Ashes Day 5: Two-Bits
I was expecting an innings win for Australia but Paul Collingwood lived to do what he claimed he would - bat out the game for England.
Australia could not close what really should have been their game, especially after they ran through England's middle order and had them at 127-6.
It was quite unbelievable really, particularly when Monty Panesar came out to bat and went back unbeaten.
Here are my two-bits from Day 5:
- Graeme Swann was supposed to be the biggest threat to Australia but he failed to pick up a single wicket; his unbeaten 47 and 31 though probably saved the game for England.
- James Anderson managed his 2nd and 3rd highest test score in this match; quite a game to do it in.
- Nathan Hauritz with figures of 6-158 surprised me; what shocked me is that he did a lot better than Swann.
- There was talk before the Ashes that the batting from the tails will probably decide the series. Australia's tail did not get a chance in this match; England's last 4 wickets, on the other hand, added 108 runs in the 1st innings and an unbroken 125 runs in the 2nd.
I'm not sure whether that says more about England's tail or Australia's bowling. - Ben Hilfenhaus is a bowler and a half; I don't see Lee or Clark playing a single game this Ashes.
- Mike Hussey was the only batsman in this match who did not manage to hit a boundary; even Monty managed to hit one!
- Why was Mitchell Johnson not bowled near the end of the England's innings? Was Ponting trying to save some money again by handing the ball to North?
- This was the first first Ashes Test this decade that ended in anything but an Australian victory. The last time this happened, it was Brisbane and it was 1998.
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Q
I can't actually fault Ponting for any of his tactics. Probably one - he had Johnson bowl two overs too many with the new ball.
Johnson was awful the whole day and the way he sprayed the second new ball would have irked Ponting. I couldn't believe he was the supposed leader of the attack.
I didn't have much respect for Collingwood, but his statement pre game in the morning and then going ahead and actually doing it, made me change my opinion about him. Great knock under the circumstances.
Many are commentating post match that England played their worst and yet escaped with a draw. I though beg to differ
England are the one with all the problems. How on that dead pitch they managed to lose 19 wickets, let Aus score 650 + and take only 6 wickets, and come within a whisker of losing the test are some of the issues they need to address.
This English team is capable of much worse and can't wait to watch that unfold :-)
Clarke with a broken back, my bet, with a little chitchat about how he pulled it off at Sydney vs ind - too many good balls from Hauritz, they needed crap from Clarke. Yeah but he went North.
But Panesar's defense was pretty or what
TG,
I don't think England played at their worst.. I think they did pretty well particularly with their first innings score...
I still would have bowled Johnson near the end.
From here i think its only downhill for England.
NC,
I never get why Clarke doesn't bowl more.
I was closely following the match on www.cricjoy.com and all of a sudden the score stucked on 252/9 and i thought rain interuppted the match but in some time i realized that test ended in a draw.I think Eng was little lucky. Thnaks to some brilliant batting by Collingwood. The way he guided his team to a safe draw was something english openers should learn. But anyway it was the cricket that turned out to be a true winner. Every lover wants close matches like this.
Anonymous,
Right you are... Who says draws are boring?
Collingwood played a special innings.. best part was he said he would..
Monty & Collingwood played the innings of their life to pull of a draw for england, as you said they were helped by ponting, who erred in his tactics to not bowl johnson and hilfenhus. Eventhough johnson was look out of sorts, if he can produce 1 good yorker, would have finished the match for Aus.
And boy, the Ashes 2009 has finally arrived, the way the ashes crazy crowd got behind the Monty & anderson, who said test cricket is boring
Just another cricket fan,
you are right abt the innings of their lives.. who would have thought they would survive 11 overs together?