Ashes Test – 2009 – Headingley – Day 1 Round Up
The Australia cricket team have established a 94-run lead in the first innings of the fourth Ashes Test at Healingly after bowling England out for 102 runs on the opening day. It did not take Australia long to take control of the match with a display of awesome swing bowling and powerful batting as England collapsed in their first innings. Aussie seam bowlers Peter Siddle and Stuart Clark ripped through the England batting order to dismiss them all out for 102; their lowest total is an Ashes series Test at Headingley for 100 years.
Right at the beginning of the day things did not bode well for England with Andrew Flintoff ruled out through injury and this was a portent of a miserable day for England, Strauss having won the toss and elected to bat survived a lbw on the first ball of the match but lasted only 17 balls and scored three runs before being caught at slip by North. Ravi Bopara made one before edging to Michael Hussey at gully and Ian Bell, on eight, knocked a short delivery from Mitchell Johnson and gave wicketkeeper Brad Haddin a simple catch.
Paul Collingwood went for a duck caught by Ponting at second slip and Alastair Cook’s resistance ended on 30 when he edged Clark to Clarke at first slip. Stuart Broad was caught at short mid-wicket by Simon Katich off Clark for three to leave England devastated on 72 for six at lunch. Just when you thought it could not get any worse for the hosts, the wickets continued to tumble. Graeme Swann, Steve Harmison, James Anderson and Graham Onions fell in quick succession to Siddle, who finished with figures of five for 21. Clark took three for 18. A truly terrible batting display.
Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting started briskly for the Aussies sharing a second-wicket partnership of 119 and the touring side ended the day on 196 for four, a lead of 94 runs. Michael Clarke was unbeaten on 34 at the close with Marcus North on seven. Watson had powered the first two balls of Australia’s innings for four but they lost Katich for nought when he fended a rising Harmison delivery to Bopara at leg gully.Ponting and Watson completed the first 50 partnership of the match off only 69 deliveries. Watson had just reached his half-century when he was trapped lbw by Onions for 51.The Australian captain moved on to 78 and looked on course for a century but went lbw to Broad. Hussey started well but quickly fell lbw for 10 also to Broad.
It is difficult to see how England can recover from the catastrophe that overcome them on day one of the Healingly Test and are already staring at defeat in the face. This 2009 Ashes Test series continues to throw up drama by the bucket full – What will tomorrow bring and this is only day one!
