akd545
NormAustralia Once More Holds The Ashes
December 18th 2006 13:08
Ashes 3rd Test (Perth) Day 5 Review
What more needs to be said? It has taken 15 months after one of the most entertaining and nail biting Test series in England for the Ashes to be once more in Australia’s grasp. In the final day’s play, where the batters were hoping to stay on course and a miracle in either their performance of from Mother Nature, they were outclassed once again in this series to lose the trophy in three straight Tests.
Starting the day with Flintoff and Pietersen at bat, and with only 292 runs needed for the unthinkable upset to occur, their was still a lot that could go wrong with Australia’s campaign, and at the start of the first session it was possible that the unthinkable could be a possibility.
Earning a fifth wicket stand of 70, Pietersen and Flintoff were edging closer and closer to their target. But Warne, who like in England was Australia’s key player in their bowling structure, was able to dismiss any notion of a comeback. Drifting the ball under Flintoff’s bat, the bails were up in the air, and with them, the idea of England retaining the little urn.
From their on, it was obvious that England were both physically and mentally defeated. Grabbing the remaining wickets in just 14 runs, it took the Australian’s to just the second ball after lunch to wrap up the Test, and with it the series.
After the Brisbane Test, where England did not look like a mere shadow of their former selves, and Adelaide, where they went in like a lion but left a defeated lamb, Perth was always going to be the defining moment of the series.
A fast paced match, with 21 wickets falling in two days play, three centuries in one day, and an aggressive bowling pattern to combat an batter’s pitch, it held all the ingredients to make one fantastic game.
However it would seem that in Perth, like it has for the summer series so far, that England have been outclassed. Whilst in 2005 it was the two best sides fighting for the most coverted trophy in cricket, this year it was a different story.
Australia have simply been the better side. Their batting has been strengthen with Hussey, Clarke, Ponting, and as we saw in Perth Gilchrist, really hitting their form. Their bowling has been littered with the experience (Warne, McGrath) being complimented by the best the next generation has to offer (Clarke). Warne is a extremely special case here, as he will go into the next Test with the same gusto as today, needing only one more wicket before claiming a record 700 Test wickets in his home town.
They have waited 15 months to reclaim something that many think is rightfully theirs. But they earned it in style. With the demolition in Brisbane, the miracle win in Adelaide, and now the aggressive attack in Perth, it would seem they are ready for any challenge the cricket world has to offer.
Well, maybe not tonight, tonight they might be celebrating.
Until next time, sports minds.
Ashes Third Test (Perth) Scorecard
Australia First Innings (224 all out)
Batter (Out) Runs, Balls, Strike Rate
JL Langer (b Panesar) 37, 68, 54.41
ML Hayden (c Jones, b Hoggard) 24, 33, 72.72
RT Ponting (lbw b Harmison) 2, 11, 18.18
MEK Hussey (not out) 74, 162, 45.67
MJ Clarke (c & b Harmison) 37, 67, 55.22
A Symonds (c Jones, b Panesar) 26, 30, 86.66
AC Gilchrist (c Bell, b Panesar) 0, 4, 0.00
SK Warne (c Jones, b Panesar) 25, 22, 113.63
B Lee (lbw b Panesar) 10, 25, 40.00
SR Clark (b Harmison) 3, 5, 60.00
GD McGrath (c Cook b Harmison) 1, 2, 50.00
Extras 5
Bowling
Bowler, Overs, Maidens, Runs, Wickets, Econ (Extras)
MJ Hoggard…12, 2, 40, 1, 3.33
A Flintoff…9, 2, 36, 0, 4.00 (3 nb)
SJ Harmison…19, 4, 48, 4, 2.52 (1 w)
MS Panesar…24, 4, 92, 5, 3.83
SI Mahmood…7, 2, 28, 0, 4.00
England 1st Innings (215 all out)
AJ Strauss (c Gilchrist, b Clark) 42, 71, 59.15
AN Cook (c Langer, b McGrath) 15, 15, 100.00
IR Bell (c Gilchrist, b Lee) 0, 2, 0.00
PD Collingwood (c Hayden, b McGrath) 11, 33, 33.33
KP Pietersen (c Symonds, b Lee) 70, 123, 56.91
A Flintoff (c Warne, b Symonds) 13, 31, 41.93
GO Jones (c Langer, b Symonds) 0, 4, 0.00
SI Mahmood (c Gilchrist, b Clark) 10, 18, 55.55
MJ Hoggard (c Hayden, b Warne) 4, 39, 10.25
SJ Harmison (c Lee, b Clark) 23, 33, 69.69
Ms Panesar (not out) 16, 26, 61.53
Extras 11
Bowling
B Lee…18, 1, 69, 2, 3.83 (6nb)
GD McGrath…18, 5, 48, 2, 2.66 (4nb)
SR Clark…15.1, 3, 49, 3, 3,23 (1w)
SK Warne…9, 0, 41, 1, 4.55
A Symonds…4, 1, 8, 2, 2.00
Australia 2nd Innings (5/527 dec.)
JL Langer (b Hoggard) 0, 1, 0.00
ML Hayden (c Collingwood, b Panesar) 92, 159, 57.86
RT Ponting (c Jones, b Harmison) 75, 128, 58.59
MEK Hussey (c Jones, Panesar) 103, 156, 66.02
MJ Clarke (not out) 135, 164, 82.31
A Symonds (c Collingwood, b Panesar) 2, 6, 33.33
AC Gilchrist (not out) 102, 59, 172.88
Extras 18
Bowling
MJ Hoggard…20, 4, 85, 1, 4.25
A Flintoff…19, 2, 76, 0, 4.00
SJ Harmison…24, 3, 116, 1, 4.83
MS Panesar…34, 3, 145, 3, 4,26
SI Mahmood…10, 0, 59, 0, 5.90 (1 nb, 2 w)
KP Pietersen…5, 1, 31, 0, 6.20
England 2nd Innings (350 all out)
AJ Strauss (lbw b Lee) 0, 4, 0.00
AN Cook (c Gilchrist, b McGrath) 116, 290, 40.00
IR Bell (c Langer, b Warne) 87, 163, 53.37
PD Collingwood (c Gilchrist, b Clark) 5, 36, 13.88
KP Pietersen (not out) 60, 150, 40.00
MJ Hoggard (b McGrath) 0, 2, 0.00
A Flintoff (b Warne) 51, 67, 76.11
GO Jones (run out (Ponting)) 0, 7, 0.00
SI Mahmood (lbw b Clark) 4, 10, 40.00
SJ Harmison (lbw b Warne) 0, 1, 0.00
MS Panesar (b Warne) 1, 9, 11.11
Extras 26
Bowling
B Lee…22, 3, 75, 1, 3.40 (1nb)
GD McGrath…27, 9, 61, 2, 2.25 (4nb, 1w)
SR Clark…25, 7, 56, 2, 2.24
SK Warne…39.2, 6, 115, 4, 2.92
A Symonds…9, 1, 28, 0, 3.11 (1w)
Australia wins by 206 runs, regains the Ashes winning the series 3-0 so far in best of five. Man of the match – Michael Hussey
What more needs to be said? It has taken 15 months after one of the most entertaining and nail biting Test series in England for the Ashes to be once more in Australia’s grasp. In the final day’s play, where the batters were hoping to stay on course and a miracle in either their performance of from Mother Nature, they were outclassed once again in this series to lose the trophy in three straight Tests.
Starting the day with Flintoff and Pietersen at bat, and with only 292 runs needed for the unthinkable upset to occur, their was still a lot that could go wrong with Australia’s campaign, and at the start of the first session it was possible that the unthinkable could be a possibility.
Earning a fifth wicket stand of 70, Pietersen and Flintoff were edging closer and closer to their target. But Warne, who like in England was Australia’s key player in their bowling structure, was able to dismiss any notion of a comeback. Drifting the ball under Flintoff’s bat, the bails were up in the air, and with them, the idea of England retaining the little urn.
From their on, it was obvious that England were both physically and mentally defeated. Grabbing the remaining wickets in just 14 runs, it took the Australian’s to just the second ball after lunch to wrap up the Test, and with it the series.
After the Brisbane Test, where England did not look like a mere shadow of their former selves, and Adelaide, where they went in like a lion but left a defeated lamb, Perth was always going to be the defining moment of the series.
A fast paced match, with 21 wickets falling in two days play, three centuries in one day, and an aggressive bowling pattern to combat an batter’s pitch, it held all the ingredients to make one fantastic game.
However it would seem that in Perth, like it has for the summer series so far, that England have been outclassed. Whilst in 2005 it was the two best sides fighting for the most coverted trophy in cricket, this year it was a different story.
Australia have simply been the better side. Their batting has been strengthen with Hussey, Clarke, Ponting, and as we saw in Perth Gilchrist, really hitting their form. Their bowling has been littered with the experience (Warne, McGrath) being complimented by the best the next generation has to offer (Clarke). Warne is a extremely special case here, as he will go into the next Test with the same gusto as today, needing only one more wicket before claiming a record 700 Test wickets in his home town.
They have waited 15 months to reclaim something that many think is rightfully theirs. But they earned it in style. With the demolition in Brisbane, the miracle win in Adelaide, and now the aggressive attack in Perth, it would seem they are ready for any challenge the cricket world has to offer.
Well, maybe not tonight, tonight they might be celebrating.
Until next time, sports minds.
Ashes Third Test (Perth) Scorecard
Australia First Innings (224 all out)
Batter (Out) Runs, Balls, Strike Rate
JL Langer (b Panesar) 37, 68, 54.41
ML Hayden (c Jones, b Hoggard) 24, 33, 72.72
RT Ponting (lbw b Harmison) 2, 11, 18.18
MEK Hussey (not out) 74, 162, 45.67
MJ Clarke (c & b Harmison) 37, 67, 55.22
A Symonds (c Jones, b Panesar) 26, 30, 86.66
AC Gilchrist (c Bell, b Panesar) 0, 4, 0.00
SK Warne (c Jones, b Panesar) 25, 22, 113.63
B Lee (lbw b Panesar) 10, 25, 40.00
SR Clark (b Harmison) 3, 5, 60.00
GD McGrath (c Cook b Harmison) 1, 2, 50.00
Extras 5
Bowling
Bowler, Overs, Maidens, Runs, Wickets, Econ (Extras)
MJ Hoggard…12, 2, 40, 1, 3.33
A Flintoff…9, 2, 36, 0, 4.00 (3 nb)
SJ Harmison…19, 4, 48, 4, 2.52 (1 w)
MS Panesar…24, 4, 92, 5, 3.83
SI Mahmood…7, 2, 28, 0, 4.00
England 1st Innings (215 all out)
AJ Strauss (c Gilchrist, b Clark) 42, 71, 59.15
AN Cook (c Langer, b McGrath) 15, 15, 100.00
IR Bell (c Gilchrist, b Lee) 0, 2, 0.00
PD Collingwood (c Hayden, b McGrath) 11, 33, 33.33
KP Pietersen (c Symonds, b Lee) 70, 123, 56.91
A Flintoff (c Warne, b Symonds) 13, 31, 41.93
GO Jones (c Langer, b Symonds) 0, 4, 0.00
SI Mahmood (c Gilchrist, b Clark) 10, 18, 55.55
MJ Hoggard (c Hayden, b Warne) 4, 39, 10.25
SJ Harmison (c Lee, b Clark) 23, 33, 69.69
Ms Panesar (not out) 16, 26, 61.53
Extras 11
Bowling
B Lee…18, 1, 69, 2, 3.83 (6nb)
GD McGrath…18, 5, 48, 2, 2.66 (4nb)
SR Clark…15.1, 3, 49, 3, 3,23 (1w)
SK Warne…9, 0, 41, 1, 4.55
A Symonds…4, 1, 8, 2, 2.00
Australia 2nd Innings (5/527 dec.)
JL Langer (b Hoggard) 0, 1, 0.00
ML Hayden (c Collingwood, b Panesar) 92, 159, 57.86
RT Ponting (c Jones, b Harmison) 75, 128, 58.59
MEK Hussey (c Jones, Panesar) 103, 156, 66.02
MJ Clarke (not out) 135, 164, 82.31
A Symonds (c Collingwood, b Panesar) 2, 6, 33.33
AC Gilchrist (not out) 102, 59, 172.88
Extras 18
Bowling
MJ Hoggard…20, 4, 85, 1, 4.25
A Flintoff…19, 2, 76, 0, 4.00
SJ Harmison…24, 3, 116, 1, 4.83
MS Panesar…34, 3, 145, 3, 4,26
SI Mahmood…10, 0, 59, 0, 5.90 (1 nb, 2 w)
KP Pietersen…5, 1, 31, 0, 6.20
England 2nd Innings (350 all out)
AJ Strauss (lbw b Lee) 0, 4, 0.00
AN Cook (c Gilchrist, b McGrath) 116, 290, 40.00
IR Bell (c Langer, b Warne) 87, 163, 53.37
PD Collingwood (c Gilchrist, b Clark) 5, 36, 13.88
KP Pietersen (not out) 60, 150, 40.00
MJ Hoggard (b McGrath) 0, 2, 0.00
A Flintoff (b Warne) 51, 67, 76.11
GO Jones (run out (Ponting)) 0, 7, 0.00
SI Mahmood (lbw b Clark) 4, 10, 40.00
SJ Harmison (lbw b Warne) 0, 1, 0.00
MS Panesar (b Warne) 1, 9, 11.11
Extras 26
Bowling
B Lee…22, 3, 75, 1, 3.40 (1nb)
GD McGrath…27, 9, 61, 2, 2.25 (4nb, 1w)
SR Clark…25, 7, 56, 2, 2.24
SK Warne…39.2, 6, 115, 4, 2.92
A Symonds…9, 1, 28, 0, 3.11 (1w)
Australia wins by 206 runs, regains the Ashes winning the series 3-0 so far in best of five. Man of the match – Michael Hussey
| 89 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
Comment by charles
ZCars
Ponderous
Charles.