The Hindu : Sport : Australia finds the going tough

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 13, 2005

Sport

Sport

Australia finds the going tough

Ted Corbett

MANCHESTER: Troubles piled deeper around Australia on Friday as its No.5 batsman Michael Clarke was again unable to field with back trouble and sent back to the hotel after treatment.

He is already out of the third Test against England until at least five of the Australian first innings batsmen are out since he has taken no part since the second over of the match.

While he was being treated Brett Lee and Jason Gillespie had gone for more than 100 runs each in an England score of 444 and Shane Warne for 99.

Fielding improved

Australia's fielding improved today compared with the first day but that is not saying a lot. A forecast of heavy rain for the third day meant that, the first draw of the series was in the offing.

England batted until 10 minutes after lunch; fluently while Flintoff and Jones were together before the remainder collapsed and the last four wickets fell for 11 runs in 25 balls.

England should have made more but a big shot late on the first day by Michael Vaughan, the captain, and Flintoff just before lunch today were both unnecessary and prevented a total of 600. In Flintoff's case — and in Pietersen's on the first evening — big shots are part of their lives and sometimes they go wrong.

But Vaughan? What was he thinking about. Answers on a postcard please to Geoff Boycott.

Ian Bell, who had played with restraint on day one, was caught behind after another of umpire Steve Bucknor's delayed action confirmations without adding a run but he has won the Boycott seal of approval for playing a proper Test innings and so he should. In time he will be a considerable Test batsman.

We thought that Geraint Jones might not fulfil the hopes of the selectors when they dropped Chris Read 18 months ago and committed themselves to Jones but today he played with measured aggression while Flintoff cut loose. Two shots by Flintoff stand out in their pleasant stand: both controlled punches down the ground for four not unlike the astonishing stroke played by Pietersen.

Falls apart

As for the Australians, they simply fell apart in front of our eyes, although Warne, who finished with four for 99, was still a master among also-rans. McGrath failed to take a wicket in 25 overs, Gillespie bowled Jones but racked up 114 runs in 19 overs — and 43 in four — and Lee, who had begun brightly, performed more like a man who has been in hospital, spilled runs like a drunk with a tray of drinks. Before Flintoff gave his wicket away — and gave Warne his 150th victim against England — it looked as he and Jones might drive the score to 550 but Warne's control kept Australia in the hunt.

Thirty runs — and a difficult caught and bowled chance to Hoggard from Hayden — came in the first six overs. Australia taking all the runs available on a pitch that a batsman can call Nirvana. Vaughan had to get Flintoff to put his vast hand in the broken dam before too much water escaped. Flintoff combined his bowling with a second job of crowd control when there was too much movement behind him. The other spectators, who think everything their hero does is touched with magic, cheered lustily. Hoggard, a candidate for the drop when England thought about including Chris Tremlett, also produced a controlled first spell but fifty came in the 13th over.

Two overs later Vaughan put Jones on at the Warwick Road end, but whipped him off after a maiden over and put on Giles. It was an inspired move. Bowling into a stiff breeze Giles had two appeals against Langer before Bell at short leg snatched a catch as the ball passed him, a reflex as keen as anything taken off Warne by David Boon 10 years ago.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Sport