Ashes 5th Test Day 3: Australia on verge of whitewash
Today was a great day of Test cricket and not just because Australia are poised to cleansweep the series tomorrow. The day had everything - attacking bowling, big hitting, sledging in droves, wickets and a lot of English pain. The day kicked off with tight, attacking bowling from England. They dismissed Hussey in the second over of the day and Andrew Symonds struggled to make runs.
Then Australia counterattacked through Gilchrist who motored quickly to a half century. The boundaries flowed - perhaps not as often as in Perth - but enough to wrest the initiative back. Then Andrew Symonds fell for a poor slog on 48, trying to knock up his 50 with a similar shot that brought up his hundred in Melbourne. In came Warne and then things really got lively.
He struck a 4 and a 6 off his first two balls. If Australia hadn't been 30 runs in arrears, you'd have thought they were batting for a quick declaration. Then Warne gloved one through to Read but was given not out. England may rue the lost opportunity but Mahmood had an ideal opportunity to run Warne out shortly afterwards, failing to get back to the stumps with Warne well out of his ground.
After Aleem Dar's reprieve, what followed was a steady torrent of sledging between the English fieldsmen and Warne who directed most of his chirping at first slip Collingwood. The stump mike's were turned up to give us a good listen in. My favourite sledge from Warne was "How's your MBE for getting seven runs?" followed later by "It's an embarrassment!" I don't know what Collingwood has done to raise the ire of the Australians - perhaps just having the temerity to sledge the sledgers!
Tragically, Gilchrist fell on 62, slashing at a wide one and missing the ball but hitting the ground. The slip cordon went up and so did Billy Bowden's crooked finger. I was as crushed as the crowd who booed Bowden at the replay and at the end of the over. It was just before lunch and kept England in the match although Australia already had a first innings lead at the time. It also left Australia at 6 for 260, comparable to England's 6 for 258. There's a big difference between the teams though - our tail can bat.
Warne's score grew as he built a useful partnership with Stuart Clark. Our first innings lead ticked over but Warne also got closer to that treasured milestone - a Test ton. It seemed impossible with 8 wickets down that he'd make it but when he got into the 70's, the possibility loomed. If Warne had gone on to score his maiden century in this his last Test, you'd have to award his scriptwriter a Pulitzer. However, some level of reality was restored when Clark got out. Lacking confidence in McGrath as a batting partner (somewhat unreasonably, he did help Waugh to a century before), Warne was stumped slogging for 71. He'll just have to settle with being Australia's top scorer in the innings.
So Australia were dismissed for 393 giving us a 102 run first innings lead. The difference in the end was the tailenders. Our last 5 batsmen put on 173 - England's last 5 batsmen added 4. Pietersen is right to deride their tailenders (although maybe not in public).
England's innings began poorly. In the third over, Cook played an appalling pull shot off Lee reminiscent of Strauss' ill advised pull shots in the 1st Test. The only thing uglier was Brett Lee clicking his heels after Gilchrist took the skied catch. Bring back the chainsaw, Binger!
Lee then clocked Strauss in the helmet that brought back memories of Justing Langer's concussion at Wanderers. He fell afterwards, LBW to Clark. Bell nicked Lee, Collingwood sliced Clark to gully and the last two recognised batsmen Flintoff and Pietersen struggled to stumps. But any hopes that England might set a worthy total were dashed when Flintoff fell just before stumps. He played and missed to Warne and Gilchrist whipped off the bails. Flintoff's foot was resting on the crease and the 3rd umpire sent him packing.
So with only the tail left and Pietersen unlikely to farm the strike, the Ashes series should end around lunch tomorrow. It will be the last chance to see Warne in action and McGrath and Langer playing Test cricket. A sad day to see the end of Warnie and Pigeon but a 5-nil whitewash will take the edge off.
| Posted by JC on Thu 4 Jan |  11 comments |
Love the banter between Warne and Collingwood. Great stuff. Warnie must have copped some lip when he was batting. Apparently after he'd hit Panesar for six he turned to Collingwood and said "You're making me concentrate!" He is the ultimate true competitor, Warnie, and won't he be missed. Loved it when Gillie stumped Flintiff at the end; went some way to making up for the Pietersen miss off Warnie in the last Test.
And Gillie, why oh why do you walk when you cop dodgy decisions like everyone else! Wouldn't it be nice if the umpires actually said to him "Did you nick that one?". Perhaps a genuie walker deserves such treatment.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-01-04 21:25:26
And Gillie, why oh why do you walk when you cop dodgy decisions like everyone else! Wouldn't it be nice if the umpires actually said to him "Did you nick that one?". Perhaps a genuie walker deserves such treatment.
Posted by Dan Tas on 2007-01-04 21:25:26
Well maaaaaaaaaates, it simply don't get any better than this...
After the bizarre Aussie relinquishment of The Ashes by 2 runs last year on what passes for a 'pitch' over there, the Poms will tomorrow get hammered by my predicted 5-0 for the (remarkably so) first time in 86yrs - saved a few times by weather obviously...
Naturally, the Trafalgar Square parade and MBE hand-outs makes it o-so sweeter - as pointed out by the Sheik of Tweak today to Collingwood.
The Australian Cricket team can lose the next 50 matches straight and it just won't matter.
Forget Bradman, Pele, Schumacher, JFK's shooting, D-Day and Neil Armstrong, just set your recorders and buy the papers to hail and honor of the greatest ever cricket team in the history of the game.
God Bless Pidgeon, Nugget and the Earl of Twirl.
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-01-04 23:16:04
After the bizarre Aussie relinquishment of The Ashes by 2 runs last year on what passes for a 'pitch' over there, the Poms will tomorrow get hammered by my predicted 5-0 for the (remarkably so) first time in 86yrs - saved a few times by weather obviously...
Naturally, the Trafalgar Square parade and MBE hand-outs makes it o-so sweeter - as pointed out by the Sheik of Tweak today to Collingwood.
The Australian Cricket team can lose the next 50 matches straight and it just won't matter.
Forget Bradman, Pele, Schumacher, JFK's shooting, D-Day and Neil Armstrong, just set your recorders and buy the papers to hail and honor of the greatest ever cricket team in the history of the game.
God Bless Pidgeon, Nugget and the Earl of Twirl.
Posted by virtualgaz on 2007-01-04 23:16:04
It feels like Christmas Eve... Santa's coming tonight!!
I think there will be a present in the morning. :)
Posted by Timbo on 2007-01-05 00:12:48
I think there will be a present in the morning. :)
Posted by Timbo on 2007-01-05 00:12:48
"The Australian Cricket team can lose the next 50 matches straight and it just won't matter."
Rubbish we all know if you lose one match you'll stop watching cricket and will not follow your team again until you find another Warne.
You were lucky not to lose 4-1 in 2005 and without Warne and Co. you will lose 5-0 in 2009.
Posted by Jon the Pom on 2007-01-05 00:39:30
Rubbish we all know if you lose one match you'll stop watching cricket and will not follow your team again until you find another Warne.
You were lucky not to lose 4-1 in 2005 and without Warne and Co. you will lose 5-0 in 2009.
Posted by Jon the Pom on 2007-01-05 00:39:30
Lose 4-1 in 2005? It was bad light that saved you at the Oval and your victories were by 2 runs and 3 wickets. I think Australia will still have the wood in England in 2009 as they won't approach the tour with the same level of complacency they did last year. But it will be tougher to take wickets sans Warne/McGrath.
Posted by JC on 2007-01-05 08:06:52
Posted by JC on 2007-01-05 08:06:52
Warne said you were lucky not to have lost 4-1 in 2005 so stop bleating about how close it was. England has lost to a much better side this series you lost to a better side in 2005.
Posted by Jon the Pom on 2007-01-05 10:08:13
Posted by Jon the Pom on 2007-01-05 10:08:13
Jon the Pom: I couldn't disagree more mate. Results in the 2005 Ashes:
* Aus win by 239 runs (Eng spanked)
* Eng win by 2 runs (either way)
* Draw
* Eng won by 3 wkts (very close)
* Draw
THAT IS a close series, in fact England didn't win any one match by a convincing margin (unlike Australia), so you could almost say Australia played better, they just didn't win.
...in other news, Australia have won this series 5-nil.
This is just beautiful, I remember the Barmy Army chanting "5 nil 5 nil 5 nil" at Glenn McGrath when he came in to bowl at the Gabba a couple of months ago.
Oh well, at least the Army aren't going home completely empty handed... they all seem to have nice tans now.
Posted by Timbo on 2007-01-05 12:32:31
* Aus win by 239 runs (Eng spanked)
* Eng win by 2 runs (either way)
* Draw
* Eng won by 3 wkts (very close)
* Draw
THAT IS a close series, in fact England didn't win any one match by a convincing margin (unlike Australia), so you could almost say Australia played better, they just didn't win.
...in other news, Australia have won this series 5-nil.
This is just beautiful, I remember the Barmy Army chanting "5 nil 5 nil 5 nil" at Glenn McGrath when he came in to bowl at the Gabba a couple of months ago.
Oh well, at least the Army aren't going home completely empty handed... they all seem to have nice tans now.
Posted by Timbo on 2007-01-05 12:32:31
I agree with Jon the Pom that England played better in 2005. Australia had a shocker of a tour - we lost to Bangladesh, for goodness sake! But you're also talking tough (5-nil in 2009?!?!) for a team that just got whitewashed.
Posted by JC on 2007-01-05 12:57:50
Posted by JC on 2007-01-05 12:57:50
Timbo it was Warne that said the serires could haev been 4-1 in 2005, so disagree with him.
To everyone else I can only say England have been spanked by a far better side this time and deserved to lose 5-0. Congratulations.
If you lose take it on the chin Timbo and don't lok for excuses.
Posted by Jon the Pom on 2007-01-05 17:47:53
To everyone else I can only say England have been spanked by a far better side this time and deserved to lose 5-0. Congratulations.
If you lose take it on the chin Timbo and don't lok for excuses.
Posted by Jon the Pom on 2007-01-05 17:47:53
Jon the Pom. Sorry mate but thats Warne at his best, psycological sledging and you (along with the English squad) appear to have swallowed it. He built you up with confidence just so he could smash you back down again.
Don't feel bad, that's just what he does. He is the sledging master both on and off the field. He plays the media like a violin!
As for taking it on the chin, I'm not looking for excuses. I accept that we were beaten in the 2005 series, absolutely. It was just a close series (down to a handful of runs and wickets). Thats all I'm saying.
Posted by Timbo on 2007-01-06 12:09:13
Don't feel bad, that's just what he does. He is the sledging master both on and off the field. He plays the media like a violin!
As for taking it on the chin, I'm not looking for excuses. I accept that we were beaten in the 2005 series, absolutely. It was just a close series (down to a handful of runs and wickets). Thats all I'm saying.
Posted by Timbo on 2007-01-06 12:09:13
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