Fourth Ashes Test, Headingley, Day Three

Sports - Cricket - Ashes

My picks of the third day:

England survived until lunch thanks to an impressive batting innings and partnership by Stuart Broad (61) and Graeme Swann (62). But the inevitable defeat came shortly after lunch, Mitchell Johnson completing the third five wicket haul of his career and finishing off England, who were well and truly beaten by an innings and 80 runs.

Run of Play: Advantage to...

1st session, England 245 for 8 (200 behind) at lunch: Australia, as the only "worry" for them was if England could avoid an innings-defeat.

2nd session, England 263 all out, Australia beat England by an innings and 80 runs: Australia for dashing even that little hope, thrashing England by over an innings.

Partnerships: 108 runs between Stuart Broad (61) and Graeme Swann (46): A little spree of just 78 balls - 73 runs of the partnership coming from just 5.3 overs - added at least a bit of fun and smiles to the English faces, even if the result was clear and inevitable, one way or the other. After James Anderson and Matt Prior fell early to Ben Hilfenhaus, caught at slip and behind respectively, the match could have ended within the opening hour.

Bowling: Johnson got the five-wicket haul Peter Siddle denied Hilfenhaus, who ended up with four. Siddle knicked a wicket, having Broad caught at backward square-leg and ending an entertaining, but in the big picture, meaningless partnership. Johnson then finished England off having Swann caught behind and Graham Onions bowled, knocking the off-stump over and England out. The Aussies were the stars, Johnson and Hilfenhaus especially, without a doubt, dazzling England out of the park. 

Ups: The England fans got to see more batting and entertainment from the England bowlers than from the top order on the previous day. At least a little bit entertainment during the great depression - the fourth Ashes test.

Downs: Will England be able to get back from this? I know, it is only 1-1, but with the Aussies on fire and England in the dumps, I am not to sure they will be able to get the win they require to regain the Ashes.

Hero to zero: Everyone keeps saying this could not and would not have happened if Kevin Pietersen and/or Andrew Flintoff would have been fit to play, but I do not think so. Stop moaning and start looking: These Aussies, on fire the way they were in this test, would have wiped out KP and Freddie just alike - especially because both have been and shown only a fraction of their best over the last year-or-so.

Fourth Ashes Test, Headingley, Day Two

Sports - Cricket - Ashes

My picks of the second day:

Australia comfortably added 249 runs to their total for their last six wickets on day two of the fourth Ashes Test at Headingley, Stuart Broad finishing off the lower order with four wickets on the day. That left England trailing by 343 runs and reeling once again after they ended the day five wickets down for only 82 runs, leaving no doubt whatsoever, they will be heading to the Oval needing to win the final test if they want to regain the Ashes, unless a miracle can happen.

Run of Play: Advantage to...

1st session, Australia 306 for 5 (204 ahead) at lunch: Australia after enjoying a comfortable morning, no threat whatsoever.

2nd session, Australia 445 all out (343 ahead) at tea: Australia after losing their last five wickets for "only" 142 runs but still being on top.

3rd session, England 82 for 5 (261 behind) at the end of day two: Australia after shattering any hopes for England of producing a miracle-saviour innings.

Partnerships: 

- 152 runs between Michael Clarke (93) and Marcus North (52): England once again could not get the line and length right, giving Clarke and North enough space to place their strokes and proceed play as comfortably as they had the day before. Clarke eventually fell lbw to a Graham Onions' yorker after achieving a marvelous 96 from 138 deliveries. 

- 70 runs between Marcus North (37) and Mitchell Johnson (27): After Brad Haddin got caught out with a premeditated shot for only 14, North and Johnson brought more frustration to and runs against the home side. The short pitch finally paid off against Johnson, who put the ball down Ravi Bopara's throat and was caught for 27 off 53 deliveries. North completed his second century of the series in style, smacking the ball for six and capitalizing of a wary England attack like he had enjoyed all day. He fell for 110, giving Anderson an easy catch and Broad his sixth wicket with Australia finishing the innings 445 all out. 

- 58 runs between Andrew Strauss (17) and Alastair Cook (32): Coming out after tea trailing by 343 runs, it left England with more than just a mountain to climb. Australia started too straight, giving Strauss and Cook a start and creating a glimmmer of hope that England would at least not get thrashed by an innings - but that was not of long last after the skipper fell lbw to a terrific length delivery by Ben Hilfenhaus. One can always dream - all nightmares for England in this test match though with the Aussies on fire.

Bowling: Stuart Broad will have hopefully shut up all the critics who were calling for his head after he completed a five-wicket haul and was the only bowler to create a threat with figures of 91 runs off 25.1 overs with six maidens and 6 wickets. James Anderson looked the most vulnerable, uncomfortable and was the most expensive at 5.5 runs per over. Steve Harmison stayed out of line, length and sorts. Hilfenhaus and Johnson showed them up again, taking five wickets between them by the end of the day - the two completing in not even a couple of hours what took the five England bowlers over a day's play!

Ups: Broad's 5er - would have obviously been celebrated more and louder under different circumstances. But I was still happy and cheering for him, have to grant him that much, especially after all the criticism, threats and calls for his place he had to take lately.

Downs: The poor lbw decision against Bopara just reflected and completed England abysmal couple of days. Made me think of the Dr Pepper advert, "What's the worst that could happen?" - my answer to that: just look at England the last couple of days!

Hero to zero: England - I do not want to pick on an individual because I feel the whole side was a letdown. They will have to dig deep if they want to escape from this with the Ashes urn.

Fourth Ashes Test, Headingley, Day One

Sports - Cricket - Ashes

My picks of the first day:

Australia could not have dreamt up a better start on the first day of the fourth Ashes test at Headingley. After losing the toss and being put out to field, the Aussies ripped England into bits getting them six wickets down by lunch and eventually all out for only 102, Peter Siddle crowning the bowling lineup with five wickets for just 21 runs. England recovered somewhat by getting four wickets by the end of the day, but will need a nigh-on miraculous session on day two, to stay in the match.

Run of Play: Advantage to...

1st session, England 76 for 6 at lunch: Australia for shattering chaotic England to bits, they could not have dreamt of a better start after losing the toss.

2nd session, England 102 all out, Australia 69 for 1 (33 behind) at tea: Australia for ending England's misery quickly and smashing any hopes away of similar bowling success for the home side.

3rd session, Australia 196 for 4 (94 lead) at the end of day one: England will be a little bit happier after taking much-needed and crucial wickets, overall-advantage still goes to Australia though.

Partnership: 119 runs between Shane Watson (51) and Ricky Ponting (78): They played with England, boundary, after boundary, after boundary, whilst the home side looked like amateurs, not knowing where to put or do what, bat and ball. No question, England were outplayed and can be happy the Aussie captain had an absent moment and gave away an lbw after narrowly getting away from a run out the previous ball. Andrew Strauss showed his frustration and aggrevation, stomping across the field, telling off his bowlers and pointing them out the obvious, they have been disastrous, positioning his fielders like a net around them to avoid a total thrash-bash.

Bowling: Every bowler starred for Australia, chipping in with wickets: Peter Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Mitchell Johnson with one each and Stuart Clark with three before lunch before Siddle swept the England tailend off the field with four more, to complete the high-five for the fast-medium bowler. All ten wickets were caught, reflecting England' insecurity and shambles with the bat, going for every ball, falling for every trap and Australia's dominance with the ball, getting most out of the swing and bounce and placing the balls spot-on.

The opposite applied for the England bowlers. They seemed to have learnt nothing from their downfall, bowling too short and giving the Aussie batsmen plenty of food to chew on and enjoy and get boundary after boundary after boundary. Steve Harmison and James Anderson were the most expensive and ineffective bowlers at a run rate of around 4.5, the prior disappointing most after a promising start when he started aggressively and got Simon Katich caught out on his third ball making it 14 for 1.

Stuart Broad formed the biggest and nearly only threat after that, getting the ball spot-on, snatching a couple of lbws which finally saw captain Ricky Ponting out for 78, 140 for 3, and Mike Hussey for a spicy 10, leaving Australia at 151 for 4. That was after Graham Onions had got the breakthrough and Watson out lbw after he had reached his half-century, the second wicket for 133, which broke the flourishing partnership and left England hoping that will be the last one for Australia.

Ups: That the horror-day has finally found an end for England at stumps. All joy for Australia, even if England got a couple of wickets in the end, thehome side were made to look like total amateurs, not having a clue where is what and how. Thank god, the day has ended!

Downs: Everything, England's batting - if you can call it that, England's bowling and even England's fielding at times, leaking runs and letting Australia off because they feared to be thrashed. This has been the worst day for England these Ashes so far, like the second day of the last test was for Australia.

Hero to zero: After all the hype and calls for Harmison's recall, he utterly disappointed, groping for consistency, to no avail, bowling some horrific deliveries and expensive overs. Apart from his early wicket, I could not stop shaking my head, although he was not the only disappointment of England's bowling lineup.