CARDIFF, July 11, 2009 (AFP) - Australia saw four of their batsmen score centuries in a Test innings against England for the first time as they took command of the Ashes series opener at Sophia Gardens here on Saturday.
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| Marcus
North |
A stand of 200 between Ashes debutants Marcus North (125 not out) and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin (121), which followed Friday's efforts of 150 from captain Ricky Ponting and 122 from opener Simon Katich, saw Australia to a huge total of 674 for six declared before tea on the fourth day.
Come the interval, England had collapsed to 20 for two - still needing a further 219 runs to make Australia bat again - after Alastair Cook was lbw to Mitchell Johnson and Ravi Bopara fell the same way to Ben Hilfenhaus, with both Essex batsmen playing across the line. However showers followed soon after and no further play was possible
England, with captain Andrew Strauss six not out and Kevin Pietersen unbeaten on three, were then only spared further humiliation by the rain which washed out Saturday's final session and now looks like their best hope of saving the game.
Much had been made ahead of this match of Australia, who won the last Ashes 5-0 in 2006/07, being without retired stars Justin Langer, Matthew Hayden, Adam Gilchrist, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath.
They'd also lost experienced fast bowler Brett Lee to a rib injury 48 hours before the first Test ever played in Wales started.
| Scoreboard |
England 1st Innings 435 (K Pietersen 69, P Collingwood 64, M Prior 56; M Johnson 3-87, N Hauritz 3-95)
Australia 1st Innings (overnight: 479-5)
P. Hughes c Prior b Flintoff 36
S. Katich lbw b Anderson 122
R. Ponting b Panesar 150
M. Hussey c Prior b A’son 03
M. Clarke c Prior b Broad 83
M. North not out 125
B. Haddin c Bopara b Cwood 121
Extras (b9, lb14, w4, nb7) 34
Total (6 wkts dec, 181 overs, 744 mins) 674
Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-299, 3-325, 4-33, 5-474, 6-674
Bowling: Anderson 32-6-110-2 (1w); Broad 32-6-129-1 (2w); Swann 38-8-131-0; Flintoff 35-3-128-1 (7nb, 1w); Panesar 35-4-115-1; Collingwood 9-0-38-1
England 2nd Innings
A. Strauss not out 06
A. Cook lbw b Johnson 06
R. Bopara lbw b Hilfenhaus 01
K. Pietersen not out 03
Extras (w1, nb3) 04
Total (2 wkts, 33 mins) 20
Fall of wickets: 1-13, 2-17
Johnson 4-0-11-1 (1nb, 1w); Hilfenhaus 3-0-9-1 (2nb) |
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