Second Ashes Test – Lords – Day Three Roundup
England, after a most magnificent third days play reached 311 for six in their second innings. It puts them in a strong position to win their first Ashes test at Lord’s for a period of some 75 years, since 1934 to be precise.
Siddle and Hauritz started off the morning with Australia on 156 for eight needing 70 to avoid the follow-on without it seemed too much of a worry.Hauritz reached 24 when he was caught by Paul Collingwood at third slip off Graham Onion’s third delivery of the morning. His partner Siddle struck five boundaries to reach his highest test innings score of 35 before being caught at first slip by Strauss off the same bowler.
The apparent ease with which Siddle and Hauritz took on England’s bowling attack, probably convinced Strauss not to force the Australians to follow on. As in recent times both Sri Lanka and South Africa have saved tests at Lord’s, after being asked to follow on, he was right to do so.
Strauss and Alastair Cook took to the crease, settling in with a solid score of 61runs in 56 minutes. Then off-spinner Nathan Hauritz struck the first Australian blow of the day with his first delivery after lunch. dismissing Cook lbw for 32.A matter of eight balls later Strauss ,was out for the same score edging the ball for a simple catch to Michael Clarke at first slip.
Kevin Pietersen and Ravi Bopara now had the task of driving the England cricket team’s innings on and Piertersen drove Hauritz for an excellent four but then seemed to struggle for any rhythm. Ravi Bopara was also stuttered against the accurate swing bowling from Ben Hilfenhaus and Peter Siddle. Bopara was lucky to survive a dropped catch at second slip from the Australian captain, Ponting on 11 off Siddle but was then caught for 27 off Hauritz at short-leg. After tea, Pietersen;’s laboured innings came to end at 44 when Brad Haddin, the Aussie wicket keeper, took a catch behind the stumps off of the bowling from Siddle.
The slow afternoon session was put behind them when the England pair Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior came together and injected some needed urgency into the proceedings. Collingwood smacking a low full toss ball from Hauritz, to leg for four. Prior then played what must be the shot of the day with an emphatic off-drive to the boundary, and then went on with a superb array of shots around the wicket. Prior further demonstrated his effectiveness with the sweep shot off Hauritz bringing up his half-century from only 37 balls. In one particular over Prior took sixteen runs from a Hauritz in a flurry of boundaries. However off the next ball, he went for a risky second run and lost out to an accurate throw from Marcus North taking down the stumps from deep backward point. Prior was out on 61.
The time came for the man of the hour to take to the crease and Andrew Flintoff strode out to a tumultuous applause for his final test innings at Lord’s. He got off the mark in typical Flintoff style with a massive pull for four. He then took Mitchell Johnson for four and had reached 30 not out at the end of play. Meanwhile Collingwood, unhindered like Flintoff of the need to be cautious with his wicket, hurried to reach his third fifty of the series in four innings before he was caught behind off Siddle for 54.
When rain ended play, England held an overall lead of 521.What will the England captain do tomorrow? Well once again that will depend very the much on the English weather. If it is overcast and dull with a little rain, he may decide to declare early and let his spinners loose on the Aussies or if fine with the pitch not offering anything to his seamer’s, the likelihood is that they will bat on. Time is on the host’s side and the drama of the 2009 Ashes series continues.
