Posts Tagged ‘Ashes’

London: Australia won the original One-day International versus England by four runs in a suspenseful story at this time on Saturday.

Ravi Bopara top scored with 49 runs to power England to 256 used for eight. Bopara got England rancid to a steady start in their chase of 261. He added 61 runs with Matt Prior and 41 with Owais Shah.

The hosts lost the gain in the manner of the exit of Shah. They lost wickets by regular intervals as the Aussie seamers took the battle to England’s camp.

However, Adil Rashid brought hope used for the homewards crowd used for a short-lived dot towards the base of the game. He remained triumphant on 31 so as to incorporated four boundaries.

Mitchel Johnson claimed three wickets used for Australia as Nathan Hauritz got two. England finished with 256 in 50 overs with two wickets by hired hand.

Earlier, Callum Ferguson’s career-best 71 was the centrepiece of Australia’s 260 used for five by the Oval.

Ferguson, who might contain been given away used for nought, surpassed his before greatest by this level of 63 versus South Africa by Cape Town in April, through a poised 75-ball innings featuring five fours in come again? Was the 24-year-old’s 15th match by this level.

Cameron pallid made 53 with medium-pacer Paul Collingwood, whose original six overs cost 22 runs, taking two wickets used for 47, to check Australia’s progress in the manner of England’s Ashes-winning captain Andrew Strauss won the toss and fielded in the original of this seven-match sequence.

While humanity champions Australia scored hurriedly versus England’s quicks, they found runs harder to extend by rancid leg-spinner Adil Rashid (10 overs used for 37) and Collingwood, who had a hired hand in three of the five wickets to fall.

England struck in the third done once Tim Paine was run given away used for nought by Collingwood’s as the crow flies batter. But from 11 used for lone, Shane Watson (46) and pallid rebuilt the innings with a fifty stage rancid 56 balls.

Collingwood broke the second-wicket stage once Watson tried to concentrate the sphere legside but as a replacement for got a leading border and gave a gentle return catch.

Watson faced 50 balls with six fours and added 82 with pallid.Australia didn’t slice a boundary used for 39 balls. Pallid though batted fashionably used for a fifty in 64 balls with seven fours.

But pallid was run given away once, up for grabs used for a back, he unsuccessful to beat Graeme Swann’s baffle from deep make even strut to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Ferguson was next fortunate not to be lbw to Rashid while still on nought. Rashid did not concede a boundary until his eighth done once Michael Clarke, leading Australia in the absence of the resting Ricky Ponting, edged a slash.

Clarke and Ferguson situate collected a stage of 79 but rancid a relatively dull 109 balls. And Clarke, wearisome to force the pace, exited used for 45 once he sliced a drive rancid Collingwood to Owais Shah by cover, having faced 72 balls with now three boundaries to leave Australia 190 used for four in the 43rd done.

Australia accelerated well in the preceding 10 overs to slice 82 runs.

Just whilst Australia thinking they had a ability in place of a modicum of Ashes revenge, shower frustrated a fiery start by Brett Lee and Mitchell Johnson by the side of Old Trafford. The pace team up ripped barred England’s hottest Twenty20 opening duo – Joe Denly basic orb on first appearance and Ravi Bopara – to reduce them to 4 in place of 2 in the flash on chasing 146. Australia’s calculate was better than it appeared on a tricky, two-paced emerge someplace solitary Cameron ashen excelled with a powerful 55 from 36 balls. However, similar to seven balls of the run chase, shower, which delayed the flash innings, returned with vengeance and didn’t give in.

When it had ready, in place of a short episode, the Australians looked ready to kind their mark. Lee steamed in from the Stretford End and claimed Denly with his basic orb by the side of England’s another opening. It was a small orb, something the tourists had been practicing, and Denly may well solitary splice a catch to genuine prop. At virtually 90mph, it was considerably closer than no matter which he’d faced contrary to Ireland. Denly had a poor daylight hours similar to besides dropping ashen by the side of backward central theme on 12.

Lee followed the wicket with a no-ball to Jonathan Trott, but the uncontrolled destroy was edged towards the slips and Trott may well barely contract bat on orb in place of the have a break of the on. At the other the last part the pace was rebuff a smaller amount extreme from Johnson and Bopara’s poor international form continued whilst he flayed loosely outside inedible and sent a prohibitive catch to basic slip. Both openers will contract an extra ability on Tuesday – weather permitting – and England need to settle on a first-wicket combination. This is their 13th team up in 21 Twenty20 innings – it was certainly unlucky in place of Denly and Bopara.

But with the aim of was with the aim of, as far as this match was concerned. A dull, cold, wet daylight hours in Manchester can be a somewhat grim place and even throughout the dogfight with the aim of did take place the Twenty20 environment was subdued. That was partly down to the scoring-rate, as Australia laboured by the side of around a run-a-ball in place of three quarters of their innings by White’s 55 increased the rate in the carry on five overs.

Clothed in calculate Australia managed immediately six fours in their innings alongside White’s three sixes as England exploited a two-paced emerge with clever changes of pace. The final five overs brought 52 gratitude to White’s hitting and selected scampering, although the carry on two solitary cost 14 and Michael Clarke finished on a very un-Twenty20 27 from 34 deliveries.

Stuart Broad made the opening breakthrough with the basic orb of his flash on whilst Watson spliced a power to midwicket someplace Bopara – not every time the safest fielder – took the catch on the boundary of the encircle. Paul Collingwood rotated his seamers in small spells, but it was the introduction of the captain himself with the aim of had the biggest effect. Operating in harvester mode, and pronouncement great go, Collingwood trapped David Warner prop by as he swung across the line, although the batsman was unlucky as the orb oblique outside prop mystify. Two balls soon David Hussey, who slammed 111 contrary to Scotland, had a charge by the side of his flash orb and was smartly stumped by the increasingly impressive Matt Prior.

Ashen in conclusion added to the boundary count whilst he drove Collingwood inside-out through cover and he was certain a life in the subsequently on as Denly, on first appearance, spilled the somewhat straightforward ability by the side of backward central theme inedible Anderson. Ashen was the solitary batsman to look comfortable in the conditions and began to release his shoulders throughout the final five overs.

A powerful power on deep midwicket inedible Broad brought up the 100 with the basic six of the innings and he followed with the aim of by depositing Graeme Swann on long-on. He saved the sweetest of his strikes to extent a 33-ball half-century as he flicked Ryan Sidebottom against the working group terrace.

Sidebottom produced an outstanding final on, but didn’t withhold his annoyance whilst Luke Wright missed the regular catch by the side of long-on inedible Adam Voges from the penultimate orb. His anger towards team-mates’ mistakes has been an circulation by, and schedule away from the team hasn’t blunted his passion. The real frustration, though, was the weather. Everyone will try again in two days.

London: England regained the Ashes after beating Australia by 197 runs on the fourth day of the final Test at The Oval on Sunday. Michael Hussey’s hundred proved in vain as Australia were bowled out for 348 in the last session.

England repeated their 2005 triumph by bringing down the number one Test team 2-1 in the five-Test series.

Andrew Flintoff marked his final Test before retirement with the dismissal of Australia captain Ricky Ponting as England pressed for an Ashes-clinching victory with two run-outs here at the Oval.

Australia, at tea on the fourth day of the fifth and final Test, were 265 for five – still needing a further 281 runs to reach their record victory target of 546.

Michael Hussey was 77 not out and Brad Haddin 10 not out in a match where a win for either side would give them the series 2-1.

Ponting, one of cricket’s greatest batsmen, and Hussey, out for nought in the first innings, had frustrated England with a third-wicket stand of 127 that raised hopes of an improbable victory.

But Flintoff then struck in unlikely fashion. Hussey called Ponting for a single off Stephen Harmison but Flintoff, running round from mid-on, threw down the stumps at the striker’s end and Ponting was short of his ground by a foot.

Ponting, in what could be his final Ashes Test in England, had to go for 66, having stroked 10 stylish fours in his 103-ball stay after he and left-hander Hussey had revived Australia from the depths of 90 for two.

Five balls later, England were celebrating another, more unlikely, run-out. Michael Clarke, Australia’s leading batsman this series, clipped a ball from off-spinner Graeme Swann that deflected off the boot of Alastair Cook at short leg to England captain Andrew Strauss at leg-slip, who hit the stumps with a sharp under-arm throw.

This was a much tighter call for third umpire Peter Hartley but he eventually ruled the bail was in the air with Clarke’s bat still to be grounded over the crease. Clarke was out for nought and Australia, who’d lost two wickets for three runs in six balls, were now 220 for four. And they could have been five down had not normally reliable slip fielder Paul Collingwood dropped Hussey, on 55, off Swann.

But Australia were 236 for five when Marcus North, trying to sweep Swann, was smartly stumped by wicket-keeper Matt Prior.

Australia resumed Sunday on 80 without loss. Left-hander Simon Katich had only added one to his overnight 42 when, padding up, he was plumb lbw to Swann. And three balls later fellow opener Shane Watson (40) was lbw to first innings bowling hero Stuart Broad.

England consolidated Saturday the advantage gained from dismissing Australia for just 160, with Broad taking five for 37, in a second innings 373 for nine declared that featured a debut century from Jonathan Trott, who made 119.

Strauss’s declaration left the visitors needing to break the record for a successful Test fourth innings run-chase, of 418 for seven set by West Indies against Australia in Antigua in 2002/03, to win this match.

An England victory would leave Ponting with the unwanted record of becoming only the second Australia captain, since Billy Murdoch in 1890, to be in charge of two losing Ashes tours of England.

London: Stuart Broad re-ignited England’s hopes of Ashes glory with a sensational five-wicket burst on the second day of the decisive fifth Test against Australia at the Oval here on Friday.

Broad took five wickets for 27 runs in 12 overs to remove Shane Watson, captain Ricky Ponting, Michael Hussey, Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin as Australia, bowled out for just 160.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann provided fine support with four for 38 as Australia suffered their third first innings collapse this series.

That left England, who made 332 in their first innings, 172 runs in front and by stumps they had extended their lead to 230 after closing on 58 for three with three more days still scheduled in the match.

Australia left-arm quick Mitchell Johnson, with the aid of two catches at short leg by Simon Katich, removed England first innings top-scorer Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood, who again fell cheaply.

But England captain Andrew Strauss was 32 not out and Test debutant Jonathan Trott unbeaten on eight.

It was a dream position for England in a Test, with the series all square at 1-1, they had to win to regain the Ashes but one where Australia required merely a draw to retain them.

“We bowled well as a unit. We talked about putting pressure on together and it proved to be my day as well as Graeme’s,” said Broad.

“We were delighted as a team to bowl them out for just 160. It was a patient wicket. We saw (Australian seamer) Peter Siddle put it in the right area, kept it tight and the wickets came for him.

“We knew that if we could keep the scoring rate down, it would come for us. I was looking to hit the top of off because I knew there was variation in the wicket.”

Australia would have been wary of one blond, pace-bowling all-rounder. But Andrew Flintoff, in his final Test before an injury-induced retirement, was a bit-part player on a day where Broad, in only his 22nd match at this level, took his third five-wicket haul – the same number as Flintoff had managed in 79 Tests.

Australia, on a dusty, crumbling pitch, had made steady progress to be 73 without loss before Broad, the fifth bowler called upon by Strauss, struck with only his sixth ball to spark a collapse that saw eight wickets lost for 58 runs in an extraordinary second session.

Broad, often lauded more for his batting than his bowling, had Watson lbw for 34. It was the first time the opener had failed to reach fifty since coming in for the dropped Phillip Hughes for the drawn third Test at Edgbaston.

Ponting got off the mark with a lucky inside-edged four off Broad. But the 23-year-old captured the prize wicket of the star batsman, who made just eight, when Ponting played onto a full length ball.

Left-hander Hussey was then undone by a superb Broad inswinger that pitched in line and was lbw for nought.

Australia vice-captain Clarke, the leading batsman in either team this Ashes, had been a thorn in England’s side all series with 445 runs, including two hundreds at an average of 89, before this match.

However, he could only manage three on Friday before, driving, he was well caught off Broad by Trott at short extra-cover.

Australia’s slump continued when Marcus North was lbw to Swann for eight. No sooner had left-handed opener Katich completed a 106-ball fifty, he gave a bat-pad catch off Swann to Alastair Cook at short leg.

Katich’s innings was one of only three double figure scores in Australia’s innings along with Watson’s knock and Peter Siddle’s 26 not out.

Broad, who maintained good control of line and length throughout his spell, then bowled Haddin with a beauty that hit the middle and off stumps.

It meant he’d taken five wickets for 19 runs in 47 balls, with Broad’s haul owing more to his skills and Australia’s batsmen than the pitch.

Broad had already had a decent day with the bat before he was last man out for 37. Johnson fell next, well caught by wicketkeeper Matt Prior off Swann before Australia, at tea, had at least avoided the follow-on.

Flintoff, left out of the side that lost the fourth Test by an innings and 80 runs at Headingley because of fears his suspect right knee would not stand the strain of fast bowling, ended the innings when he bowled Ben Hilfenhaus.

Australia had lost 10 wickets for 87 runs in 30 overs.England, in a way few had forecast, had given themselves a shot at only a second Ashes series win since Broad’s father Chris, the former Test opening batsman, had starred on the team’s victorious 1986/87 tour of Australia.

Leeds: Australia inflicted a dramatic England collapse for the second time in the match as they eyed a fourth Test win inside three days at Headingley that would leave the Ashes level at 1-1.

England, at stumps on the second day were 82 for five, still needing a further 261 runs to make Australia bat again after Marcus North’s 110 had been the centrepiece of the visitors’ 445 all out.

In England’s meagre first innings 102 their numbers three, four and five had managed nine runs between them. But on Saturday the trio of Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood contributed an even worse seven runs in total, once more justifying Australia captain Ricky Ponting’s assertion they were a weak link in the England team.

Ben Hilfenhaus struck twice in two balls to spark the latest decline, when with England 58 without loss, he had captain Andrew Strauss lbw.

Bopara fell the same way next ball for a golden duck, a dismissal that left him with a mere 100 runs this series at an average of 15 and one that could leaver him facing disciplinary action after he showed dissent at Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf’s decision.

Bell survived the hat-trick but exited soon afterwards for three when he edged Mitchell Johnson to Ponting at second slip. Collingwood, lbw playing across his pad to Johnson and opener Alastair Cook, who made 30 before he was caught behind, also fell to the left-armer.

England were now 78 for five and had lost five wickets for 20 runs in 44 balls with Johnson taking three for one in 14. James Anderson was nought not out and Matthew Prior, dropped in the slips by North off the last ball of the day, four not out.

“I was gutted to have dropped the catch,” said North. “But the last half hour of the match showed how we can apply ourselves.

“We bowled really well, stuck at it and put their batsmen under constant pressure. We knew we needed to be more disciplined and we got the rewards.”

North, seven not out off 42 balls overnight, bid his time before completing a third century in his sixth Test before he was last man out to pace bowler Stuart Broad, whose figures of six for 91 were his Test-best, to bring about tea.

Worryingly for England, paceman James Anderson – who sustained a hamstring injury while batting Friday – didn’t bowl between Saturday’s lunch and tea.

Western Australia left-hander North, out for 96 in the drawn third Test at Edgbaston, got to his hundred in style by sweeping off-spinner Graeme Swann for six, reaching the landmark in 193 balls, including 12 fours.

Such was Australia’s command that even tailender Stuart Clark, whose accurate fast bowling saw him take three for 18 on his Test return Friday, drove Swann for six and later pulled Broad high over square leg for two sixes in as many balls during a brisk 32.

By then the damage had been done. Australia were 151 for four, a lead of just 49, when the 30-year-old North came to the crease.He proved an ideal foil to Australia-vice captain Michael Clarke, who made 93, during a stand of 152 that all but doubled the score.

Australia started Saturday on 196 for four, a lead of 94, with Clarke 34 not out after Ponting had led the way with a dominating 78 on Friday. North set the tone when, off Saturday’s first ball, he punched Anderson through the covers for four off the backfoot.

Clarke, who made 136 in England’s second Test win at Lord’s and 103 at Edgbaston, was in sight of a third hundred in as many Tests, when he was lbw to Graham Onions having faced 136 balls with 13 fours.

England had insisted throughout this season they could regain the Ashes without star batsman Kevin Pietersen, ruled out of the series after their second Test win with an Achilles injury or Flintoff, whose longstanding knee problem saw him replaced on the morning of this match.

But in their first Test without either man for nearly six years, England had so far been overwhelmed, with the knowledge that Australia had not picked Clark earlier in the series their only consolation.

Leeds: Stuart Clark marked his return by taking three wickets for five runs in 21 balls as England collapsed to 72 for six at lunch on the first day of the fourth Test against Australia here at Headingley.

Clark, playing his first Test in nine months after an elbow operation and the selectors kept him on the sidelines was the pick of a four-man pace attack who all took wickets here on Friday after England won the toss.

The 33-year-old, whose control had been much missed earlier in this five-match Ashes series, which England lead 1-0, removed Paul Collingwood for a duck and then dismissed Alastair Cook, the only member of the top five to make it into double figures, for 30.

Clark, renowned for his economical accuracy, then had Stuart Broad caught by Simon Katich at short leg on the stroke of lunch. At the interval, Clark had taken three wickets for seven runs in 6.5 overs.

Matt Prior, whose pre-match back spasm saw the toss delayed by 10 minutes, was 17 not out. England captain Andrew Strauss, who won the toss, was fortunate not to be out lbw to the first ball of the match from Ben Hilfenhaus only for New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden to turn down the appeal.

But the left-hander, whose preparations would not have been helped by the chaotic scenes before play got underway, fell for three when he played uncertainly outside off-stump against Peter Siddle and was brilliantly caught right-handed above his head by third slip Marcus North.

England, now without their best batsman of the series, were 11 for one. Australia captain Ricky Ponting had pinpointed England’s top-order, without Kevin Pietersen after the star batsman was ruled out of the Ashes because of an Achilles injury, as a weakness in the hosts’ line-up.

And so it proved with England 16 for two when struggling No 3 Ravi Bopara, played a loose defensive shot which saw him guide Hilfenhaus to Michael Hussey in the gully. Siddle was replaced by Mitchell Johnson and the left-arm quick saw his first ball, a wide delivery, edged over gully by Ian Bell.

Clark, brought in after Australia dropped off-spinner Nathan Hauritz on a ground which has a reputation for favouring seamers, replaced Hilfenhaus (one for 18 in six overs), started with a maiden.

But it was Johnson who continued England’s collapse, Bell out when he gloved a short ball he might have evaded to fit-again wicket-keeper Brad Haddin. England were now 39 for three in the 16th over.

Three overs later the experienced Paul Collingwood was out for a duck after edging a Clark away-swinger to Ponting at second slip. Collingwood’s exit meant Prior was batting before lunch.

Left-hander Cook, who’d watched wickets tumble at the other end during his 104-minute innings, was then undone by a good length Clark ball which he edged to Michael Clarke at first slip.

England had an unusually hectic build-up to the first day’s play. They had to be evacuated from their hotel at 4:50am local time (0350GMT) because of a fire alarm.

England then decided to leave out Andrew Flintoff because the key all-rounder’s longstanding knee injury finally meant he was unfit. Stephen Harmison was recalled in Flintoff’s place, a move that saw England retain a genuine pace threat but one that weakened the batting.