daylight.
Things quickly became fairly desperate for England, and Andrew Strauss asked Bopara to come into the attack with the score 219-4.
His second ball, an indifferent short-pitched delivery, was smashed by Clarke – on 38 at that point – to Strauss at short midwicket. But the skipper floored a tough chance, and one sensed the game was slipping away.
Though Swann was starting to find some rhythm, Clarke swept him cleverly in front of square for four to move into the 40s and North was also finding his range well.
England took the second new ball, but the atmosphere became very subdued as both batsmen reached their fifties and when tea came on 293-4, with Clarke 73 and North 64, it had been clear for some time that there could be no positive result.
Furthermore, Australia led by 180, so if another day had been available England might have been under pressure.
Swann came under attack from North after the interval, with Broad bowling well at the other end. The partnership stretched past 150, with Australia now cruising beyond 300.
The fun for the batsmen really started with Bopara’s second spell, in which North struck three successive boundaries to reach 95. But he finally fell to a stunning catch in the gully by Anderson as Broad picked up a deserved second wicket.
The game would have ended earlier had not Clarke made such painful progress through the 90s, but he finally got to his century with a pull shot off Bopara and the players could concentrate on the fourth Test at Headingley.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Onions hails England’s patience
July 31st, 2009 |
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Graham Onions said England’s bowling resurgence on the second day of the third Ashes Test was down to patience.
The Durham fast bowler took 4-58, including two wickets with the first two deliveries of the day – as England dismissed the tourists for 236.
The performance marked a significant improvement from Thursday’s display.
"We were probably impatient on Thursday, but today we showed patience, put the ball in the right areas and we were rewarded," said Onions.
"As a team, we came off the field yesterday thinking we could have bowled a little bit better.
"It was important we got off to a good start today – and it helps when you get two wickets with two balls."
Onions revealed he was surprised to be handed the 30-over old ball by Andrew Strauss for the first over of Friday’s morning session.
And he repaid his captain’s faith when he had overnight batsman Shane Watson trapped lbw for 62 before bowling former county captain Michael Hussey for a golden duck with the very next delivery.
"I like to pride myself on getting the first ball on the money, I’ve got a great chance of getting a wicket," said the 26-year-old.
"We try to get the ball to swing back into Mike for an lbw shout and there is always a chance of getting him out caught behind as well.
"The key for me with that delivery was to make him play."
Onions enjoyed further success when Ricky Ponting edged a short delivery attempting a pull shot into Matt Prior’s gloves for 38.
The captain had become Australia’s highest Test ever run scorer – and the third highest in the history of the game – with a clip off his pads for three during the morning session.
606: DEBATE"With plenty of swing and seam could we see an England collapse"
Darklordswfc
"I got Ponting out in the England Lions game, but that wasn’t international cricket, so today was very special," added Onions. "He is the best player in the world."
Ponting admitted reaching the milestone was a "bittersweet" feeling after Australia lost nine wickets for just 137 runs.
"It’s a great achievement but I’ve never been statistically minded," said the 34-year-old. Once I finish my career I guess I will pay more attention to the things I have achieved in the game.
"But it would have been nice to get a big score when the team needed it today."
However, Ponting is optimistic his bowlers can emulate England’s marked improvement with the ball on Saturday, despite the pessimistic weather forecasts for the weekend.
"The ball didn’t do anything last night but it did a lot today, I don’t know why that is," he said. "It probably started swinging from the 35-over mark.
"We’re at that stage with our ball at the moment. Hopefully we can keep working on it and get a little cloud cover tomorrow and have a similar morning as England did today."</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Anderson haul puts England on top
July 31st, 2009 |
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Third Ashes Test, Edgbaston (day two):
England 116-2 v Australia 263
Match scorecard
By Oliver Brett
BBC Sport at Edgbaston
Brilliant swing bowling from James Anderson and Graham Onions put England in a fine position after two days of the third Ashes Test.
Australia capitulated shockingly from an overnight 126-1, losing two wickets off the first two balls of the morning, to collapse to 203-8 at lunch and eventually 263 all out.
When bad light brought a premature end to proceedings at 1745 BST, with 19 overs left in the day, Andrew Strauss (64 not out) had guided England to 116-2, trailing by 147.
Onions triggered the Aussies’ demise, taking the first three wickets in the day to fall, and then the last, to finish with 4-58.
Anderson recovered from a poor showing on Thursday, and some wayward stuff early in his spell on day two, to take 5-13 in 38 balls either side of lunch for overall figures of 5-80.
But another key figure in proceedings was umpire Rudi Koertzen, who awarded Anderson two very debatable lbws and then denied Mitchell Johnson one against Ian Bell when the ball would have probably hit middle stump.
Bell, who hit the first six of the Ashes series by an England batsman, lived to fight another day, and will resume with Strauss on 26.
With the memories of a disjointed bowling display on Thursday evening still in the back of the mind, Onions gave his team – and the home fans – a massive boost with the first two balls of.
Shane Watson, who had cruised to 62, just 16 runs shy of his best score in Tests in his first experience as an opener at this level, completely misjudged his shot at a ball homing in on his stumps.
Failing to get his bat down in time, he gave Aleem Dar an easy lbw decision to make.
Michael Hussey, who was bowled playing no shot to Andrew Flintoff at Lord’s, again left a delivery that only came back a fraction to brush his off-stump.
Though some of the 21,000 fans had not yet taken their seats, they rushed into position to see the hat-trick ball – and after the obligatory roar Onions sent a short ball just whistling past Michael Clarke’s gloves.
The game settled down for a while as Clarke and Ricky Ponting used their collective nous to withstand Onions’ variations on a theme of swing.
The captain picked up the runs needed to pass Allan Border and become the leading Australian run-scorer in Tests – leaving only pack leader Sachin Tendulkar and Brian Lara in front of him.
And when he on-drove Flintoff for four, taking the score to 159-3, Australia appeared to be entering calmer waters. But only four runs were added before Ponting, on 38, tried to pull a well-directed bouncer from Onions and edged to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
All the action was happening in Onions’ tremendous nine-over spell from the City End – and he could have had Clarke out twice.
The right-hander was reprieved by umpire Dar, turning down a very good lbw shout on 18, and by Flintoff on 20. England’s usually flawless second slip somehow spilt an outside edge.
But it was Anderson who picked up the wicket-taking baton in devastating fashion from the Pavilion End as Australia lurched from 193-4 to 229-9 – with Koertzen providing two prominent assists.
The South African official ended Clarke’s innings on 29 (ball probably missing leg-stump) and then Johnson back for a golden duck (slightly too high, according to Hawkeye).
In between those two wickets, Marcus North chased a wide one and was well caught by a diving Prior. Anderson’s fourth wicket, and the eighth of the innings, came when Graham Manou was bowled by a pearler.
Australia took lunch in dreadful shape, but their tail-enders did pretty well after the interval – although the ball was still swinging – to add 60 runs for the final two wickets. Onions finally wrapped it up, taking a richly-deserved fourth wicket when Ben Hilfenhaus speared the Durham man to gully.
By then, Peter Siddle had edged Anderson behind, giving him his first five-wicket Ashes haul, and it should all have ended on 241 when Nathan Hauritz top-edged a pull over Ravi Bopara’s head.
England’s backward-point had to turn to take the catch over his shoulder, but it was not a difficult chance and thus a disappointing drop.
Hauritz and Hilfenhaus each made 20, a suggestion to England’s openers that batting was not necessarily as nightmarish as many of the Australians had made it look.
And when Hilfenhaus and Siddle then opened the bowling for the Aussies there was only the merest hint of swing – nothing like the lavish movement enjoyed by Onions and Anderson.
606: DEBATEingeniousAsh
All the same, the Aussies had an ideal start when Alastair Cook lazily drove at a ball outside off-stump he could have easily left in the second over, Manou making an instant impression with a solid wicketkeeper’s catch.
But with Strauss looking in good touch from the off, and Ravi Bopara overcoming a slightly nervy start to hit some scorching drives through the off-side, England recovered to reach tea on 56-1.
Intriguingly, Johnson was relegated behind Hauritz to fourth bowler on the Australian roster, and after tea was replaced by Hilfenhaus at the Pavilion End.
Ponting judged that particular bowling change well, Hilfenhaus putting Bopara in two minds with a teaser outside off-stumps, and the Essex man’s tentative poke deflected the ball into his stumps.
With the scoreboard reading 60-2, there was a bit of a pressure on the recalled Bell to make an impression – and he did not disappoint on his home ground.
Siddle helped him out with a couple of full tosses that were easily put away, and Bell’s confidence looked in good order as he drove Hauritz over mid-on for the landmark maximum.
Strauss reached his fifty with a back-foot punch off the tiring Hilfenhaus for four and followed up with a lovely straight drive off the same bowler.
Bell was given a major lifeline on 18 when umpire Koertzen, who had already infuriated Australian fans at Lord’s with some of his decision-making, denied Johnson’s concerted lbw appeal.
A few balls later, Bell hit a rasping cover-drive to the boundary to exasperate a much-improved Johnson further. Australia might be glad that Koertzen is not officiating at Headingley or The Oval. </p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Clarke and Haddin hold up England
July 19th, 2009 |
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Second Ashes Test, Lord’s (day four, close):
England 425 & 311-6 dec v Australia 215 & 313-5
Match scorecard
By Oliver Brett
BBC Sport at Lord’s
A superb marathon stand between Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin kept England frustrated as the home side chased victory in the second Ashes Test.
Andrew Strauss’ men seemed poised to go 1-0 up against Australia with a day to spare when Marcus North was bowled by Graeme Swann in the first hour of the afternoon session on Sunday.
At that stage, England needed just five further wickets to win. But Clarke (125 not out) batted for four and a quarter hours and Haddin (80 not out) for more than three.
And when the last 11 overs were lost to bad light, Australia were 313-5, needing another 209 to pull off what would be an extraordinary victory.
Following a short, heavy shower just before the scheduled start, play was delayed by 15 minutes. Strauss declared England’s innings on their overnight 311-6 which left an astronomic target of 522 for Australia to chase down.
Two debatable wickets for Andrew Flintoff in the first 10 overs left Australia in dreadful shape and England confidently scenting further success.
First, Simon Katich felt for a ball he might have ignored outside off stump and edged to Kevin Pietersen, one of two gullys posted. But replays later showed that Flintoff had marginally overstepped the crease – so umpire Rudi Koertzen should have called no-ball.
Phillip Hughes was uncharacteristically dropped by Flintoff at second slip off the immaculate James Anderson, but he failed to make England pay.
Flintoff, in the middle of a furious spell of 2-9 in seven overs, pitched another ball in the perfect area for testing a left-hander’s defences, and the edge travelled low to Strauss at first slip.
Strauss claimed the catch, Hughes lingered at the crease and was told by Ponting to stay where he was. Now, standing umpire Koertzen asked his counterpart at square-leg, Billy Doctrove, whether the edge had carried – and the West Indian said yes it had.
In the circumstances, Koertzen could no longer refer the appeal to the third umpire, though if he had done Jeremy Lloyds would have seen pictures that were inconclusive as to whether the catch was a fair one or not. In such an event, Hughes would have probably been reprieved.
From 34-2, Ponting and Michael Hussey did their best to weather the storm, though neither man ever looked particularly secure. Even when the support seamers, Graham Onions and Stuart Broad, came on, the batsmen were frequently beaten or hit on the pads.
Lunch came with Australia 76-2 from 22 overs, and Ponting departed early in a cold, dank afternoon session. Trying to thump Broad off the back foot through the covers he succeeded only in chopping onto his stumps.
Broad celebrated maniacally, the Lord’s crowd – though slightly depleted by those on late lunches – simultaneously roared its approval and despite the leaden, ominous skies the odds seemed to favour an England win with a day to spare.
That impression only intensified when Hussey and Marcus North both fell to Swann in the space of six overs, though Hussey did not appear to nick the ball that was sharply taken by Paul Collingwood at slip.
North was comprehensively bowled through the gate. Nevertheless, Australia would have been entitled to feel hard done by given that three of their first four dismissals were shrouded in controversy.
The rest of the day belonged entirely to the tourists.
Clarke, who had come in at the fall of Ponting’s wicket, was the only Australian batsman who played with a degree of comfort from the start. Though he was about two inches away from being bowled by Broad’s first ball, he subsequently raced along with some fine drives through the off side.
606: DEBATEdeez08
Flintoff produced another aggressive spell from the Pavilion End and was unlucky not to remove Haddin in an over in which the Aussie wicketkeeper almost gloved to Matt Prior and then edged through the vacant third slip area.
Clarke’s 58-ball half century finally gave the Australian fans something to cheer about and suddenly England were searching for wickets when before they had fallen into their lap.
By tea, the score was 178-5 and as the final session started both batsmen made patient, serene progress. As England counted down the overs to the second new ball, Swann and Collingwood – neither looking likely to create a breakthrough – were the men entrusted with the bowling.
One ball after Haddin had cut Swann for a single to reach 50, Clarke – whose second 50 had occupied 101 deliveries – flicked the spinner through midwicket for his 11th Test ton.
Finally, as the floodlights flickered into action, the second new ball was taken just before 1800 BST with 18 overs still left in the day.
But there was no immediate reward for Anderson and Flintoff, though a couple of edges off each batsman flew tantalisingly just out of reach.
Monday, which will begin with the new ball only six overs old, will be a tense occasion for both teams. The draw looks out of the equation, but although the odds still favour an England win, nothing will be taken for granted.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Superb England dominate Australia
July 17th, 2009 |
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Second Ashes Test, Lord’s (day two): England 425 v Australia 156-8
Match scorecard
By Oliver Brett
BBC Sport at Lord’s
James Anderson took four wickets as England seized control of the second Ashes Test at Lord’s with a tremendous bowling display late on the second day.
Replying to England’s 425, Australia had recovered from a poor start in which they slid to 10-2 and soon after tea had reached a solid position of 103-2.
But an outstanding running catch by Stuart Broad at fine leg to end Simon Katich’s innings on 48 triggered a collapse in which the Aussies crashed to 152-8, losing six wickets for 49 in 15 overs – a passage of play that will live long in the memories of those who witnessed it.
At stumps, with bad light having finally suspended Australia’s agonising slump, Australia were still 269 runs behind on 156-8, and needing another 70 to avoid the follow-on.
With a five-man bowling attack at his disposal captain Andrew Strauss will be tempted to impose the follow-on should he have the option to do so on Saturday.
Anderson, swinging the ball both ways under a thick blanket of grey cloud, ended the day with 4-36 having started it with a boisterous 29 in a 47-run partnership for the last wicket with Graham Onions.
Anderson was well supported by the other three seamers in England’s attack, and it was Onions who took the vital wicket of Katich, before Andrew Flintoff added an equally important strike, removing Michael Hussey for 51.
The excitement built as a capacity crowd stayed long beyond the scheduled 1800 BST finish – the delay imposed following two half-hour breaks for rain between lunch and tea.
And, to the delight of the home crowd, the wickets kept coming, with floodlights – used for the first time in a Test at Lord’s – permitting the play to continue.
England’s eventual first-innings total from an overnight 364-6 did not look outstanding on paper. But given that Strauss failed to add to his overnight 161 (bowled second ball by Ben Hilfenhaus as he shouldered arms), and that both Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad were swiftly despatched, it was not a bad result at all.
Anderson struck five boundaries off the inconsistent Mitchell Johnson, with some inventive shot-making through the off-side.
Ominously, the ball was swinging, but it was just that Australia were bowling poorly at England’s 10 and 11. However, the crowd’s fun was finally ended when Johnson switched to round the wicket and Anderson edged to gully.
Johnson ended with expensive figures of 3-132 from 21.4 overs. Here, as at Cardiff, he had been comfortably outshone by his new-ball partner Hilfenhaus (4-103).
The cricketing gods were certainly shining on Anderson, who removed Phillip Hughes for four in his second over, the third of the Australia innings, as he unluckily gloved a poor ball down the leg-side to Matt Prior.
And he also bowled some fine deliveries at Ricky Ponting, arrowing several balls at his off-stump, while also swinging some away. It was the non-swinging delivery that ended the innings of the Australian captain – in curious circumstances.
Anderson sent down a full-length ball which hit Ponting’s pad in front of the stumps, and the bowler immediately appealed for lbw. The ball then cannoned into Strauss’s hands at slip and there was a secondary appeal – for a catch.
Umpire Rudi Koertzen consulted his colleague at square-leg, Billy Doctrove, who agreed the catch had carried to Strauss – and Ponting was duly given out caught. As it happened, the replays showed it was lbw as no bat was involved, but the Australian captain was not exactly thrilled with the outcome.
The afternoon session began 10 minutes late to account for the fact that the players had been presented to the Queen, and was otherwise filled with showers and some doughty batting between Katich and Hussey.
Hussey was the more fluent of the two Aussie lefties, his cover-drive for four off Broad bringing up the 50-run stand.
606: DEBATE"To enforce the follow-on, or not Bat on, make at least 250 and set them a near impossible target"
Silk
Onions was the last of the four seamers to be given a go but, just as Broad before him, struggled for rhythm and when tea was taken late at 1620 BST Australia were in much better shape at 87-2.
Things improved further for the tourists when they raised the team 100 without further loss in an Onions over costing 10, but Strauss gave the Durham man another over and he repaid that faith with a well-directed bouncer at Katich.
Broad, at fine-leg, picked up Katich’s top-edged hook early but had to sprint 20 yards to his right to get to the chance, and, when he did, took the ball on the dive with both hands for a stunning catch.
Flintoff had been intelligently rested since lunch and in the midst of a ferocious six-over spell picked up the next breakthrough – the massive one of Hussey, who chose to leave a delivery pitching just back of a length, which hurried on and crashed into the top of off-stump.
Just four balls later, Australia vice-captain Michael Clarke was making the long walk back to the pavilion, after flicking Anderson’s inswinger to short midwicket, where Alastair Cook took a good, low catch and at 111-5 Australia were in big trouble.
Brad Haddin played brightly, but Marcus North’s contribution was a 14-ball duck, which ended when he bottom-edged a pull off Anderson onto his stumps.
Johnson has developed a reputation as a fearless lower-order hitter but only bothered the scorers for 11 deliveries, whereupon he hooked Broad straight to deep square-leg.
Cook easily swallowed that catch before collecting his third of the session when Haddin, who had played really well for his 28, completely misjudged his own pull shot and lobbed another easy chance to the Essex opening batsman.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Defiant England cling on for draw
July 12th, 2009 |
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First Ashes Test, Cardiff (day five:
England 435 & 252-9 drew with Australia 674-6 declared
Match scorecard
By Oliver Brett
England’s last-wicket pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar defied Australia for 40 minutes to clinch a draw in the first Ashes Test.
Amid scenes of high tension in Cardiff, and with every dot ball roared by a capacity crowd, England somehow kept Australia’s spinners at bay.
Paul Collingwood hit a valiant 74 after England, 20-2 overnight, had lost three further wickets inside 90 minutes.
Australia seemed certain winners then, but somehow England clung on.
Collingwood’s innings lasted 245 balls, five and three quarter hours in all. It was an innings of grisly determination, which put the efforts of other players in the top order sharply into perspective.
But with 50 minutes to go in the match, and England still a tantalising six runs away from making Australia bat again, the Durham man played probably his first slightly risky shot.
Attempting to steer Siddle wide of point he instead hit it high to backward point, where Michael Hussey parried a catch above his head, before taking it – agonisingly – at the second opportunity.
It seemed now, with Panesar coming out to join Anderson, that England would lose in heart-breaking fashion. But the last man refused to be an easy target, and when Anderson squirted Siddle down to third man for four, England had a precious lead.
Significantly, that meant England did not have to bat until the 1850 BST cut-off. They just had to get past 1840, which meant facing around three overs fewer.
Australia captain Ricky Ponting, who seemed to underbowl his hugely impressive swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus, gave the final few overs to the two off-spinners Nathan Hauritz and Marcus North.
But Hauritz, though he had bowled brilliantly earlier in the day, taking three significant wickets, was by now tired and North was not a danger to two vastly improved tail-enders.
When the clock ticked past 1840 BST, it was clear that Hauritz was bowling the last over. Anderson survived his 53rd delivery – Panesar had hung around for 35 – and the ground roared as one to salute a famous result.
More to follow.</p
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.
Clarke & North make England toil
July 10th, 2009 |
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First Ashes Test, Cardiff (day three, stumps):
England 435 v Australia 479-5
Coverage: Test Match Special commentary on BBC Radio 5 Live sports extra, BBC Radio 4 Long Wave, Red Button and BBC Sport website, plus live text commentary on BBC Sport website and mobiles. Live on Sky Sports
Match scorecard
By Oliver Brett
Australia maintained their solid position on day three in Cardiff, leading England by 44 runs with five wickets in hand in the first Test.
Rain knocked 22 overs off the day’s play, leaving the Aussies on 479-5 after an historic late-evening session played under floodlights.
Three wickets did fall in the morning, Australia going to lunch on 348-4 from an overnight position of 249-1.
But Michael Clarke (83) and Marcus North (54) then put on 143 in 42 overs.
The left-handed North batted calmly and patiently on his Ashes debut, and will be there again on Saturday morning after facing 131 balls thus far.
Clarke showed his acumen against spin and was generally unperturbed against the seamers too as he played a more positive role.
TOM FORDYCE BLOGTom reports from Cardiff
But late in the day he was surprised by a Stuart Broad bouncer which he gloved behind as he attempted a pull, leaving him just shy of a first Test century in England in his sixth appearance.
While Friday’s rain was largely unexpected, further heavy showers are forecast from around noon on Saturday – so the odds favour a draw despite Australia’s dominant position.
However England, whose chances of going 1-0 up with four to play appear to have completely evaporated, may yet find themselves battling to avoid defeat on the final day.
Friday dawned brightly in south Wales, with Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich resuming their marathon partnership.
Aussie skipper Ponting soon advanced his score with two boundaries, flogging a Monty Panesar long-hop through the covers and driving a Graeme Swann full toss down the ground.
Katich leant into a cover-drive off Panesar for his first boundary of the morning, and followed up with a square-cut off Swann that sped to the ropes. Australia were quickly re-establishing their dominance.
Nine overs into the day the second new ball became available and the scoring remained rapid, although Ponting had a bit of good fortune when steering an Anderson ball just wide of Kevin Pietersen in the gully at catchable height.
Finally, the stand was ended by James Anderson, Katich falling lbw for 122 to a yorker-length ball from Anderson that actually swung, unlike anything sent down by England on day two. Katich and Ponting had been together for 70 overs, adding 239.
Flintoff was bowling extremely quickly and his bouncers were not played with any ease by either Ponting or the new man Michael Hussey. Ponting top-edged one hook just over Panesar at fine-leg for the first six of the series, though it was a no-ball, and both men received painful blows.
But it was Anderson who picked up the second wicket of the morning, persuading Hussey to drive outside off-stump, the left-hander tickling an easy catch to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Skipper Ponting continued to make progress, until Panesar picked up his first Test wicket since the Trinidad Test in March, the slow left-armer’s fifth ball of a new spell providing the biggest prize of the day.
Ponting, on 150, could only get a bottom-edge to crash into his stumps as he attempted a cut shot, and at lunch Australia were still 87 runs behind and perhaps no longer targeting the sort of huge score that had been in their sights at the start of play.
But the session between lunch and tea in this Test has proved a graveyard shift for the bowlers – and so it proved once again with not a wicket to be had. In three days just one man has been dismissed in the middle session – Phillip Hughes on day two.
North got off the mark with a crisp on-drive for four off Broad, who was also cover-driven elegantly by Clarke. Frankly, Broad was not much of a threat but Andrew Strauss persisted with him.
At the other end Panesar had his moments, but Clarke hit him for an effortless straight six, and when Swann came on another fine drive, this time for four, brought Clarke his half-century.
North, patient against the seamers, started to play freely against the spinners and when Clarke pulled Flintoff powerly to the midwicket fence Australia moved into the lead.
At tea the Aussies were sitting very prettily indeed on 458-4, with Clarke on 70 and North on 50, but just three overs and five runs later the rain came down.
It took nearly two hours to get the players back out again, whereupon Clarke punched an exquisite back-foot drive off Flintoff to the extra-cover boundary.
Six overs were played under the Cardiff lights – it was the first time a Test match in Britain had been artificially lit – and while North continued to accumulate tidily, England had the consolation of removing a very dangerous-looking Clarke.
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