The Ashes - England v Australia 2009

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Australia tour of England 2009

Fixture

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Duck hits Vaughan''s Ashes prospects

LEEDS: Michael Vaughan''s hopes of a return to the England line-up in time for the Ashes series against Australia suffered a severe blow on Saturday when he was out for a fourth ball duck in Yorkshire''s county match against Sus+++.

Heavy overnight rain delayed the start of the match until 4.10pm and Yorkshire''s decision to bat after winning the toss quickly appeared imprudent as Jacques Rudolph and Vaughan fell to Cory Collymore in successive overs from the West Indian.

Both went after edging Collymore deliveries to Ollie Rayner at first slip.

Bad light brought a halt to proceedings with Yorkshire having recovered somewhat at 58-2.

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Ashes series to begin today

CARDIFF: The 2009 Ashes series starts in Cardiff today as the battle between two of cricket’s fiercest rivals gets set to rage once again.

Geo Super will telecast all matches of the series live.

The series started way back in 1877 and, of the many memorable series over that long stretch of time, five really stand out. England’s last Ashes victory and what a dramatic success it was.

England had not won the Ashes since 1987 and were always going to be up against it in this series against the world’s top team.

But the hosts emerged triumphant .Andrew Flintoff playing an integral role with bat and ball, winning 2-1 with the other two Tests drawn.

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England win toss, bat against Australia in Ashes opener

CARDIFF: England captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and elected to bat against Australia in the first Ashes Test at Sophia Gardens here Wednesday.

Geo Super will telecast the match live from Cardiff.

England left out seamer Graham Onions and batsman Ian Bell from their squad of 13 and opted to play both spinners in Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar on a Cardiff pitch expected to take turn.

They welcomed back Andrew Flintoff for his first Test of the season after a knee injury saw him miss the home series against the West Indies.

Australia fast bowler Brett Lee''s withdrawal on Monday because of a rib muscle injury meant they went into this match with none of their attack having played a Test in Britain before.

They selected both swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Hauritz, even though the off-spinner''s two wickets on tour so far had cost 260 runs.

Experienced seam bowler Stuart Clark was omitted from the side and named as 12th man.

Australia hold the Ashes after whitewashing England 5-0 on home soil in 2006/07. But when the Ashes were last played in England, in 2005, England won the five-Test series 2-1.

This match was the first Test ever to be played in Cardiff although one-day internationals have been staged here before, notably in 2005 when Bangladesh, in one of cricket''s greatest upsets, beat Australia.

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Australia strike first Ashes blows

CARDIFF: Mitchell Johnson struck twice as Australia got their Ashes defence off to a fine start by removing England''s top three before lunch on the first day of the first Test at Sophia Gardens here on Wednesday.

England, who''d won the toss, were 97 for three at the interval after the exits of Alastair Cook, captain Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara.

Left-arm quick Johnson, the spearhead of Australia''s attack in their 2-1 series win in South Africa earlier this year, had taken two wickets for 37 runs in nine overs and Ben Hilfenhaus a miserly one for 17 in 10.

Kevin Pietersen was six not out and Paul Collingwood five not out.

When fast bowler Brett Lee was ruled out Monday with a rib injury it meant Australia, who thrashed England 5-0 in 2006/07, would go into this match with none of their pace attack having before played in an Ashes Test.

They opted for Hilfenhaus instead of the more experienced Stuart Clark, who has played English county cricket, and also chose off-spinner Nathan Hauritz.

England made sedate early progress on a slow pitch in what was the first Test ever played in Cardiff. But Hilfenhaus struck in the eighth over thanks to brilliant fielding from Mike Hussey.
Left-hander Cook (10), playing loosely away from his body, saw Hussey hold a brilliant one-handed catch in the gully as he dived to his right. England were now 21 for one.
Bopara, making his Ashes debut, was then hit second ball in the throat by first-change Peter Siddle, who was getting more out of the pitch than the new-ball duo, and he got off the mark thanks to a fortunate inside edge.

But Bopara, who''d scored hundreds in his last three Tests, all against the West Indies, did strike several elegant boundaries.

However, when it seemed Bopara was settling in, the Es+++ batsman was hit on the head by a Johnson bouncer. But it was Strauss, who''d looked assured while making 30, who was out to a well-directed bouncer from Johnson when, after taking his eye off the ball, the left-hander gloved to Michael Clarke in the slips.

And just when it seemed Bopara would bat through to lunch, his topsy-turvy innings of 35, featuring six fours, came to an end when he spooned a catch off Johnson to Phillip Hughes at point.

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Pietersen and Collingwood defy Australia

CARDIFF: Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood kept Australia at bay with an unbroken century stand as England got through the second session of the first Ashes Test here Wednesday without losing a wicket.

At tea, England were 194 for three with both Pietersen and Collingwood having made responsible fifties to be 52 not out and 50 not out respectively.

Their stand was worth 104 after they''d come together with England faltering at 90 for three.

The pair knew all about building a big partnership after sharing an England fourth-wicket record against Australia of 310 at Adelaide in 2006/07.

Pietersen twice drove Ben Hilfenhaus through extra-cover for resounding boundaries shortly after lunch but his innings had so far featured just three fours in all.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting, after 31 overs of seam bowling, eventually turned to Nathan Hauritz.

The off-spinner had been selected for this match despite his two wickets on tour so far costing 260 runs.

Pietersen and Collingwood then proceeded to score steadily against Hauritz (none for 41 off 15 overs) as they rebuilt the innings.

Hauritz only looked like taking a wicket when Pietersen charged down the pitch before being saved from a possible stumping when the ball hit his pads.

Left-arm spinner Michael Clarke, primarily a batsman, came on at the other end as Ponting looked to give his quicks a breather. Clarke almost bowled Pietersen around his pads, the ball missing leg-stump by a whisker.

England went 21 overs between boundaries before Collingwood ended the drought with a couple of square cuts off Hauritz and Pietersen followed up by driving Clarke to long-off.
Before lunch, Australia''s pace trio battled hard to overcome a placid pitch. When fast bowler Brett Lee, a veteran of 76 Tests, was ruled out Monday with a rib injury it meant Australia, who thrashed England 5-0 in 2006/07, would go into this match with an attack where all the bowlers were making Ashes debuts.

They were given a boost thanks to a brilliant catch by Mike Hussey. Left-hander Alastair Cook (10), playing loosely away from his body against Hilfenhaus, saw Hussey hold a diving one-handed chance in the gully.

Ravi Bopara was then hit second ball in the throat by lively first-change Peter Siddle, unlucky not to take a wicket, and he got off the mark thanks to a fortunate inside edge. But Bopara, who''d scored hundreds in his last three Tests, all against the West Indies, did strike several elegant boundaries.

However, he was also hit on the head by a Mitchell Johnson bouncer.

England captain Andrew Strauss, who''d won the toss, looked secure while making 30. But it was the left-hander, not Bopara, who fell to a well-directed bouncer from Johnson which he gloved to Clarke in the slips.

And then Bopara''s uneven innings of 35, featuring six fours, came to an end when he spooned a catch off Johnson to Phillip Hughes at point.

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England 152-3 v Australia

CARDIFF: Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood restored England''s fortunes after the loss of three early wickets on the opening day of the first Ashes test against Australia on Wednesday.

Midway through the afternoon session, England were 152 for three with Pietersen on 34 and Collingwood on 32.

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England reach 194 for 3 at tea in 1st Ashes test

CARDIFF: A century stand by Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood helped England fight back from losing three early wickets as it reached 194 for three at tea on day one of the first Ashes test against Australia on Wednesday.

England got through the afternoon session without losing a wicket as batting conditions became easier than in the morning, when the pitch was quicker and bouncier. Pietersen was 52 not out and Collingwood was on 50.

The duo batted patiently after the loss of Alastair Cook for 10, Andrew Strauss (30) and Ravi Bopara (35) before lunch when England had slumped to 90 for three. Collingwood required 125 balls to reach his half-century.

This was evident in the way Collingwood''s cut for four against off-spinner Nathan Hauritz was the team''s first boundary for 20 overs, as they had instead ran regular ones and twos. Their stand was worth 104 at the interval.

Pietersen appeared to temper his natural aggressive play and his off-drive for four 20 minutes before tea was his first boundary for 24 overs. He reached his half-century from 95 balls.

Earlier, Ben Hilfenhaus struck the first blow when a short delivery wide of off stump was steered by Cook towards the gully, where Mike Hussey hung on to a catch after diving to his right. The score was then 21 for one.

Next over, Bopara was given an aggressive introduction to Ashes play when struck on the grille of his helmet with his second ball, from a Peter Siddle bouncer. He was hit again on the shoulder later in his innings.

Australia''s short-pitched tactics paid off when a Mitchell Johnson bouncer to captain Strauss was gloved to first slip. Bopara was then defeated by a Johnson slower ball that he mi++++ to point.

Australia is seeking to retain the Ashes after thrashing England 5-0 in the 2006-07 series, following England''s 2-1 win in 2005.

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Aussies 249-1 versus England at end of 2nd day

CARDIFF: Unbeaten centuries from Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting have put Australia in a strong position at the end of the second day of the first Ashes Test.

The pair were brought together 30 minutes before lunch when England - and Andrew Flintoff in particular - had their tails up.

Flintoff has removed opener Phillip Hughes for 36 when his inside edge was caught behind by wicketkeeper Matt Prior to cap a spell of hostile short bowling.

But Katich and Ponting used all their experience to ride the storm before making hay as the day progressed.

Opener Katich was first to reach his century and finished unbeaten on 104 after a dogged display of batting.

Ponting then eased to a 38th career century before finishing unbeaten on the landmark from just 155 balls.

After starting the session on 142-1, the in-form duo added another 107 runs to leave the tourists on 249-1 at close of play.

Earlier in the day, Australia wrapped up England''s first innings for 435 after some spirited lower order batting.

Stuart Broad was bowled around the legs by Mitchell Johnson after a quick-fire 19 alongside nightwatchman James Anderson.

Anderson added 26 runs of his own before being caught by Mike Hussey off the bowling of Nathan Hauritz.

But Graeme Swann was the hero of the morning session for England as he clubbed his way to an unbeaten 47 with some superb shot-making.

The spinner was only denied a half-century when 11th man Monty Panesar was caught by Ponting in the slips off Hauritz, who finished with figures of 3-95.

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Anderson at the double for England

CARDIFF: James Anderson took two wickets with the new ball and Monty Panesar finally saw off Australia captain Ricky Ponting as England fought back on Friday''s third morning of the first Ashes Test.

Australia, at lunch here at Sophia Gardens, were 348 for four in reply to England''s first innings 435, a deficit of 87 runs.

Ponting, exactly 100 not out overnight, fell shortly before the break for 150 when, trying to force left-arm spinner Panesar through the offside, he bottom-edged into his stumps.

His 38th Test hundred spanned more than five hours and saw Ponting face 224 balls with a six and 14 fours.

Australia had been scoring steadily, and in largely untroubled fashion, until the advent of the new ball.

Simon Katich had extended his maiden Ashes hundred to 122 when his near five-and-a-half hours of resistance came to an end.

The left-handed opener was hit on the boot in front of his stumps by an Anderson full toss and given out lbw by West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove.

In all, Katich faced 261 balls with 12 fours and put on 239 for the second wicket with Ponting.

New batsman Michael Hussey, hit on the helmet by a Flintoff bouncer, never looked comfortable during his brief stay. And when he limply edged Anderson to wicket-keeper Matt Prior for three, Australia were 325 for three.

Michael Clarke was 19 not out and Marcus North unbeaten on nought at lunch. There were seven overs until the new ball was available when Australia resumed on 249 for one.

Even when the new ball arrived, it took a while for England''s fortunes to improve. Anderson''s first delivery with the new ball was poorly directed and Ponting helped it on its down to fine leg for four.

At the other end Flintoff came on, to huge cheers from England fans willing the all-rounder repeat his Ashes heroics of 2005. But his first delivery Friday was so wide wicket-keeper Matthew Prior had to dive in front of first slip to take the ball.

It wasn''t quite as bad as Stephen Harmison''s first ball of the 2006/07 Ashes, which Flintoff held at second slip, but it was not what England wanted to see and nor was the sight of Ponting hooking a Flintoff no-ball for six.