My picks of the second day:
England lost five wickets and fell to 286-5 on day two at Melbourne with Peter Siddle's name written on all of them in one way (caught two) or the other (bowling two catches and one lbw). It all seemed to be going Australia's way after a nightmare of a first day, until Jonathan Trott (141*) and Matt Prior (75*) took over and stabilised England to 444-5 and extending the guest's lead to 346.
Run of Play: Advantage to...
1st session, England 226-2, 128 ahead at lunch: Australia will be happy with the start to the day, happier than on day one that is for sure, taking two early wickets, breaking the opening partnership and taking out the two top scorers of the match so far.
2nd session, England 304-5, 206 ahead at tea: Australia are taking wickets but are nowhere near taking any control, with no decision going their way, England continuing play, scoring and making it as hard as possible for the hosts, whilst their skipper is losing it and making the job even harder for the umpires and his team.
3rd session, England 444-5, 346 ahead at the end of day two: The day continues going and ends up all England's way with Trott and Prior reaching the highest sixth-wicket Test partnership by England at Melbourne, beating the 140 by Patsy Hendren and Maurice Leyland in 1929 and they are still going...
Partnerships: As mentioned above, Australia were happy to get their first breakthrough early on, ending Andrew Strauss (69) and Alastair Cook's partnership (82) with two quick consecutive wickets with just over half an hour played on the day. Then all hell broke out in the second session, Trott and Kevin Pietersen (51) looking to even things out for England again with a partnership of 92, frustrating and angering the Aussies, refusing to go early and easy. A little crumble followed after KP fell though, Paul Collingwood (8) and Ian Bell (1) following the former skipper to the stands in quick succession. But Trott and Prior made sure the Aussies would have nothing to smile about, falling for nothing, no tricks, no quick flashes of disasters or the like, Trott reaching his fifth Tests hundred in the process for England and moving him to second in the highest run scorer lists in 2010 behind India's Sachin Tendulkar.
Bowling: Siddle took three wickets and caught two off Mitchell Johnson on the day, looking like he was the only Australian player to have turned up and in the right mind today. Ricky Ponting made an embarrassment of himself and whatever his side has achieved on the day with his tantrum to the umpires. Just when you thought Siddle and Johnson were clinching on and scrambling back some kind of control for Australia, their skipper and his impatience and impertinence made sure they would have none of it.
Ups: It was everything else but boring, that is for sure. The umpires did a great job in all the ups and downs and controversy, with and without the third umpire and video review, they kept their cool, hats on and doing their job brilliantly and respectfully (unlike one certain skipper). All together, it has certainly added salt onto the hosts' wounds and spice into the whole match and contest.
Downs: I don't like the fact that half the ground ends up empty as soon as things go against the Aussies. Us England fans have and are used to seeing our side down and thrashed often enough through the years (in any sport)but we still stay and sing on. For the first time in decades the same thing is happening to the Aussies and what do they do?! Come on!
Hero to zero: Well, I will give you three guesses who is the booman at the moment. All the posters and newspapers showed his miserable and/or crying face and he underlined that by how he acted today. If Ponting stays on as Australian captain for much longer after this series, I will be very surprised...
Australia v England fourth Test second day as it happened:
Highlights taken from the BBC website:
1st session:
- England 158-0: The sun is shining - no likelihood of four days of rain to save Australia here - as Siddle charges in to Andrew Strauss, facing for the first time today. The England skipper, with plenty of time on his hands, doesn't play anything he doesn't have to and another maiden ensues.
- WICKET, Cook c Watson b Siddle 82 (England 159-1): Australia's first breakthrough as Cook nudges Siddle to Shane Watson at first slip. Is it too late for the worm to turn?
- WICKET, Strauss c Hussey b Siddle 69 (England 170-2): After a single from Trott, Strauss tries to force Siddle to leg, it loops up off the shoulder of the bat and he's caught at gully! (Rather like Tremlett's dismissal of Watson yesterday, if you saw that).
- DRINKS BREAK, England 188-2: "There's a very chilly wind out there," notes Aggers on TMS as he notices the number of people reaching for coats and fleeces at the MCG. That's a maiden over from "Gentle Ben" Hilfenhaus to Trott - and time for drinkies.
- England 226-2: Trott is watchful against Smith, eventually pushing an all-run four to one of those astonishingly long MCG boundaries at mid-wicket. That's lunch - England have scored 69 for the loss of two wickets in this session, and lead by 128.
2nd session:
- England 240-2: NEW BALL AVAILABLE, Australia are a little ragged in the field as KP and Trott plunder three singles from Smith's over. So, will the new cherry enter the fray?
- England 246-2: NEW BALL TAKEN, Ben Hilfenhaus returns to the attack, KP smashes the first ball of the over back past the bowler for four, and the second new ball is then taken. Pietersen defends the sphere nouveau, taking a two off the last ball of the over.
- England 254-2: Trott guides Hilfenhaus for a two and a single, he's up to 44. KP drives fiercely, Hilfy deflects the ball onto the stumps but thankfully Trott had kept his bat firmly grounded.
- UMPIRE REVIEW: Harris spears in one which goes straight through Trott, who is beaten outside off stump as he tries to force the ball to leg. Geoff Boycott on TMS is purring at Harris bowling in his favoured "corridor of uncertainty". Trott stabs a single, KP straight-drives for four to reach 49, then Haddin appeals for a catch behind and Australia invoke the Decision Review System! NOT OUT: Now, did that brush KP's pad? There's certainly nothing on his bat on Hotspot, the ball looked to go between bat and pad. And there's clearly enough doubt for the third ump to signal "not out", and Ricky Ponting isn't happy, having a right go at umpire Aleem Dar. He really harangues Mr Dar - Punter, just accept the decision and move on. I hope the match referee is watching this, as Punter may well end up losing a chunk of his match fee if he continues to harangue the officials like this. He then goes over to have a whinge at the other umpire, Tony Hill! Sorry, Punter, but that's disgraceful. You may have a fractured finger but you should hang your head in shame. England 259-2: That was the last ball of the over, by the way.
- England 261-2, PIETERSEN FIFTY: More and more replays (and Hotspots) are shown - but whether the technology got it right or wrong (and there was enough doubt for the batsman to get the benefit of the doubt), you do not harangue the umpire for that long after a decision, whether you're Ricky Ponting at the MCG or Joe Bloggs on the village green. Even Jim Maxwell on TMS, an Aussie, says "you accept the umpire's decision". Back in the game, Trott adds a single, and Pietersen clips one off his legs to bring up his half century, to the delight of the Barmy Army. But not the Australian crowd, many of whom boo him.
- WICKET, Pietersen lbw b Siddle 51 (England 262-3): Peter Siddle into the attack, KP trapped back on his crease and he walks off before the umpire even raises his finger. The atmosphere at the "G" is quite electric.
- England 270-3: Trott pushes Siddle to leg, Punter gives chase and sends in a return from the long-on boundary, Trott goes for a dodgy third and has to dive for the crease at the bowler's end. It goes up to the third umpire... and it's too close to call. In one frame, Trott is short of the crease and the stumps are intact, in the next frame Trott is home but the stumps are broken. Third ump's verdict... NOT OUT! Punter may well explode.
- DRINKS BREAK, England 277-3, TROTT FIFTY: Trott punches Harris for a single to bring up his half century, then Colly off-drives and Punter (not fielding in the slips because of his fractured finger) is a ball-magnet at the moment, it's following him around the field. They run three. Trott pushes the last ball before the drinks break for three more. Hopefully the drinks cart might bring Punter some cocoa to calm him down a little.
- WICKET, Collingwood c Siddle b Johnson 8 (England 281-4): Mitchell Johnson into the attack in place of Harris, his first ball is wild down the leg side. He bangs in a short ball to Collingwood, who hooks and it's straight down the throat of the man at long leg. That's 10 scores in single figures from his last 12 innings. Oh, Colly...
- WICKET, Bell c Siddle b Johnson 1 (England 286-5): Johnson drops it short, Bell hooks and gets a top edge just like Collingwood... and is caught by Siddle just like Colly was! Great catch though, he really had to run in from fine leg.
- APPEAL - NOT OUT, England 295-5: As if he's trying to replicate the bouncer that removed Colly and Bell, Johnson is banging the ball in all over the place, but when Prior tries to push the ball into the covers, he edges behind to Haddin and is given out. But Prior stays at the pitch after Umpire Dar calls him back - it may have been a no-ball. And the TV replays show... it was a no-ball! And Prior stays! Astonishing scenes - Punter may lose the plot completely here!
- England 304-5: This should be the last over before tea, as Australia fiddle with the field long enough to ensure we'll go past 0410. After a single from Trott, another lovely cover drive from Prior brings him two runs and ends an enthralling session. England lead by 206.
3rd session:
- DRINKS BREAK, England 347-5: Australia persist with Harris even though Peter Siddle, who's been Australia's best bowler today, hasn't bowled since the 95th over and we're now in the 112th... Prior plays out a maiden, and he and Trott (who now averages 88 against Australia) reach the latest drinks break unscathed.
- DRINKS BREAK, England 388-5: Plenty of heart and effort from Siddle, but Trott's unswerving patience ensures another maiden over. Probably the last drinks break of the day...
- England 393-5: Prior begins the "home straight" of day two with a single, Trott despatches a half-volley for four with a fluent on-drive. England lead by 295... and if Australia were to win this Test, it would be a new world record - as the highest first-innings deficit overturned to win a Test is 291 by Australia against Sri Lanka at Colombo in 1992.
- England 400-5: Prior turns Siddle off his legs for a well-run three which takes him to 48, before a marvellous cover-driven four, right off the middle of the bat takes Trott to 125 and England to 400. Rather like yesterday, if you're just waking up in the UK and supporting England... look at the scoreboard and begin the working day with a smile on your face!
- England 404-5, PRIOR FIFTY: Prior latches onto a loose delivery from Smith and smashes it through mid-wicket for four to make sure of his 16th Test fifty. And it's fair to say that from the email reaction his comment has produced, I think Salim at 0610 is on his own with his theory that England may not have a big enough first-innings lead...
- THAT'S A RECORD, England 427-5: Smith takes a rest, Shane Watson is recalled to the attack. Trott helps himself to two with a pull to fine leg, and this is now the highest sixth-wicket Test partnership by England at Melbourne, beating the 140 by Patsy Hendren and Maurice Leyland in 1929. Today's attendance: 67,149.
- CLOSE OF PLAY, England 444-5: Johnson to bowl the last over, and it looks as though he's going to bowl a foot outside off stump with seven men on the off side. Trott won't have anything to do with that. When he does pitch one on the stumps, Trott defends it and Johnson pretends he's going to aggressively throw at the stumps, earning him a pantomime villain-style "boo" from the Barmies. A two off the last ball takes England to 444 - old Shep would be proud. They lead by 346. And that, as they say, is that.
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