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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