This 2009 Australian Ashes test team are proving to be just as ruthless and professional as their illustrious predecessors. The signs are that they are moving smoothly towards victory over England and only today’s rain brought a brief respite to the hosts.

Marcus North (125 not out) and Brad Haddin (121) put on exactly 200 between them for the sixth wicket, joining Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting, the two other century makers in the Australian innings.

The Aussies have made Ashes history in having amassed four centuries in one innings and that their 674 for six declared ,which took them over 12 hours is their fourth highest total against England.

North and the Australian wicket keeper Haddin, went about putting England to the sword with gusto, adding a further 98 in the morning session with North reaching his century before the interval. The two of them pushed the total swiftly on to 600. He went on to make his century from 138 balls before finally being caught by Bopara off Paul Collingwood.

Sadly for the English cricket team, all five of their frontline bowlers conceded more than 100 runs. When Ponting declared after Haddin was caught on the boundary, England were left needing 239 to ensure Australia bat again.

To cap the end of a most miserable day in the field, they then lost Cook(6)
playing across a full-length delivery from Mitchell Johnson to be followed shortly after by Bopara (1) bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus. Rain stopped play at 5.37 PM leaving England on 20 for two.

With one day’s play still remaining and the weather expected to improve on Sunday, Australia stand an excellent chance of winning the first 2009 Ashes Test. Only a miracle can now save England from losing in Cardiff – that miracle might take the form of England’s ally the rain. From the evidence of their batting form so far, it certainly will not be their batsmen.

History was made when floodlights were used for a first time in a British test match and Australia scored 479 for five in reply to England’s first innings total of 435.

Ponting started the morning as had finished last night getting to 150 before being bowled by Monty Panesar managing to drag the delivery on to his stumps.

Michael Clarke took to the crease to score a thoroughly professional 83 and joined with Marcus North, who showed that he had learnt well from his time five English counties scoring 54 not out on his debut in an Ashes test.
They added 143 in the fifth wicket partnership leaving England with a huge fight on their hands to save the match as once again their bowlers struggled to make an impact on the Aussie batsmen

James Anderson had the first English success of the day, when haven taken the second new ball within the first hour of the day, Australia resuming on 249 for one. He conjured up late in swinging ball to remove Simon Katich (122), who had spent more than five hours batting. Michael Hussey was soon to follow scoring only three before edging Anderson to Matt Prior the England wicket keeper

Ponting, who had already reached his 38th test century on Thursday evening, continued to demonstrate his competence with the bat driving solidly through the covers and even hooking Andrew Flintof’s no-ball for six over Monty
Panesar at fine-leg. It looked very much like he would go on to make a double century but this was not to be as attempting to hit Panesar through the off-side, the ball nicked off his bat and smashed into the stumps.

This meant that with three wickets taken in 63 balls for 22 runs and Australia 331 for four, England were slowly but surely forcing their way back into the game. But this proved to be a force dawn as Clarke and North, smoothly batted through the afternoon session.

North started his innings with a quick on-drive for four and his partner Clarke delighted the Cardiff crowd with a series of excellent drives and produced the shot of the day when he almost pirouetted to loft Panesar over long-off for six.

Once again the England spinners Monty Panesar and Graham Swann although accurate were unable to make the breakthrough England needed.

Clarke brought up the 100 partnership by puling Flintoff through mid-wicket for four and the teams took tea with Australia on 463 for four.

Then England’s extra player turned up, the sky blackened and steady rain drove the players off shortly into the evening session. Play did resume with the flood lights turned on. Stuart Broad, having struggled manfully all day, took his first wicket of the innings when Clarke’s attempted hook was edged to give wicketkeeper Matt Prior to complete his third catch of the day.

Shortly after, the umpires consulted once again and the players left the field for the day. The English weather having played its hand for the first time in the 2009 Ashes test, it is certain to have even more of an impact for the next couple of days at this point it is likely to be to the advantage of the hosts.

So here we are at the end of day one after the much anticipated start to The 2009 Ashes Test 2009 at Cardiff and in the eyes of this correspondent, the honours between England and Australia pretty much even.

After fighting the way into a reasonably strong position earlier in the day, England, somewhat lost the plot in the last quarter of the session and gave away two late wickets to put the Aussies back in the match.

The close of play at the inaugural match at Cardiff, England was 336 for seven having won the toss, a solid if not exactly dominating total.

A inauspicious start saw England 90 for three in the opening session but a decent recovery was orchestrated by Kevin Pietersen (69) and Paul Collingwood (64) with a 138-run fourth-wicket partnership both preferring to take the singles on offer rather than the spectaculars which was a sensible choice.

A useful innings added by Andrew Flintoff (37) and Matt Prior (56), before Peter Siddle gave warning of the danger he can present to the home side with a decent spell of fast bowling taking both their wickets with the second new ball.

The first breakthrough of the innings for Australia came off of the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus when Alastair Cook went for a disappointing 10 runs when he fended a wide delivery to gully. Michael Hussey made a spectacular dive to his right to take the catch.

Siddle first showed his promise but without any early luck, when his pace bowling smacked Ravi Bopara’s helmet guard with one ball and forced him to fend the next delivery perilously close to short-leg.

England’s Captain, Andrew Strauss made 30 before Mitchell Johnson bowled a vicious bouncer which touched Strauss’s glove and went high over the slips for Michael Clarke to take the catch.

Bopara (35) served up a bit of a curate’s egg of an innings, mixing sublime drives with a number of terrible shots but nevertheless was settling down when Johnson with a little bit of magic held the ball back with no detectable change in action and fooled Bopara into a making too early a shot, the ball being caught Phillip Hughes at cover.

With the score standing at 90 for three the Aussies had England in trouble but the Welsh pitch offered the Australian spin bowlers nothing and the afternoon session was dominated by the hosts.

Off-spinner Nathan Hauritz bowled 14 overs and left arm spinner, Clarke bowled 5, proved to be the leas successful Australian bowlers of the day.

The Australian captain Ponting retuned to his big guns after tea and his fast bowlers returned to the fray making an immediate impact after tea and when Collingwood was caught behind by Brad Haddin off Hilfenhaus from a pretty dire shot.

Pietersen at first rode his luck being struck on the pads by Hilfenhaus from a ball which looked as though it should have hit the stumps and with his very next over he was dropped on 66 by Clarke at cover.

Then Pietersen finally ran out of luck when Hauritz bowling from the Cathedral Road tempted him into dragging the ball outside his off-stump to leg and knock a catch to Simon Katich at short-leg.

Prior confirmed the selector’s right in putting him at number six. He six boundaries from 62 balls including two superb cover-drives.

Flintoff, on making his return from injury, was rewarded with loud applause with a powerful back foot drive for four and a superb pull to the square-leg boundary.

Unfortunately this did not last as he was bowled off an inside edge playing a school boy, flat-footed drive and Siddle defeated Prior’s attempted defensive shot to swing the game back Australia’s way.

]]> http://www.ashestest2009.com/first-ashes-test-cardiff-day-one-roundup/feed 0 http://www.ashestest2009.com/strauss-on-the-ashes-first-test http://www.ashestest2009.com/strauss-on-the-ashes-first-test#comments Tue, 07 Jul 2009 18:06:02 +0000 Moragh http://www.ashestest2009.com/?p=141 England captain Andrew Strauss has said today that he is confident that England can win when the Ashes series kicks off in Cardiff.

England will delay naming their starting XI until the morning but we know that Ian Bell will not feature as he has already been released to enable him to play for Warwickshire.

Flintoff, who appears to be coming back into form at just the right time, will be looking to avenge the 2007 Ashes Whitewash in Australia for which he was captain and to recapture the Ashes for England as they did last time at home in 2005.

Flintoff who is disappointed that he didn’t get to be part of the recent Twenty20 World Cup said that all during his rehabilitation from his knee injury that the thought of playing in another Ashes series gave him the determination to bounce back.

Strauss believes that if England are to go on to win the Ashes then it is essential to get off to a good start by winning the first test being held at the Swalec Stadium in Cardiff for the first time.

Unlike Australia, who lost Brett Lee to injury, England have a clean bill of health going into the match and Strauss is confident that England have the capability of coming out winners both of the first test and the series.

During Australia’s warm up match against the England Lions in Worcester last week, Lee was regularly clocked above 150 kmh during his 35 overs, claiming six wickets in the first innings. After the first innings he experienced tightness on his left side and when the pain had not subsided by Sunday after the teams transfer from Worcester to Cardiff, alarm bells started to ring. Alex Kountouris, the physio advised that had Lee continued to ignore the pain he could have been sidelined for up to 10 weeks, effectively ending his tour. Australia are hoping that he will be fit to start in the 3rd test in Edgbaston starting on 30th July 2009.

With Shane Watson also carrying an injury, we could see paceman Stuart Clark and off-spinner Nathan Hauritz both starting in Cardiff.

Brett Lee, played himself into the Australian team by taking 7 wickets (6 in the first innings) in their warm up match against England Lions last week.

Australia will miss his ability to reverse swing the ball at 150 kmh. Lee, gutted that he will be missing an Ashes test said that he’d find a way to bounce back. Over the last 16 years, and 5 ankle surgeries he reckons it is probably only the second time that he has actually pulled a muscle – a remarkable feat for a fast bowler.

England’s Kevin Pietersen said that Lee will be a huge loss for Australia as he’s a massive player for them. As well as his express pace and his acknowledgment as the ‘fastest bowler in the world’ he also brings a wealth of experience to the dressing room and an intimidating presence both off and on the field.