Score sheets
Lunch
Australia dropped Johnson and Hilfenhaus and bought in Bollinger and Harris and Ponting won the toss on what looked to be a very well grassed wicket and one which would likely follow the Adelaide trend of producing runs for three days and then increasingly steering the game to a result.
After only thirteen deliveries, Strauss was in that happy position of having disappointed at the toss rewarded by a combination of great bowling and bad judgment. What exactly was Simon Katich thinking about when Watson called him through for what was a comfortable leg bye on Anderson's fourth ball? Whatever it was, his mind wasn't on his job because he was runout by Trott who had the comfort of taking his time to throw down the stumps with as Katich just dawdled in the direction of the batting end and was runout without facing a ball. Ponting came and went next ball, snicking a full outswinger from Anderson to a diving Swann at second slip. Clarke lasted six balls, out at the start of Anderson's second over and Australia were 3-2.
Clarke apparently has worked closely with his captain in the nets this week, accepting Ponting's batting advice. It must have worked because he played the same shot as Ponting and replicated the skipper's catch to Swann at second slip.
Given the need for a score of 400 when batting first at Adelaide (although it didn't help England four years ago), 3-2 isn't the best way to track the big numbers down. Despite that, Shane Watson and Michael Hussey spent the rest of the session gaining control. Hussey had luck again early, as in Brisbane, edging a ball to just in front of Swann off Anderson before he had scored and then hitting a return catch to Anderson - the safest hands on return catches in world cricket - when he was on 3, but soon was back into nudges for singles and well timed cuts and drives. Watson only look vulnerable once, when Anderson bent a ball back into his pads but he survived, rightly, on referral as the ball would have cleared the bails. Other than that, Watson looked very solid in defence and his scoring shots were all controlled aggression, including a big six off Swann over a straightish mid wicket. He continues to be Australia's most potent batting weapon and revels in scoring runs in exactly these situations.
Swann bowled five overs before lunch and although extracting no turn, his flight was higher and pace slower than in Brisbane. Like the Borg, he soon adjusts and his line and length were immaculate. Finn still hasn't consistently found the length to bowl in Australia, often a task much harder for visiting bowlers if they are tall. Broad bowled two impressive spells that were tight without beating the bat but it was Anderson who again was magnificent. His luck was better here but on the day it all runs for him, he'll rip through Australia and its bound to happen at least once this summer.
This Session: Australia fighting back but just win the session.
2nd Test Sessions: England 1, Australia 0, Shared 0
Series Sessions: England 7, Australia 6, Shared 3
Tea
England played very clever cricket in this session. Playing in full realisation that the wicket is in excellent shape for batting and only Anderson is making the ball move, they adopted a plan to stiffle the Australians which was aided greatly by the dissmissal of Watson by Anderson only eight balls after lunch. Watson played a lazy drive at a ball which wasn't full enough and as he had before the break, he squirted the ball in the air, only this time Pietersen was there to take and easy catch awkwardly. It's the shortfall in Watson's game that he gets out so often after moving confidently into his innings and too often close to a break.
With two left hander at the crease, Strauss opted to close them down rather than attack them, particularly as Hussey was batting with such assurance. If it's possible, he seems to have elevated to an even greater level of concentration and therefore England's plan looked well devised. Packing the off side with seven men, five of them in front of the wicket on the range of drive options with two in and three out, Swann bowled all the overs from scoreboard end and Anderson, Broad, Finn and Colingwood shared the other. With two left handers, they were able to settle into a line and wait.
North batted well for more than ninety minutes, timing several drives deliciously through the packed off side and always looking for singles. Swann worried him with his off stump line and he several time let the ball go allowing for spin which wasn't there. In fifteen overs between the breaks, Swann didn't deviate a delivery but used a much fuller length than Brisbane and subtle variations in flight and pace. He kept Hussey and North under pressure and his fifteen overs with ball not spinning only cost 28. It was a masterful display.
As North so often does, he lost concentration to a ball from Finn, who was reintroduced for a few overs before tea and with it sliding past off stump, he flicked the bat at and edged to Prior. His feet did not move beyond his left heel being raised. Enough is enough. Send him back to Shield cricket.
Strauss' tactics were the perfect foil for Hussey's good form but could nothave been executed without a world class display from Swann and Anderson who looks too good for the Australians whenever he bowls. Having lost the toss and taken early wicket, all out attack might have unleased Hussey and allowed north to survive on the narrow sided Adelaide Oval. Instead, he worked away at that aggressive pyschi of Australian batsmen that doesn't like to be tied down. In this case, North survived nearly a session but only 60 were added. Time was used when runs were needed.
England have displayed again their thorough preparation and professionalism. A further note on such is team management and Graeme Swann seeking the advice in Adelaide before this Test from Ashley Mallett. Soem say Swann's greatest asset is his willingness to listen and learn. It shows.
This Session: The late wicket of North gives England the session
2nd Test Sessions: England 2, Australia 0, Shared 0
Series Sessions: England 8, Australia 6, Shared 3
Stumps
For those Australian supporters still clinging to the myths created by the heroics of McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist or even further back into the hope chest, Chappells, Lillee, Marsh, Border, Jones et all, the bad news I have been suggesting was as obvious as the bias in the Channel Nine box in Adelaide today ... we are just about all out of heroes and the ones we have are staggering under the load of the lesser mortals which pad out our XI.
If we put aside the fine batting from Hussey, Haddin and Watson, what's left is as much discouragement as any cricket fan can bear. On a flat Adelaide first day wicket, in hot, still conditions of low humidity, Australia won the toss and collapsed to a visiting English side which not only took all ten of their wickets but did so with such superior tactics it really is hard to see how Australia gets back into this series.
The strangulation of Hussey, delivered in the main by Swann, in the end got the off spinner his wicket. The rejuvenated West Australian had batted with such great patience for two sessions, keeping a close counsel on his off stump against and using his feet to pick off runs straight and through the leg side. However, perhaps it was the nervousness which even strong men experience once ninety is passed but having played only two loose shots in 182 deliveries, a ball from Swann which dropped on him and spun away wide of the off stump drew Husssey in and Collingwood took the catch at slip. The remaining four wickets in this brittle tail only added 38 and Haddin was the major contributor of those. Harris was lbw to Swann, claiming an inside edge and despite a spurious case made by Shane Warne in TV commentary, there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the original decision. Doherty and Haddin got themselves mixed up, probably owing to inexperience. Siddle chipped a catch to Cook on the leg side and Haddin was out in a vain attempt to hit out.
In truth, the wicket played well and had a lot of runs in it but Australia were not good enough to last the distance against a mostly accurate attack, led superbly by Anderson but who success today largely hinged on a superb performance by Swann. After Brisbane, the scoffers pointed to history and the failure off English off spinners in Australia, apparently forgetting by convenience John Emurey and Geoff Miller or the niggardly Ray Illingworth who bought Yorkshire intractability to Australia to match its aggression. Swann's bowling yesterday on a first day belter was nothing short of world class. He showed us the spinner's art is not wholly concerned with ripping turn but has much to do with patience, length, drift and temptation. This was as complete a performance as Warne took down from his top shelf and his tight hold on the Australians was the main reason England succeeded.
Australia dropped Johnson and Hilfenhaus and bought in Bollinger and Harris and Ponting won the toss on what looked to be a very well grassed wicket and one which would likely follow the Adelaide trend of producing runs for three days and then increasingly steering the game to a result.
After only thirteen deliveries, Strauss was in that happy position of having disappointed at the toss rewarded by a combination of great bowling and bad judgment. What exactly was Simon Katich thinking about when Watson called him through for what was a comfortable leg bye on Anderson's fourth ball? Whatever it was, his mind wasn't on his job because he was runout by Trott who had the comfort of taking his time to throw down the stumps with as Katich just dawdled in the direction of the batting end and was runout without facing a ball. Ponting came and went next ball, snicking a full outswinger from Anderson to a diving Swann at second slip. Clarke lasted six balls, out at the start of Anderson's second over and Australia were 3-2.
Clarke apparently has worked closely with his captain in the nets this week, accepting Ponting's batting advice. It must have worked because he played the same shot as Ponting and replicated the skipper's catch to Swann at second slip.
Given the need for a score of 400 when batting first at Adelaide (although it didn't help England four years ago), 3-2 isn't the best way to track the big numbers down. Despite that, Shane Watson and Michael Hussey spent the rest of the session gaining control. Hussey had luck again early, as in Brisbane, edging a ball to just in front of Swann off Anderson before he had scored and then hitting a return catch to Anderson - the safest hands on return catches in world cricket - when he was on 3, but soon was back into nudges for singles and well timed cuts and drives. Watson only look vulnerable once, when Anderson bent a ball back into his pads but he survived, rightly, on referral as the ball would have cleared the bails. Other than that, Watson looked very solid in defence and his scoring shots were all controlled aggression, including a big six off Swann over a straightish mid wicket. He continues to be Australia's most potent batting weapon and revels in scoring runs in exactly these situations.
Swann bowled five overs before lunch and although extracting no turn, his flight was higher and pace slower than in Brisbane. Like the Borg, he soon adjusts and his line and length were immaculate. Finn still hasn't consistently found the length to bowl in Australia, often a task much harder for visiting bowlers if they are tall. Broad bowled two impressive spells that were tight without beating the bat but it was Anderson who again was magnificent. His luck was better here but on the day it all runs for him, he'll rip through Australia and its bound to happen at least once this summer.
This Session: Australia fighting back but just win the session.
2nd Test Sessions: England 1, Australia 0, Shared 0
Series Sessions: England 7, Australia 6, Shared 3
Tea
England played very clever cricket in this session. Playing in full realisation that the wicket is in excellent shape for batting and only Anderson is making the ball move, they adopted a plan to stiffle the Australians which was aided greatly by the dissmissal of Watson by Anderson only eight balls after lunch. Watson played a lazy drive at a ball which wasn't full enough and as he had before the break, he squirted the ball in the air, only this time Pietersen was there to take and easy catch awkwardly. It's the shortfall in Watson's game that he gets out so often after moving confidently into his innings and too often close to a break.
With two left hander at the crease, Strauss opted to close them down rather than attack them, particularly as Hussey was batting with such assurance. If it's possible, he seems to have elevated to an even greater level of concentration and therefore England's plan looked well devised. Packing the off side with seven men, five of them in front of the wicket on the range of drive options with two in and three out, Swann bowled all the overs from scoreboard end and Anderson, Broad, Finn and Colingwood shared the other. With two left handers, they were able to settle into a line and wait.
North batted well for more than ninety minutes, timing several drives deliciously through the packed off side and always looking for singles. Swann worried him with his off stump line and he several time let the ball go allowing for spin which wasn't there. In fifteen overs between the breaks, Swann didn't deviate a delivery but used a much fuller length than Brisbane and subtle variations in flight and pace. He kept Hussey and North under pressure and his fifteen overs with ball not spinning only cost 28. It was a masterful display.
As North so often does, he lost concentration to a ball from Finn, who was reintroduced for a few overs before tea and with it sliding past off stump, he flicked the bat at and edged to Prior. His feet did not move beyond his left heel being raised. Enough is enough. Send him back to Shield cricket.
Strauss' tactics were the perfect foil for Hussey's good form but could nothave been executed without a world class display from Swann and Anderson who looks too good for the Australians whenever he bowls. Having lost the toss and taken early wicket, all out attack might have unleased Hussey and allowed north to survive on the narrow sided Adelaide Oval. Instead, he worked away at that aggressive pyschi of Australian batsmen that doesn't like to be tied down. In this case, North survived nearly a session but only 60 were added. Time was used when runs were needed.
England have displayed again their thorough preparation and professionalism. A further note on such is team management and Graeme Swann seeking the advice in Adelaide before this Test from Ashley Mallett. Soem say Swann's greatest asset is his willingness to listen and learn. It shows.
This Session: The late wicket of North gives England the session
2nd Test Sessions: England 2, Australia 0, Shared 0
Series Sessions: England 8, Australia 6, Shared 3
Stumps
For those Australian supporters still clinging to the myths created by the heroics of McGrath, Warne, Gilchrist or even further back into the hope chest, Chappells, Lillee, Marsh, Border, Jones et all, the bad news I have been suggesting was as obvious as the bias in the Channel Nine box in Adelaide today ... we are just about all out of heroes and the ones we have are staggering under the load of the lesser mortals which pad out our XI.
If we put aside the fine batting from Hussey, Haddin and Watson, what's left is as much discouragement as any cricket fan can bear. On a flat Adelaide first day wicket, in hot, still conditions of low humidity, Australia won the toss and collapsed to a visiting English side which not only took all ten of their wickets but did so with such superior tactics it really is hard to see how Australia gets back into this series.
The strangulation of Hussey, delivered in the main by Swann, in the end got the off spinner his wicket. The rejuvenated West Australian had batted with such great patience for two sessions, keeping a close counsel on his off stump against and using his feet to pick off runs straight and through the leg side. However, perhaps it was the nervousness which even strong men experience once ninety is passed but having played only two loose shots in 182 deliveries, a ball from Swann which dropped on him and spun away wide of the off stump drew Husssey in and Collingwood took the catch at slip. The remaining four wickets in this brittle tail only added 38 and Haddin was the major contributor of those. Harris was lbw to Swann, claiming an inside edge and despite a spurious case made by Shane Warne in TV commentary, there wasn't enough evidence to overturn the original decision. Doherty and Haddin got themselves mixed up, probably owing to inexperience. Siddle chipped a catch to Cook on the leg side and Haddin was out in a vain attempt to hit out.
In truth, the wicket played well and had a lot of runs in it but Australia were not good enough to last the distance against a mostly accurate attack, led superbly by Anderson but who success today largely hinged on a superb performance by Swann. After Brisbane, the scoffers pointed to history and the failure off English off spinners in Australia, apparently forgetting by convenience John Emurey and Geoff Miller or the niggardly Ray Illingworth who bought Yorkshire intractability to Australia to match its aggression. Swann's bowling yesterday on a first day belter was nothing short of world class. He showed us the spinner's art is not wholly concerned with ripping turn but has much to do with patience, length, drift and temptation. This was as complete a performance as Warne took down from his top shelf and his tight hold on the Australians was the main reason England succeeded.
In the months leading up this series I engaged many in discussing the English players and most refused to accept four years of learning had happened for England, or for that matter, four years of Australian decline. Results last summer lulled many into thinking nothing had changed and yet the ICC still held Australia's rank as fifth. That could be in for a change down in January. Anderson is typical of the work English players have put into their preparation since beating Australia last year. They came here to win and have done everything right to achieve this goal.
Today, I'm reminded of HG Wells and his opening lines of War of the Worlds, paraphrased as following:
"No one would have believed, in the first decade of the 21st century, that cricket affairs were being watched from the timeless world of England. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life in English cricket and yet, across the planet, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded these Ashes with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us."
Start making plans Aussie fans because sometime soon, perhaps even before Christmas, you will discover just how many Poms you know, work with or have left seething during these many years since Fat Gat went home with the urn. Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold ... damn if there isn't a chill in the air tonight.
This Session: 5 wickets lost, including a terrible run out ... England
2nd Test Sessions: England 3, Australia 0, Shared 0
Series Sessions: England 9, Australia 6, Shared 3
Today, I'm reminded of HG Wells and his opening lines of War of the Worlds, paraphrased as following:
"No one would have believed, in the first decade of the 21st century, that cricket affairs were being watched from the timeless world of England. No one could have dreamed we were being scrutinized, as someone with a microscope studies creatures that swarm and multiply in a drop of water. Few men even considered the possibility of life in English cricket and yet, across the planet, minds immeasurably superior to ours regarded these Ashes with envious eyes, and slowly and surely, they drew their plans against us."
Start making plans Aussie fans because sometime soon, perhaps even before Christmas, you will discover just how many Poms you know, work with or have left seething during these many years since Fat Gat went home with the urn. Revenge, they say, is a dish best served cold ... damn if there isn't a chill in the air tonight.
This Session: 5 wickets lost, including a terrible run out ... England
2nd Test Sessions: England 3, Australia 0, Shared 0
Series Sessions: England 9, Australia 6, Shared 3
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