The Ashes - 2nd Test - Days 3&4 Lords

Call me lazy, I'm going to quickly summarise Days 3 and 4 of the 2nd Test. England stuffed Australia out of sight. England batted throughout Day 3, resuming on 31-3, Joe Root went on to score 180 in the 2nd innings, England declared on 349-7, a lead of 582, with Australia needing to bat for almost the entirety of 6 sessions to get a draw, let alone the victory. England ripped through them, the Aussie's batting letting them down again, bowling them out for 231, giving England the victory by 347. Again there was some DRS controversy. Agar was unlucky to be given out for an edge behind with no visible hotspot shown on the replay. Smith caught Bell at Gully and appeared to get both his hands underneath the ball but the 3rd umpire gave it not out. I almost felt sorry for the Australians, they certainly havent been getting the rub of the green in the first two tests.

Day Three Highlights:

Day 4 Highlights:

The Ashes - 2nd Test - Day 2 Lords

This test series is getting ridiculous now.

The second day of a Lords Test is traditionally the easiest time to bat, 16 wickets fell.

Bresnan went first ball of the day but England's tail wagged and Broad and Swann took England up to 361ao, a 1st innings total which looked below par but you can never judge an innings until you've seen the other team bat.

Australia hit the self destruct button.

Watson and Rodgers started brightly until Watson was LBW on the last ball before lunch. Rodgers went soon after lunch LBW to a filthy full toss which slipped out of Swann's hand but then Australia capitulated to a horrendous 128ao with Swann taking a 5 for.

With the game only 5 sessions old, England didnt enforce the follow on but decided to bat again to rest the bowlers and bat the Aussie's completely out of the game.

Peter Siddle gave the Aussies a slight sniff of a chance taking 3 before stumps when England were 31-3 with Root and nightwatchman Bresnan seeing England to the close.

The Ashes - 2nd Test - Day 1 Lords

Another fascinating day.  Australia started like a house on fire, taking 3 wickets in the opening 30 minutes.  England fought back, putting on over 200 for only for loss of Jonathon Trott but an insired move by Clarke to bring on part-time leggie Steve Smith turned the day back in the Aussies favour as he ripped through the middle-order, taking out the well set Bell, who has smashed a third consecutive Ashes century in three tests, Bairstow with a filthy full toss and Prior caught behind.

England sent out night watchmen Jimmy Anderson and finished at stumps on 289-7.  The England tail really needs to wag on Day 2 as this really is a 400-450+ batting surface.

Fair play to the Aussies though.  They've come right back at England, nothing less than we would expect...

 

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 5 Trent Bridge

Get in!

Holy mother of God.  If this test match set the tone for the four remaining in the 2013 home Ashes series, I seriously dont think my heart will take it.

This was an absolutely amazing test match and a similar nailbiting climax to what we experienced at Edgbaston in 2005.

After Anderson had picked off Agar, Starc and Siddle, Australia were rocking at 231-9.  Veteran 'keeper-batsman Brad Haddin was still at the crease, already on 50no with Pattinson.  The pair made an amazing last stand of 65, including Haddin taking 15 off a single Finn over and Pattinson smashing Swann for a huge six over mid-wicket against the spin.

Needing just 15 to win, Anderson run in again to Haddin and he got the slightest nick on the ball through to 'keeper Prior.  Not out said the umpire, England reviewed.  Hotspot showed a tiny spot on Haddin's bat.  Third umpire asked for the audio.  The audio was consistent with the nick on the bat.  Umpire crossed his arms and up went the finger. Haddin was out and England had won by 14 runs.

Thats as good as Test Cricket gets.  Stunning game.  To think we've got four more tests in this series and then 5 more in Australia in the winter, I'm not sure I can cope with the drama.

Jimmy Anderson was rightly MOTM for his 10for (5for in both innings).

The second test starts at Lords this coming Thursday.  In terms of changes, Australia's Ed Cowan is under pressure after two failures with the bat and I fancy him to be replace with David Warner.   For England, Steven Finn looked out of form and is a prime candidate for change but given Lords is his normal home ground with Middlesex, he may get a reprieve.  Otherwise, I'd expect to see him replaced for Tim Bresnan, which would also bolster England's batting line up.
 

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 4 Trent Bridge

Another totally compelling day of cricket.  It swung one way, then another, then another.  This is what test cricket is all about.

England closing in on victory?  Its going to be a nail biting finale.

This test has vision of Edgbaston 2005 the way the momentum is shifting one way then another.

England started the day positively.  Broad flashed at a wide one and the ball flew between 2nd and 3rd slip to reach his 50.  Thunderous standing ovation.  Bell made his century but once Broad edged behind (and walked this time ;), Australia closed out the tail, bowling out England for 375, leaving themselves a large but getable 311 for victory.

The Aussies started tremendously well.  They put on 84 before losing their first wicket, Broad capturing Watson leg before.  Cowan made a scratchy start but fell for a modest 14 then Rogers went just after tea, Anderson bowling a leg cutter which Rogers chipped up to the covers.

Then the turning point.  Aussie skipper Clarke edged behind, huge noise as the ball passed the bat, he followed the ball into Prior's gloves and didnt walk.  Blatant edge.  Umpire gave it out.  He immediately referred it but snicko spotted the edge and that was his wicket confirmed.

End of over.  Swann at the over end ripped one out of the rough into the legs of Smith, huge appeal for lbw and it was 2 in 2 balls.  No referals left, he was gone.  England were looking null and void for a spell but 3 wickets after tea gave them momentum.

Hughes fell lbw to Swann not long after and Australia closed on 174-6.

Its a simple calculation.  Australia need another 137 runs to win.  England need 4 wickets.  England have to be favourites but with Brad Haddin still in with Agar, both results are still possible.  The Australians never give up so it could be an absolute nail biter again.

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 3 Trent Bridge

 

Day 3 turning point...Broad edges to Clarke but doesnt walk...

Another absolutely enthralling day of Test Cricket.  I was plonked on the sofa and didnt move all day.  Was lovely to have the company of my brother for the majority of the day too.

Australia needed early wickets, England needed a solid start.  Cook and KP battled well to see out the second day at stumps and it was essential that they saw out the first hour whilst increasing the scoring rate.

KP batted positively.  His intentions were clear in the first over he faced.  He looked to hit a fullish ball through midwicket only for the ball not to come through as he expected, got a thickish leading edge and it went for four through the covers.  Cook at the other end started slower.  The pair saw out the first hour but then Australia stuck.  KP chopped onto his stumps from a wide ball and Australia's debutant hero Agar claimed the scalp of Cook with a ball that leapt out of the rough and popped up to slip.

In came Bell.  He was a due an innings and he delivered.  At stumps tonight, he remains 95no having batted for 5hr 30mins.  It was epic.  He played straight.  He left everything wide.  He kicked the spinner away from outside leg stump in the rough.  He was magnificent.   He was manfully supported by Matt Prior and later Stuart Broad.  Prior batted positively and was looking in great nick before he toe-ended a short ball to mid wicket.

When Broad came in at 218-6, England led by around 150.  Clearly not enough with two days and another session to come.  Both him and Bell were extremely patient and played every ball with its merit.

The psychological turning point came as England led by 232.  Agar got one to bounce out of the rough to the left-handed Broad and it went straight to Aussie skipper Clarke.  Up they all went in glee...but Broad, for whatever reason, didnt walk.  He walked down the track, done a wee bit of gardening with his bat and went for a chat with Bell at the non-strikers end.  Umpire Aleem Dar remained unmoved and didnt raise the finger.  Did he not see it?  Surely he must have done.  There was a clear sound on TV and Steve and I both knew at home that it was out but Dar somehow didnt give it out.

Howzzaaat?  Not out :)

Unbelievable. Tbh, I'm surprised Broad didnt walk.  Ok, its against the Aussies I know but when you get a massive nick like that, I was brought up to walk.  Had I not walked playing for a club, you can imagine the reaction I would have got.  Having said that, my own team mates would give me stick for walking too.

You cant beat a bit of controversy in an Ashes test.  Some will argue that had the third umpire given Agar out stumped and given Trott not out last night, England would have already amassed a lead of 350 and Australia would have already been out of the game.

At stumps tonight, England lead by 261.  The record 4th innings run chase at Trent Bridge stands at 284-6 when England beat New Zealand in 2004.

For the sake of the game, England need to start Day 4 well and try and get the lead up to 300 and beyond.  With Anderson's reverse swing and Swann's spin, England are just about on top right now.

Absolutely no doubt that the Aussies will still be absolutely livid in their dressing room right now.

I will post up the Day 3 highlights when available.

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 2 Trent Bridge

On Wednesday, I posted on FB who the hell was Ashton Agar.  Well we all bloody know now.

Anderson ripped through the Australian tail in the first hour of Day 2 and Agar game to the wicket at 117-9.  The 19 year old debutant showed both sides exactly how to bat on the surface and hit a record 98 for a debutant at No.11.

Absolutely insane.  For the record, he was incorrectly given Not Out by the third umpire for a stumping chance off the bowling of Swann.  Had that been the case, England would have gone into the second innings with a lead of around 90 but instead they were chasing a deficit of 60odd instead.

You win some, you lose some.  Agar should rightly take all the plaudits.  It was a stunning innings.  I hate to admit it but I felt gutted for him when he fell two short of what would have been a debut century.  Fair play to the lad, he's got a very big future in the game and one thing is for sure...we all know who he is now and he certainly wont bat at No.11 ever again.

Agar put the England bowlers to the sword on Day 2...

 

The Ashes - 1st Test - Day 1 Trent Bridge

Today was the beginning of the biggest sporting theatre of them all.  The Ashes.

Does any sporting contest get any bigger than England v Australia.

Memories of test series after test series of being totally dominated by the Aussies with bat and ball come to mind, the hurt finally ended by the 2005 Ashes series.  Has there been a greater test series?  I doubt it.

Anyhow, after the build up which seems to have gone on forever, the day was finally here.

On a dry abrasive pitch, Alastair Cooke won the toss and opted to bat first.

A mixture of a cracking spell of bowling from Peter Siddle who took a 5for and some poor shot selection from the England batsman saw England lose 6 wickets from a position of 178-4 to 215 all out.  Disappointing wasnt the word.

Click to expand England scorecard

However, you can never judge one innings without seeing the opposition have a bat on the same track.  An inspiration spell of two wickets in two balls from Finn and a world class outswinger from Anderson, pitching on middle and hitting the top of off stump saw both openers and captain Clarke back in the hutch at 22-3.  Australia recovered to a position of 75-4 at stumps.

Click to expand Australia scorecard...

At stumps, you could possibly say that England are still in the strongest position as they've got the runs on the board with the Aussies still140 in deficit, knowing they'll be bowling last on a very dry pitch where reverse swing and Graeme Swann's spin into the rough foot holes will play a major role in determining the result.

Without question, England need early wickets on Day 2.  The weather forecast is of sunshine and good batting conditions, so the last 3 top order batsmen need to be removed quickly before Anderson & co can attempt to clear the tail.  One overnight worry is the fitness of Stuard Broad, who got hit on the shoulder by a short pitched Pattinson delivery which stopped him bowling tonight.  Hopefully, he'll be able to bowl tomorrow otherwise England may struggle.

Absolute key for England is coming out on top in the morning session tomorrow.