Ashes Battle - Australia v England

[hedger_14]

Well Aditya and I decided to play each other in the Ashes, using Cricket 07 and we will be posting our progress here. I'll be controlling Australia and he'll be controlling England. I think we'll get right into the action. We're playing on 5 star difficulty using tutsi's AI patch. We may add screenshots, I haven't for my first update but I may in later innings/matches. So yeah, here it goes.

1st Ashes Test at Brisbane - Normal Pitch​

Andrew Strauss has won the toss and sent Australia into bat. The 2 teams are:


Australia

1. Simon Katich
2. Shane Watson
3. Ricky Ponting*
4. Michael Hussey
5. Michael Clarke
6. Marcus North
7. Brad Haddin (wk)
8. Mitchell Johnson
9. Nathan Hauritz
10. Ben Hilfenhaus
11. Peter Siddle


England

1. Andrew Strauss*
2. Alastair Cook
3. Jonathan Trott
4. Kevin Pietersen
5. Paul Collingwood
6. Ian Bell
7. Matt Prior (wk)
8. Stuart Broad
9. Graeme Swann
10. James Anderson
11. Steven Finn​

Simon Katich and Shane Watson made their way out to the middle for the first Ashes test. James Anderson opened the bowling and started well with a maiden. Shane Watson was the first wicket to fall in the Ashes though, bowled by Broad, hitting the pad on the way through and he was out for a duck and Australia were 1/0. It was not looking good when Katich was also removed for a duck in the next over, off Anderson, again bowled but leaving it as it just clipped the bails and Katich wasn't happy and Australia were in trouble at 2/0. Ponting and Hussey fought back well though before Ponting was finally dismissed for 39, bowled by the part timer, Collingwood and they were 77/3. Australia got through to lunch at 90/3 and looking to build on that in the second session.

Clarke hit a quickfire 35 then off 41 balls, Broad under fire before Swann struck to get rid of him, Clarke using his feet to come down the wicket but only managed to edge it through to Prior who took a simple catch. Hussey had battled through to 50 but North didn't last long at the crease, again falling to Graeme Swann, caught behind. So at 158/5, Australia weren't in the best position. Hussey and Haddin let the fightback though as got through to tea at 190/5, these 2 batsman looking to make a big score.

Hussey got to 100 soon after tea, and he was ecstatic, before Haddin got through to score a 50, now back in the side. Neither batsman looked like getting out as Haddin took over and was the first batsman to start attacking Swann, with a few slog sweeps for 3 fours and a six. They got through to the end of the day at 300/5 in a very stong position thanks to Hussey and Haddin.

They built on the lead at the start of day 2 as they punished Broad massively while Haddin brought up his 100. Hussey was going quiet and nearly got 150 before getting out to Collingwood, smashing it over his head but straight to Anderson who took a good catch at long on and Australia were 364/6. Paul Collingwood was on a hattrick, when he got Johnson driving first ball, catching the edge, going to Alastair Cook at second slip, as Collingwood now had 3. Haddin went haywire from there scoring another 70 runs very quickly as he brought up his double century before Hauritz got out for 17 off 50 balls, becoming Swann's third victim, as he mistimed the slog sweep straight to Steven Finn at square leg. Swann took his 4th wicket just after lunch, Hilfenhaus looking to play attacking but ended up getting himself stumped for 2 and it was 489/9. Brad Haddin was the last wicket to fall, for a blinder of a knock, making 243 off only 257 balls, with 16 fours and 9 sixes, mostly off Broad as Australia were bowled out for 495 while Siddle finished 2* on his 26th birthday.

Broad was completely ripped apart by Haddin and Hussey, taking 1/191 off 25 overs, nearly 8 runs an over. Swann was the pick of the bowlers, taking 5/104 off 41.2 overs with 8 maidens, but his figures were ruined a bit by Haddin's big hitting. Collingwood bowled pretty well taking 3/107 from 26 overs, a bit expensive but took some crucial wickets, including Hussey and Ponting. Anderson bowled well but was underused, taking 1/43 from 17 overs, unlucky not to have another wicket or 2. Finn was extremely underused and only bowled in 1 and 2 over spells, bowling 10 overs in total, with 1 maiden as he went for 48 runs without taking a wicket.

 

[Aditya]

Good write up there, Brendon. It was a solid recovery from Australia. After being 0/2 they were under pressure. Then a good partnership between Ponting and Hussey got them back on track. Partnership between Hussey and Haddin proved to be quite costly for England. Making 496 and then giving lead won't be easy. Lets see what happens.

 

[Aditya]

England's 1st innings​

England openers came to the field to start the 1st Ashes test again after an innings break. After Australia's solid recovery in their 1st innings they were surely on top. England team had a tough task of chasing down 496 and then giving Australia some lead.

England openers were not able to take England off to a good start in the chase as Andrew Strauss lost his wicket for 5 runs. Strauss was plumb in front, Hilfenhaus was the man who took his wicket. Jonathan Trott was the next batsman. Trott and Cook were playing aggressively. A small partnership build between them but just then Cook lost his wicket to Peter Siddle. He was caught out at silly mid off.

Pietersen was the next batsman. Trott didn't manage to make a good partnership with Pietersen as Trott was out for 13, bowled Hilfenhaus. Now, England was under pressure with 35/3. Now the 2 batsman at the crease were Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood. They started to build a partnership and take England innings forward. Pietersen was playing the role of the aggressor and Collingwood was rotating the strike and allowing Pietersen to take most of the strike.

Both the batsman's made fifties. Pietersen and Collingwood had a partnership of 117 runs which got England team back on track. Pietersen lost his wicket to Peter Siddle after making 61 runs. Trying to small the ball through the covers, Pietersen got thick edge on the ball and the ball went to the slip fielder, Nathan Hauritz. After 20 more runs Collingwood too lost his wicket for 66 runs. England now was 175/4.

Bell and Prior were now at the crease. Bell was playing his normal innings of rotating the strike and hitting bad balls away for boundaries. Prior on other hand wasn't. We often see Prior coming to the crease and playing attacking cricket. But this time he started off slowly but as his innings progressed he was smashing the bowlers all around the park. Australian bowlers went clueless. Even Bell started to be attacking and the run rate was really good.

Both the batsman's reached their fifties. Surprisingly Prior reached his fifty before Bell. Both of them continued playing attacking cricket but both of them lost their wickets when they were in 80's. Prior was the first one to go, bowled Hilfenhaus for 83. Bell then followed Prior to the pavilion in the very next over for 81 runs, Bell was trying to smash the ball on leg side but didn't time the ball well and the ball went straight in the air and the fielder at, square leg, Hilfenhaus took the catch.

Broad played a little cameo of 24 runs off 14 balls but lost his wicket to Johnson. His dismissal was quite similar to that of Bell's. Swann played a really good innings of 58 runs off 42 balls. Anderson and Finn made 5 runs. Australia managed to get lead of 75 runs.

Batting and Bowling card

Pietersen and Collingwood had a good partnership of 117 runs​

Bell and Prior partnership was really crucial for England team​

Ben Hilfenhaus took 4 wickets​

 

[hedger_14]

Good fightback from England there. Still slightly in the lead though. Why don't you post the scorecard (as to see how everyone got out) and didn't you mean in game screenshots?

 

[riz7khan12]

whats hauritz doing there?, game looks even as of now but I expect england to win on the back of their team effort.

 

[Bilalshuja]

Great Batting From Brad Haddin and Also Good Presentation.

 

[hedger_14]

Australia's 2nd Innings​

The match was still in the balance and likely to have a result still, only just after lunch on Day 3. Swann?s quick half century hurt us at the end but we still had a reasonable lead and Watson and Katich would be looking for runs. Katich got off the mark third ball, working Anderson to the legside before the throw in from square leg resulted in one overthrow. Watson was out for a pair though, edging a back foot drive off Anderson through to Pietersen who took a good catch at slip and Watson was having a shocker after not bowling in England?s innings. Katich and Ponting worked around the singles over the next few over?s, and were scoring at a decent rate without taking any risks, getting to 23/1 after 7 over?s, not a maiden being bowled. Anderson was the first bowler to bowl a maiden, doing so in his 5th over to have figures of 1/9 after 5 overs, a good spell so far. Katich hit the first six and boundary of the innings, as he smashed Broad over midwicket for a huge six. Broad was finally taken off after 6 over?s, which didn?t trouble the Aussies at all and Graeme Swann was again brought on as first change. His first over wasn?t too bad, going for 5 runs, bowling a little too straight to Ponting. It was only a change of ends for Broad though and his over brought up the 50 for Australia, both batsman in the 20?s and after 15 over?s, Australia were 52/1.

Ponting fell though to Swann, playing forward but was beaten comprehensively, as it spun in and hit the off stump and Ponting was out for 22. Australia went into the tea break, with a solid 77/2 on the board. Katich was now nearing a fifty after being out in the first innings for a duck, on 41* with Hussey on 6*. Anderson and Swann bowled really well, taking a wicket each and Anderson was unlucky not to take the wicket of Ponting earlier in his innings when he inside edged one past the leg stump. Broad was pretty poor with the ball and it hasn?t been the best match for him, although he made a few runs.

Finn came on to bowl first over after lunch, and bowled a decent line to Katich after starting badly with a wide and a single before he managed 4 dot balls before bowling it a little straight as Katich worked it off his pads for one. Simon Katich brought his fifty up about 5 overs later, off Steven Finn working one onto the legside for a single. Finn was bowling really well and got his first wicket as Hussey managed a small inside edge onto the off stump and the first innings centurion was out for 12. Clarke brought up the 100 for Australia in his next over, his first ball to the spinner coming down the track and playing it through midwicket for 4 before scoring a single at the end of the over to bring up the hundred for Australia, on top as they head towards the end of Day 3.

Australia kept the runs ticking over at a good rate, as Michael Clarke was using his feet well to Swann as he moved into double figures while Katich moved into the 60?s after looking to play with ease, working the ball to the legside often for singles and two?s. The English bowlers needed another breakthrough but Katich and Clarke battled well, bringing up the 150 with still about 20 minutes left in the day, as Katich moved into the 80?s. Australia looked to add some runs before the end of the day and Katich quickly moved into the 90?s and would want his century before stumps. It had been a resilient innings from Katich, as he worked hard for his runs but managed to score at a reasonable rate at times and not get bogged down at any stage. Katich moved onto 98 going into the last over of the day, to be bowled by Stuart Broad, which probably wasn?t the best option if England wanted to get Katich out. Katich brought up his century with 2 singles in the last over to finish 100* on the day as Australia got to 174/3 at stumps, Clarke unbeaten on 28. Finn was England?s best bowler although he only bowled 5 overs, having taken 1/10 while Anderson also had bowled well with 3 maidens in 11 overs as he took 1/21 while Swann also bowled reasonably well taking one wicket also.

Australia started off well the next morning, getting through to 200 without losing a wicket, less than half an hour into the session. England desperately needed a breakthrough but just could not get it as Clarke moved towards 50. Who says that a slog sweep is a shot that?s always played to the spinners? Clarke plays the slog sweep of Stuart Broad over backward square leg for 6 to bring up his 50. Swann took the vital wicket though, dragging Clarke down the pitch as he tried to play with the spin but was beaten as the ball crashed into the off stump, Clarke out for 61 and England now had the vital wicket with North at the crease, who failed in his first innings. One wicket can usually bring another and this time, that happened as Strauss took a blinder at slip to remove Marcus North for 7, Swann taking his third wicket. Australia battled through though and a burst from the Aussies late in the first session, Broad getting hammered, took Australia to 307/5 at lunch, Katich 172* while Haddin was going along nicely at 21*. The declaration would probably come sometime in the final session to give Australia a good shot at winning this game.

Australia fought through after lunch and it was a well deserved double century for Katich as he got through to 205*, just after an hour through the second session, with Haddin also going along nicely on 45, England still unable to break the partnership. Haddin brought up his half century to back up his double century in the first innings, which now has put Australia in a great position, the 400 nearly up for Australia in their second innings, and world record chase will be needed for England to win this, the deficit for England currently 466. Australia brought up the 400 soon after, but a good move from Strauss brought the wicket of Haddin, Anderson finally brought back into the attack, and getting it on a good length in his first over, brought Haddin forward to play a straight drive but it went straight through the gate hitting the top of middle stump and he was out for 62, Johnson now at the crease, on a pair. Johnson got off the mark with a boundary through midwicket against Swann but got out next ball, edging through to Matt Prior and now England had made the double blow they needed but Katich still remained.

Australia declared one over after tea, at 426/7, Katich finishing on 236* while Hauritz made 9* after scoring 17 in the first innings. Swann was again brilliant with the ball, taking 4/85 off 31 overs. Anderson was slightly underused, but finished with 2/43 from 19 overs. Steven Finn meanwhile was extremely underused, only bowling 7 overs, but taking 1/19. Broad and Collingwood were pretty disappointing though and Strauss made a surprising decision to bowl them so much taking 0/150 off 26 and 0/125 off 24 overs respectively. England would now need to chase a massive 502 for victory. It seems impossible, with the highest successful 4th innings run chase in Test match cricket only being 418. But you never know, we?re going to be in for one huge final day and final session of this 4th day.

Katich was Lethal in his Double Century, hitting 11 fours and 8 sixes

Swann was in Form taking 4/85 to take match figures of 9/189​