Posts Tagged ‘Australia’

VADODARA: Persuasive rivals India and Australia will resume their cricketing rivalry as they function into the head One-dayer on Sunday with the injury-hit hosts fully aware with the intention of a string triumph in the seven-match rubber would propel them to the add up to single location.

The Indians will furthermore be perceptive to designate amends in lieu of their Champions Trophy debacle as they take on the planet champions in come again? Promises to be a thrilling contest of nerve and skills.

Though flamboyant Virender Sehwag has returned to bolster the Indian top-order, Yuvraj Singh is not likely to take the playing field in lieu of the series-opener by the side of the Reliance Stadium.

Australia are in super form having clinched the Champions Trophy title, which followed an impressive 6-1 beating of England while the Indians allow not quite lived upto expectations in contemporary time.

The hosts were knocked comatose of the Champions Trophy by the side of the league stage everywhere they may possibly control completely single win.

India allow finished well in the keep on link of years and would take inspiration from the statement with the intention of they had beaten Australia in their own den as soon as they clashed keep on in a One-day string.

But India allow a less-than-impressive One-day log in bilateral string in contradiction of Australia by the side of at home, having won seven and lost 12 of their 23 encounters larger than the years.

It will, therefore, be a sort of revenge string in lieu of both teams as prior to India’s victory in Australia, the visitors had outclassed the hosts 4-2 in their keep on best-of-seven contest in this territory two years past.

Sachin Tendulkar’s form is crucial to India’s fate. He was instrumental with an victorious ton and a slash of 91 through India’s historic triumph in the VB Series Down Under.

With a line up of Tendulkar, Sehwag, Gautam Gambhir, Suresh Raina and Dhoni, the at home team’s batting is their strength.

Ponting has already sounded wary not far off from the strength of India’s batting line-up led by Tendulkar and the fit-again Virender Sehwag by the side of the top by calling it “formidable”.

Bowling is a good interest in lieu of India afterward a lacklustre performance in the Twenty20 World Cup as well as the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

Ishant Sharma, who has struggled to bring back the sort of rhythm and haste with which he rattled even a vast batsman like Ponting on India’s keep on visit to Australia, is under pressure.

The bowling attack has been re-arranged with the inclusion of Munaf Patel in lieu of R P Singh to support the in-form Ashish Nehra and Ishant. Praveen Kumar and Sudeep Tyagi are the other two pacers in the running.

The spin administrative area, which would restrain the important in the inner overs, is spearheaded by off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who needs to come up to up with a better performance than his haul of three wickets in seven matches in the prior string involving these two teams to designate an effect.

Leg spinner Amit Mishra is the back-up in lieu of Harbhajan if built-in in the before a live audience eleven.

The poor bowling performance in two ICC actions has led to the sacking of bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad and it would be appealing to see to it that how the team copes up with the alteration in their support personnel.

All the rage form chief Ponting and secondary captain Michael Hussey restrain the important to the Australian batting , not to disregard all-rounder Shane Watson who has come up to to India on the back of successive hundreds in the semi-final and final of the Champions Trophy.

Ponting is aware of the threats posed by the Indian slow down bowlers especially in junior continent conditions but is sure with the intention of his batsmen would be up in lieu of the challenge.

Australia would cash in leading their strong pace attack, and especially on Brett Lee who powered New South Wales to the maiden Champions T20 League title keep on night.

Lee and left-arm pacer Mitchell Johnson gang a set of punch in their attack and were in the forefront as soon as India were routed in lieu of 148 in the prior run into involving the two teams by the side of this venue two years past.

With the impressive Peter Siddle, the Victorian who furthermore has got used to the Indian conditions by before a live audience in the CLT20, and swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus submit as the other options, Australia have a vast pace armoury.

Spin looks to be their weak location with neither inedible spinner Nathan Hauritz nor recruit left-arm slow down bowler Jon Holland probable to confer the Indian batsmen cause in lieu of major doubts.

But in the administrative area of fielding the visitors restrain a clear-cut verge larger than the hosts. Fielding coach Robin Singh has furthermore been particular the riding boot by the BCCI and this area may perhaps be converted into vital in the outcome of the high-octane contest.

Teams (from):

Australia: Ricky Ponting (captain), Michael Hussey (vice captain), Doug Bollinger, Nathan Hauritz, Jon Holland, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Shaun Marsh, Tim Paine, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Shane Watson and Cameron fair.

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (captain), Virender Sehwag, Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Ishant Sharma, Munaf Patel, Ashish Nehra, Praveen Kumar, Amit Mishra, Sudeep Tyagi, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja.

Umpires: Point Benson and Shavik Tarapore.

Third umpire: Amish Saheba

Match Referee: Chris Broad

Hours of play a part: 9 am to 12.30 pm; 1.10 pm to close.

VADODARA: Australian boss Ricky Ponting could give agreed a thumps down to the inspiration of a seven-match One-day run, but his Indian counterpart Mahendra Singh Dhoni thought the span of the current run would allot the teams an opportunity to bounce back.

Ponting, on his arrival to India, had questioned the logic of before a live audience a long run, adage with the intention of it was fractious to keep up focus if a team had already wrapped up the rubber.

“This is a long run which gives us an opportunity to turn up back into the run. Whichever border loses the at the outset hardly any games give ample moment in time to turn up back. It is worthy to fool around fair cricket right through,” Dhoni thought by the side of the pre-match media consultation.

“It’s not like a five-game or four-game run everywhere you win the at the outset three and the game is in your hands,” he thought.

Dhoni thought a large amount of the Indian players were fit to fool around but a decision on the team constitution would be taken merely tomorrow. He thought Yuvraj Singh would unquestionably be fit to fool around the succeeding match by the side of Nagpur on October 28.

“I won’t comment on tomorrow’s before a live audience eleven. Yuvi will fool around the succeeding game, that’s instead of clearly,” he thought.

“Most of the guys are fit. Most guys are transportation small niggles but not major injuries. You can’t sort out much whilst someone gets injured while batting or bowling throughout practice sessions, which are so intense.”, he thought.

“That’s part and pack. If you step injured often in a little moment in time span, followed by you are unlucky,” Dhoni thought.

The Indian boss thought they sort out not give the “luxury” to get to in with five bowlers like Australia and hoped part-timers would sort out the job.

“We give often relied on the part-timers. They give contributed, especially in a state of affairs like this everywhere they could step assistance from the wicket. That’s single point in the mind but to comment fair in a jiffy is too ahead of schedule,” he thought.

“All rounders are very crucial. If you give a fair all rounder you can fool around with five specialist bowlers. They give with the intention of luxury. They give a border which has got the better talent whilst it comes to all-rounders,” he thought.

Dhoni felt with the intention of though fast bowlers did tremendously well instead of India in their final Test run by the side of home-grown critical of Australia, the One-day scenario was changed.

“It’s a completely changed globe game. The globe is changed, a white globe. With the red globe reverse swing comes in and the span and line (to bowl) is changed. Zaheer’s not at this point which is a cause,” he thought.

“Last moment in time the fast bowlers did a heroic job but by the side of the same moment in time spinners’ performance was as well heroic. Even part-timers got wickets. The state of affairs and scenario are as well very changed,” the wicket keeper batsman thought.

Dhoni felt the wicket prepared instead of the game by the side of the Reliance Stadium would not crack as much as it did in the final ODI played at this point, sandwiched between India and Sri Lanka.

“Right in a jiffy there’s a little stickiness. It’s an ahead of schedule start. You will give to catch a glimpse of conditions tomorrow. There will be a reasonable amount of dew on the ground by the side of this moment in time. It looks a fair track and it seems it will not break up as much as it did the final moment in time we played at this point,” Dhoni thought.

About his own minor injury on Friday, sustained whilst he faced speedster Munaf Patel in the achieve session, Dhoni thought he was feeling much better. “Today I’m a bunch better.”

Asked on the subject of the verity with the intention of significant Australian bowlers, like pace spearhead Brett Lee give acclimatised to the conditions by before a live audience in the Champions League, Dhoni preferred to look on the other aspect.

“It has agreed them fair experience. But by the side of the same moment in time it can be thought they are a tad exhausted. Yesterday as well they played a game. It will depend on the answer. If they step a fair answer you can think they got fair practice. If not you can say they got exhausted,” he thought.

Dhoni refused to step into a discussion more the sacking of the bowling and fielding coaches – Venkatesh Prasad and Robin Singh – prematurely of the run behind they had been part of the support team instead of two years.

“We give a coach. (Gary Kirsten). We are tiresome to sort out whatever we can with the untaken resources”, he thought.

Dhoni reiterated with the intention of his team was not anxious on the subject of the ICC rankings.

“I give thought often with the intention of we concentrate on before a live audience fair cricket and with the intention of takes carefulness of the ratings,” he thought.

CENTURION: India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is looking into the open to an improved performance from his team in a crucial match not in favor of impressive Australia in the Champions Trophy on Monday.

India on track their campaign on an unimpressive memo, putting in below-par bowling and batting displays to lose their opening game not in favor of arch-rivals Pakistan by 54 runs on Saturday.

Pakistan are in a strong arrange to qualify representing the semi-finals from the four-team Group A, having won their matches not in favor of India and the West Indies. Australia retain won their at the outset match, while the West Indies are winless.

The top two sides advance to the last-four.

India looked a pair of quality bowlers dumpy not in favor of Pakistan, who gained a bulky gain subsequently reorganization 302 in the day-night match on a accomplished batting pitch. Left-arm seamer Ashish Nehra unaccompanied impressed, last with 4/55.

“We didn’t bowl well. I tried whatever we had, but the captain can’t really walk off and bowl. At the come to an end of the day of the week, the bowlers retain to walk off and bowl,” thought the Indian captain.

“It’s all in relation to adapting to conditions. We be supposed to retain adapted to the conditions. We possibly will retain ready a assortment better. Frankly speaking, I concept I was dumpy of three bowlers. I didn’t know who to fork to.”

The Indian bowlers cannot afford to retain any more off-day as defending champions Australia retain a strong batting line-up.

Australia’s depth in batting was on point of view in their opening match not in favor of the West Indies on a fractious track in Johannesburg on Saturday, anywhere they managed to get through to 275/8 subsequently being 171/7 by the side of single stage.

Skipper Ricky Ponting top-scored with an impressive 79, but it was lower-order batsman Mitchell Johnson who boosted the entirety with a rapidfire 73 not given away.

“It was particularly strict come off first on. It was a fractious wicket, so to get a hold so as to sort of entirety was accomplished up for grabs,” Ponting thought subsequently the match.

“The batsmen did a pretty accomplished job and Johnson finished things inedible pretty well representing us and individuals runs proved imperative in the game.”

The pitch by the side of Centurion is projected to favour batsmen more than fast bowlers as Pakistan showed not in favor of India on Saturday, with Shoaib Malik scoring a cool century and Mohammad Yousuf making an 88-ball 87.

Australia are likely to province the same section so as to beat the West Indies by 50 runs, with batsman Michael Clarke still fishy due to a back nuisance.

India, already devoid of pitch batsman Yuvraj Singh due to a finger injury, will plus need to bat better not in favor of Australia having superb fast bowlers in Brett Lee and Johnson.

Teams (from):

India: Mahendra Singh Dhoni (Capt.), Sachin Tendulkar, Gautam Gambhir, Rahul Dravid, Suresh Raina, Yusuf Pathan, Harbhajan Singh, Praveen Kumar, Ishant Sharma, Ashish Nehra, Rudra Pratap Singh, Amit Mishra, Dinesh Karthik, Abhishek Nayar, Virat Kohli.

Australia: Ricky Ponting (Capt.), Michael Clarke, Callum Ferguson, Nathan Hauritz, Ben Hilfenhaus, James Hopes, Michael Hussey, Mitchell Johnson, Brett Lee, Tim Paine, Peter Siddle, Adam Voges, Shane Watson, Cameron pallid.

Umpires: Tony knoll (NZL) and Billy Bowden (NZL)
Television umpire: Asad Rauf (PAK)
Match judge: Jeff Crowe (NZL)
Match Name: Champions Trophy 9th ODI
Teams: India v Australia
Venue: SuperSport Park, Centurion
Time: 1800 IST
Channel: Star Cricket

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.

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.

Most assumed England would take a series lead into Headingley, but only the true believers considered a 2-0 scoreline possible. In a match that has seen five-and-a-half sessions lost to rain, light and a water-logged outfield, England have somehow found enough time to exploit Australian frailties to the point where the most improbable of victories is now within view, albeit still some way off in the distance.

A 113-run first innings lead, reduced to 25 by stumps, and a positive weather forecast for Monday have provided England with a realistic chance to land a potential knockout blow in the series. It is difficult to imagine a besieged, unbalanced and out-of-sorts Australian side scrambling from the canvas if faced with a two-game deficit with two matches to play, and England will arrive at Edgbaston for the final day acutely aware that early wickets could prove the defining moment in reclaiming the Ashes after a two-year absence.

Standing in their path is an Australian batting line-up two-wickets down and short on confidence following first innings collapses at Lord’s and Edgbaston. Exempt from that list is Shane Watson, the rookie opener, who followed an impressive first innings half-century with an unbeaten 34 on Sunday evening that grew in importance with each falling wicket. He will be joined by the less convincing Michael Hussey who, despite battling for form, clawed his way to 18 not out and steadied the Australian ship in a tense final session.

Australia will draw inspiration from their stoic, though ultimately unsuccessful, fourth innings performance at Lord’s as they seek to bat out the final day, while England will be buoyed by more recent performances. In both innings of this Test, the Duke has swung from around the 30-over mark, and with 28 on the ball already and cloudy conditions forecast, James Anderson and Graham Onions will be relied upon heavily.

Victory at Edgbaston set England on course for a famous series triumph four years ago, and while circumstances and certain cast members differ this time around, the white-knuckled expectancy of the vociferous crowd was distinctly similar. Onions’ dismissal of Simon Katich to a prod outside off-stump prompted roars that rattled the foundations of the Eric Hollies Stand, and Graeme Swann’s removal of Ricky Ponting, fast assuming pantomime villain status on this tour, evoked a response that might have been detected by seismologists half a world away.

Swann posed a threat to Ponting from the moment he marked centre, extracting significant turn from the footmarks and veering the ball sharply into the right-hander. The England spinner was aggrieved to have had a close lbw appeal turned down by Rudi Koertzen, but rediscovered his trademark grin two deliveries later as Ponting pushed with hard hands at a wider delivery that found the rough, angled through the gate and crashed into the stumps. Since his sparkling 150 in Cardiff, Ponting has managed scores of two, 38, 38 and, as of Sunday, five. Australia’s batting fortunes have charted a similar course to date.

Earlier, Stuart Broad struck a dashing half-century and engaged in several heated exchanges with Mitchell Johnson during a furious conclusion to England’s first innings. The pressure and tension of this most eagerly contested Ashes series bubbled to the surface in the 88th over of England’s innings, as Johnson attempted to break through the defences of Broad and Swann.

Johnson engaged in verbal confrontations with both batsmen before claiming Swann’s wicket with a deft slower ball; a result that might historically have ended the argument and prompted an England retreat. But in a telling insight into the growing confidence within the hosts’ camp, Broad responded two balls later with a back-foot drive and a toe-to-toe confrontation that will no doubt have delighted red-top editors in both countries. The over cost Johnson 15 runs. England’s lead extended.

Broad’s resistance ended when he spooned a return catch the way of Peter Siddle for a well-struck 55, but his was not the half-century most discussed around the pubs and loungerooms of Birmingham on Sunday. That innings belonged to Andrew Flintoff, who added one more Edgbaston memory to an already rich anthology with a half-century that featured a powerful six to draw England level with Australia’s first-innings total, followed by a boundary to overtake it.

At the very ground on which he notched his highest Test score in 2004, and earned Man-of-the-Match honours against the Australians four years ago, Flintoff displayed indomitable intent from the outset by engaging Johnson in verbal combat – a precedent his junior all-rounder would follow later in the day – before channelling his aggression towards his batting.

Siddle and Watson bore the brunt of Flintoff’s powerful stroke play, releasing much of the pressure created by Ben Hilfenhaus and Johnson in the first session. Siddle, as has become custom on this tour, interspersed testing inswingers and seamers with too many loose deliveries to concede 47 runs from an erratic seven-over spell. Watson, meanwhile, was set upon from the outset; his comeback spell in Test cricket yielding the unflattering figures of 0 for 23 from three overs.

Flintoff was particularly strong on the drive and pull, and raised the roof at Edgbaston when he bashed Nathan Hauritz into the long-on boundary rope for his first six of the innings. Hauritz exacted a measure of revenge by having him caught at first slip for 74 (from 79 deliveries), but not before Flintoff had guided England past Australia’s first-innings total and beyond the 300-run mark.

Prior to Flintoff’s 89-run sixth-wicket partnership with Matt Prior, Australia had enjoyed the better of proceedings on a fourth morning delayed by an hour due to a sodden outfield. Hilfenhaus’ dismissals of Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood were Australia’s primary highlight-reel moments in the first session, but Johnson’s two-over burst prior to the lunch break was arguably the greater source of optimism. Australia’s selectors have gone to extraordinary lengths to accommodate him this series, ranging from pep-talks to the inclusion of an insurance seamer in Watson for Edgbaston, and their faith appeared on the way to being repaid.

His first delivery was full, fast and tailing into Bell, who, if not for the faintest of inside edges onto his pad, might well have been pavilion-bound. Johnson finally got his man when he trapped Bell leg-before as part of a five-over spell of 1 for 12. But much of the good work was undone when, in the confrontational atmosphere of Sunday afternoon, he resorted to his short-length of old and conceded 47 runs from his final seven overs, the majority to Broad and Swann.

Australia’s late innings problems were compounded when Hilfenhaus’ swing-bowling powers were sapped with the taking of the second new ball. With no one to apply the pressure, England’s tail wagged again and Australia, who earlier on Sunday had entertained notions of a first innings lead, were faced with a triple-digit deficit and a near impossible task to level the series heading to Leeds.