The Ashes 2010: First Test Edgbaston 14th to 18th July 2010
England Need 400 After historic Day Of Test Cricket!
17th July 2010
From our Chief Cricket Correspondent Rick Adams
England won the toss and put Australia into bat.
Australia First Innings 412 all out (Ponting 134*, Katich 89) Anderson 4/126, Collingwood 2/2 England First Innings 357 all out off 93.1 overs (Collingwood* 124, Bell 70, Broad 37) Johnson 3/54 Australia Second Innings 330 for 8 (North 109, Hussey 69) Anderson 3/100, Collingwood 2/24
Australia made steady progress as they started to open up their lead on the third morning of this enthralling encounter.
At lunch both openers were still there, playing within themselves and waiting for the shine and bounce of the new ball to turn in their favour.
The only scare for the Australians was an lbw shout of a in swinging ball off Broad. Umpire Thomas Tan denied Broad and England a valuable wicket, judging the ball to have pitched outside the line.
Broad and Strauss seemed disappointed with the decision but television replays showed that Tan had been spot on in his decision.
Watson and Katich have already shown how valuable they are as an opening pair. England can only look on with something approaching jealousy as they go about their task in a calm and confident manner.
They take the singles when they are there and apart from the lbw shout have given absolutely nothing away.
England, despite some good tight economical bowling and fielding will go into lunch wondering where the next wicket is going to come from.
Australia were left reeling as Jimmy Anderson struck twice in two balls to remove danger man Watson and first innings centurion Ponting for a first ball duck.
Australia began the afternoon session in the same mode as the morning session. Watchful, picking off the singles where available and building on their lead.
However, all changed as a refreshed Anderson came steaming in from the press box end. England's plan to bowl tight on off stump to Watson paid off. Frustrated at not be able to enjoy the width he needs for his more expansive shot, he played a back-foot drive to an Anderson ball that bounced higher than he expected off one of the many cracks now appearing on this drying pitch.
The ball nicked the outside edge and just carried to an agile Strauss, who made no mistake, once again proving his worth as a fielder as well as a captain, to hold onto his fourth catch of the innings.
Ricky Ponting, Australians top scorer in the first innings, who carried his bat all the way through Australia's fine knock of 412, came to the crease on form and looking to add to his impressive start to this series.
Strauss set a few fielders back, as Anderson made all the signs of bowling a short ball. Ponting has been out before in the beginning of his innings, not always able to contain his natural aggressive nature.
Anderson had other ideas though as he launched a searching yorker at middle and off. Ponting, not quite completely awake to the situation was too slow to react.
England had been unjustifiably disappointed at not getting an lbw decision in their favor earlier on in the morning: this time their was no reason to worry as Ponting was trapped straight in front. Hawk-eye suggesting that Ponting would have had to do without his middle stump had been allowed to stay! Hussey, in typical Aussie style, crashed the hat-trick ball to the cover boundary for a welcome four.
Australia are still well on top and England will still have an uphill struggle to save this match, let alone win it. But they will be boosted by Anderson's striking power and pleased that they are not in possession of the only top-order batsmen showing fragility now and then!
Australia lead on with Katich and especially Hussey showing aggression. Strauss turned to once again to Paul Collingwood for a change of pace. his decision was immediately rewarded as he took out Kat itch's leg stump, unsure of whether to play forward or back to a ball that didn't quite sit up for him.
Michael Clarke came to the wicket with something to prove after getting out for nought in the first innings. Sensationally Collingwood again had him trapped lbw first ball and he was gone! Clarke is under real pressure now to keep his place for the next test, however this one turns out for the Australians.
England were of course jubilant: Australia 4 down with 112 on the board and a lead of just 167 and still many overs for England to bat.
However in true Aussie style Marcus North came in with great conviction and played well with Hussey, putting on 86 in a partnership that gave Australia more confidence about being able to beat England out of this game.
Hussey was caught by Broad in the deep as he tried to hook Onions for 69. A good innings by Hussey who has been anything but consistent of late.
Brad Haddin joined North and a tense session ensued wherein both sides grappled to take the upper hand. Haddin was content to play a side role as North started to up the tempo with some crashing boundaries. Including one that bought up his excellent century and one that really cemented the upper hand for his side.
The fun came to an end when North was bowled by a sharply in -turning ball off Swann as he tried to lift him toward deep square.
England weren't complaining though because a dangerous partnership had been broken but not until North and Haddin put on more than a hundred together.
Mitchell Johnson came to the crease to join Haddin but his partnership was short-lived as Haddin was judged lbw to Anderson as England took the new ball. The decision seemed a harsh one as replays suggested the ball would have missed leg-stump.
When Hauritz was stumped by an alert Prior, going forward off a looping Swann delivery, this signaled an end of the days play as bad light was offered.
Australia lead by 385 runs with two wickets in hand. England will want to polish of the last two wickets tomorrow morning and set about there task of saving this match.
Australia Will be confident they have more than enough runs based on the English batting display in the first innings.
However test cricket throws up so many surprises, we will need to wait and see how this one develops!
The facts that matter:
Australian Second Innings
Scorecards to follow!
dutchad added 13 Minutes and 5 Seconds later...
I am away for a few days so wont be updating until Tuesday! Have fun and post your limericks. Winner announced Tuesday! Cheers.
The second one doesn't really work for me, I think it's the last line. But you are amazing at making these up just like that
