None for two! Ponting edges to Swann at slip The build up to the second test this week centred on Mitchell Johnson. Would he play? Would Dougie Bollinger replace him? What of Ben Hilfenhaus? Would Ryan Harris be drafted in as well in a possible double bowling change?
In the end the Australian selectors in the zeitgeist of the clamouring Australian public adopted the philosophy of mutatis mutandis and both Johnson and Hilfenhaus were jettisoned in favour of Bollinger and Harris. Form and relative freshness was evidently foremost in the selectors minds to counter the absolute English dominance that was established over the last two days of the first test.
England had no such selection worries, au contraire, the same eleven were locked in with no public announcements necessary
A fine hot day with clear blue skies and a belter of a pitch dictated that Ricky Ponting naturally chose to bat upon winning the toss. A par score of 450 batting first would have seemed there for the taking, which made what happened next all the more extraordinary.
In one of the most dramatic starts seen in an Ashes test match, Australia were reduced to 3 for 2 after only thirteen deliveries and sixteen insane minutes of mayhem. The worst start to a first innings in Australia's one hundred and thirty three year test playing history.
Here is how it unfolded; off the fourth ball of the day, Watson was rapped on the pads and the ball ricocheted to midwicket. Watson instinctively set off for what would have been a regulation single. Katich, perhaps ball watching, responded to the call late. Upon seeing Watson almost upon him, Katich belatedly set off and was run out by about a metre as Trott had time to pick up, aim and throw down the stumps. The unfortunate Katich was run out for a diamond duck.
One for none.
In strode Ricky Ponting, just the man for a crisis. Ponting has a remarkable record at the Adelaide Oval, but today his stay lasted one ball. The first ball Anderson dished up to the Australian captain was a position perfect outswinger inducing the tentative Ponting to thrust a speculative foot down the pitch and an uncertain lunging bat towards the moving ball which duly caught the edge and flew unerringly to Swann at second slip who joyfully accepted the catch
Two for none.
Enter Michael Clarke, who it must be said convinced no-one during the week that he was over his back injury that clearly hampered him in the first test. Clarke scored the first runs, but was obviously looking restricted in his movement and certainly did not give the feeling that he was going to last particularly long. It came as no surprise that off the first ball of Anderson's second over that Clarke lunged at yet another lovely out swinger from Anderson which almost predictably caught the edge and flew yet again to Swann at second slip. The English team and fans could hardly believe their luck.
Three for two.
At this point, I started to wonder whether Australia would even get to fifty. The pitch was supposedly a belter wasn't it? The type of pitch you could get your eye in and flay an attack.
What was going on here?
I doubt if Mike Hussey batting at number five has ever strode to the wicket in a first class match so early when he hasn't opened the batting let alone a test match. This was carnage.
Watson and Hussey then set about restoring a modicum of respectability to the Australian innings by getting through to lunch unscathed advancing the score to 3 for 94 by the interval. Soon after lunch however with the addition of two more runs to the total, Anderson produced yet another outswinger which caught the edge of Watson's bat as he attempted to drive through the covers and the ball flew to Pietersen in the gully who held a fine sprawling catch to his left.
Watson compiled a fine fifty one with seven boundaries and a mighty six. Yet again however, Watson failed to capitalise on an excellent start in a test match innings and go on and make a century that was there for the asking. If Watson ever learns to make the most of the great form he is in, he will surely find himself in the top echelon of batsmen in world cricket. Rather than two test centuries, Watson should already have five or six.
Perhaps the luckiest cricketer in Australia, Marcus North must surely be in the last chance hotel after his boom/bust test batting graph which has seen North score five test centuries and a ninety six in his twenty tests, yet virtually nothing else in all his other innings. Today North soldiered to twenty six...a score that he would normally convert to a hundred if his previous record is to be taken into consideration, but it was not to be as North dabbed a lazy bat in the path of a mediocre ball by Finn and edged through to Prior.
This brought Haddin and Hussey together yet again with Australia in deep trouble. While they were not able to replicate their heroic stand from Brisbane, they none the less cobbled together a useful partnership of fifty one before Hussey was next to go, edging a delivery from Swann to the safe hands of Collingwood at slip. Hussey was dismissed for ninety three, seven runs short of what would have been his third century in as many innings against the old enemy.
Hussey may be in the twilight of his illustrious career, but he is determined to not give up his baggy green without a fight. One feels that it would almost have to be prized out of his lifeless hand, such is his fanaticism and pride in representing his country.
In the end the Australian selectors in the zeitgeist of the clamouring Australian public adopted the philosophy of mutatis mutandis and both Johnson and Hilfenhaus were jettisoned in favour of Bollinger and Harris. Form and relative freshness was evidently foremost in the selectors minds to counter the absolute English dominance that was established over the last two days of the first test.
England had no such selection worries, au contraire, the same eleven were locked in with no public announcements necessary
A fine hot day with clear blue skies and a belter of a pitch dictated that Ricky Ponting naturally chose to bat upon winning the toss. A par score of 450 batting first would have seemed there for the taking, which made what happened next all the more extraordinary.
In one of the most dramatic starts seen in an Ashes test match, Australia were reduced to 3 for 2 after only thirteen deliveries and sixteen insane minutes of mayhem. The worst start to a first innings in Australia's one hundred and thirty three year test playing history.
Here is how it unfolded; off the fourth ball of the day, Watson was rapped on the pads and the ball ricocheted to midwicket. Watson instinctively set off for what would have been a regulation single. Katich, perhaps ball watching, responded to the call late. Upon seeing Watson almost upon him, Katich belatedly set off and was run out by about a metre as Trott had time to pick up, aim and throw down the stumps. The unfortunate Katich was run out for a diamond duck.
One for none.
In strode Ricky Ponting, just the man for a crisis. Ponting has a remarkable record at the Adelaide Oval, but today his stay lasted one ball. The first ball Anderson dished up to the Australian captain was a position perfect outswinger inducing the tentative Ponting to thrust a speculative foot down the pitch and an uncertain lunging bat towards the moving ball which duly caught the edge and flew unerringly to Swann at second slip who joyfully accepted the catch
Two for none.
Enter Michael Clarke, who it must be said convinced no-one during the week that he was over his back injury that clearly hampered him in the first test. Clarke scored the first runs, but was obviously looking restricted in his movement and certainly did not give the feeling that he was going to last particularly long. It came as no surprise that off the first ball of Anderson's second over that Clarke lunged at yet another lovely out swinger from Anderson which almost predictably caught the edge and flew yet again to Swann at second slip. The English team and fans could hardly believe their luck.
Three for two.
At this point, I started to wonder whether Australia would even get to fifty. The pitch was supposedly a belter wasn't it? The type of pitch you could get your eye in and flay an attack.
What was going on here?
I doubt if Mike Hussey batting at number five has ever strode to the wicket in a first class match so early when he hasn't opened the batting let alone a test match. This was carnage.
Watson and Hussey then set about restoring a modicum of respectability to the Australian innings by getting through to lunch unscathed advancing the score to 3 for 94 by the interval. Soon after lunch however with the addition of two more runs to the total, Anderson produced yet another outswinger which caught the edge of Watson's bat as he attempted to drive through the covers and the ball flew to Pietersen in the gully who held a fine sprawling catch to his left.
Watson compiled a fine fifty one with seven boundaries and a mighty six. Yet again however, Watson failed to capitalise on an excellent start in a test match innings and go on and make a century that was there for the asking. If Watson ever learns to make the most of the great form he is in, he will surely find himself in the top echelon of batsmen in world cricket. Rather than two test centuries, Watson should already have five or six.
Perhaps the luckiest cricketer in Australia, Marcus North must surely be in the last chance hotel after his boom/bust test batting graph which has seen North score five test centuries and a ninety six in his twenty tests, yet virtually nothing else in all his other innings. Today North soldiered to twenty six...a score that he would normally convert to a hundred if his previous record is to be taken into consideration, but it was not to be as North dabbed a lazy bat in the path of a mediocre ball by Finn and edged through to Prior.
This brought Haddin and Hussey together yet again with Australia in deep trouble. While they were not able to replicate their heroic stand from Brisbane, they none the less cobbled together a useful partnership of fifty one before Hussey was next to go, edging a delivery from Swann to the safe hands of Collingwood at slip. Hussey was dismissed for ninety three, seven runs short of what would have been his third century in as many innings against the old enemy.
Hussey may be in the twilight of his illustrious career, but he is determined to not give up his baggy green without a fight. One feels that it would almost have to be prized out of his lifeless hand, such is his fanaticism and pride in representing his country.
Hussey yet again played a significant innings with Australia's back to the wall
Haddin was left to bat with a tail that in recent times has shown a school boy fragility. Hardly promising.Doherty ran himself out when much like Katich, Doherty was caught ball watching and was run out by a metre in shambolic scenes. Soon after, Siddle holed out when a bit more application was necessary to support the in form Haddin. Finally Haddin himself threw his hand away when he clearly lacked faith in Bollinger's ability to survive.
Haddin made a polished fifty six that would have been many more if only he had some decent support.
The English openers Strauss and Cook saw out an over from Ryan Harris before stumps without any discomfort.
Tomorrow will be 36 degrees and the pitch will get even easier than what it is - if that can be imagined. England will be looking at making a 500 plus score to grind the spirit out of the Australians and score a crushing win.
Can Australia fight back? Only the most optimistic would think so...but cricket is a funny game.
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