Bat and ball / Ed Hawkins / 23 August 2009 / Leave a Comment

England set Australia a seemingly impossible target to chase but Ricky Ponting's men have got off to a great start. Stuart Broad, Graeme Swann and Andrew Flintoff will be amongst those trying to make sure it's no more than that. Simon Goodley talks us through it all.

WICKET 5.51 Aus 348 all out
That's it! Hussey caught Cook at short leg off Swann, who finishes with four wickets. England have regained the Ashes. Marvellous.

WICKET 5.37 Aus 343-9
First ball! Clark goes, caught Cook at short leg. Harmy on a hat-trick to win the Ashes. Surely that's never happened before?

WICKET 5.35 Aus 343-8
Siddle goes. Leading edge off Harmy and dollies up to Flintoff at mid-off. Went straight to him, bless him. Big Fred doesn't look as though he's planning to move much in the field. Bet he does in the bar later though.

WICKET 5.19 Aus 327-7
Miracle! Not only does Harmison finally chip in, but he gets Johnson caught in the slips by Colly - who had dropped three chances earlier today. The Test is [1.75] to finish tonight.

WICKET 5.12 Aus 327-6
Haddin goes, caught Strauss off Swann for 34. I said he looked like he had a boat to catch. Came down the wicket and skied it to the skipper at deep(ish) mid-wicket. Not a great shot, but a nice moment for Swann and Strauss. There's still some free money available, too. England are [1.08].

4.58 Aus 315-5
Billy Cooper - the Barmy Army trumpeter - has been blasting away all day following his one match ban from Headingley. The Yorkshire club really did get its knickers in a twist over crowd behaviour and, despite worthy intentions, just came over as a bunch of killjoys. That view wasn't helped by Yorkshire CCC chief exec Steve Regan, who told the press: "We've put together a series of measures to ensure that those people who want to watch cricket are not disrupted by those who are simply there to have a good time." I think I know what you mean, Steve.

4.40 Aus 300-5
Hussey goes to his ton - his first for almost a year. The boys in the comentary box (and Portuguese Pirate) are describing it as "career saving" - which may be a touch over the top. Maybe nickname saving as Mr Cricket might have become Mr State Cricket for a bit. Anyway, Haddin is playing as though he has a boat to catch and has just been dropped by Onions, who is on as 12th man and doing a fine impression of his county colleague Colly. England just need one wicket here and they're into the tail.

4.25 Aus 279-5
New nut taken. But will it work? It didn't last night. Broad has it and it looks like Anderson at the other end.

4.10 Aus 270-5
The Ginger Bopara's shocker continues. He's been taken off after one (pretty respectable) over. Poor Colly. Swann on instead. England have still not taken the new ball.

4.05 Aus 266-5
Well, that's a shock. Collingwood - the "Ginger Bopara" who's having a shocking day having dropped three catches - has been given the old ball for the first over after tea. It must be to keep him out of the field. Anyway, new ball now available.

TEA 3.42 Aus 265-5
Another good session for England (if slightly freakish with those two run outs) and this might even be wrapped up today. It's [2.00] to end tonight or [2.20] in the first session tomorrow, but the odds on me now having a cuppa and a biscuit are far lower.

3.27 Aus 246-5
If your bank manager said give me £100 and I'll give you £105 back by tomorrow at the latest, you'd take it wouldn't you? That's basically the offer on this Test. England are [1.05] to win.

WICKET 3.14 Aus 236-5
North's been stumped by Prior off Swann for 10. He missed a sweep and Prior took the ball high up and flicked off a bail, with North's toe just on the line. Very good work by Prior, that. He's been better in this series with the gloves (but still not completely convincing), which may have something to do with him being coached by former Notts and England genius stumper, Bruce French. A completely partisan Trent Bridge man like myself might be forgiven for claiming that Notts have basically won England this urn. Then again ... Oh, by the way, new ball in seven overs time.

3.06 Aus 227-4
Colly's just dropped a dolly at slip off Swann to get Hussey. He's had a poor series, old man Colly, but we should not forget his contribution at Cardiff. Since then, though, he's basically been a ginger Ravi Bopara.

WICKET 2.41 Aus 220-4
Another one. As the old cricket saying goes: one brings two (and I'm not talking about cliches). Clarke is run out - in a freakish manner. The ball ricochets to Strauss behind the wicket and he flicks it onto the stumps. He's out by a millimetre. England now [1.08]. Nearly there.

WICKET 2.34 Aus 217-3
Unbelievable. Ponting's been run-out. Terrible stuff for Australia. Direct hit from Flintoff, who has made a significant contribution to this game at last. England [1.19] to win again.

2.20 Aus 207-2
Harmison on - and not a bad over first up, but he needs to pitch it up a touch. Broad has also been warned once for running on the pitch. He can afford one more warning and after that - if he does it again - he's off for the innings. England are now [1.36] and Australia [4.60].

1.55 Aus 184-2
Broad and Swann have opened up after lunch. I think the plan will be for Swann to settle in for a long spell while they rotate the seamers from the other end. Harmison has been asked to warm up and it's about time he delivered. Ooooh! Ponting edges Swann to Colly at slip - it hits the Durham man on the boot, bounces up and he just fails to collect the rebound.

1.40 Aus 171-2
"Portuguese Pirate says: Mike Hussey is playing for his Test future here and a tonne should give him another chance for the next Series. But for the first time in a few years, there doesn't seem to be much waiting in the wings. Other than bringing back Hughes to open and drop Watson down the order, he's not really under any threat from a specific player. Other than the two Davids maybe: Warner and errrr, Hussey. And there are no signs that they will ever be Test players."

LUNCH 1.00 Aus 171-2
Ponting and Hussey have made it to lunch in some comfort. For the record England are now [1.25], Australia [6.40] and the draw [21.00]. This is about patience for England and for betters. The fact that the England price seems to want to move towards [1.30] means there are still trading opportunities here if you fancy them.

12.44 Aus 150-2
Ponting's just padded up to a couple from Flintoff that have struck him on the pads. Both rightly given not out but there's a hint of reverse swing there for the big fella. CMJ is saying on TMS that there are possible showers tomorrow, but let's hope it doesn't come to that, eh? For the record, the Test is [9.00] to finish in today's afternoon session, [2.50] this evening and [2.70] in the first two hours tomorrow.

12.23 Aus 139-2
Ponting is playing well here - punishing short balls with his trademark swivel pull and then, when the England boys pitch it up, he's driving well too. He's [2.30] to be the top Aussie bat in this dig and [3.50] to make a ton. As we discussed yesterday, his record for scoring second innings 100s is not brilliant (six of his 38 have come in the second innings) but five of those six have come since Old Trafford in 2005. He looks determined to leave England on a positive, though, even if it might have to be a personal batting high rather than a captaincy one.

12.00 Aus 109-2
How cricket punditry works.Two Tests ago, seemingly most of the press corps were arguing for Stuart Broad to be dropped. He then gets a few wickets to add to his runs and now the "baton is being passed" from one "great" all-rounder to the next (even though Broad's stats were already comparable with Freddie's). Having pumped him up as the new Flintoff, the media then cautions that we shouldn't put such pressure on the young hope (we weren't!). So what do they do? They say he should try to be the next Glenn McGrath! Brilliant.

11.40 Aus 103-2
Hussey's off that pair but is making batting look incredibly difficult, which it is on this surface. Athers and Bumble are saying on Sky that Mr Cricket - whose Bradmanesque average has collapsed over the past couple of years - may need some time away from the game. Fair enough, but he'll need a new nickname, then.

WICKET 11.19 Aus 90-2
Another! Watson goes. Watson LBW to Broad. England [1.1] with Australia [16.00] and the draw [30.00]. Hussey in now on a pair.

WICKET 11.15 Aus 86-1
Perfect timing. Swann gets Katich LBW. England immediately shorten to [1.19] (having gone out to [1.35] this morning), with Australia [7.6] and the draw [26.00]. Also, Broad is getting the ball to go through the top.

11.14 Aus 86-0
Morning all. A big day. A big day for Swann, particularly, and he's straight into the action this morning bowling immediately from the Pavilion End. He's had a mixed record of bowling sides out in the fourth dig so far in his young Test career. He debuted in Chennai - taking 2-103 in India's unlikley run chase and then took 3-92 in Antigua and 3-13 in Trinidad last winter as England twice failed to skittle the Windies. However, on the plus side he did take 4-87 in the triumph at Lord's during this series (only to be overshadowed in the press by Flintoff). This should be a super pitch for him to bowl on.

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