England would have expected to have extended on the back of Andrew Strauss’ brilliant run. Australia would have expected to make significant in roads of reducing that deficit. However, rain put paid to the scintillating patches of cricket between lunch and tea on the second day of the second Tests of the Ashes at Lord’s.
Australia began well with the second ball of the day, with the England captain misjudging an inswinger from Ben Hilfenhaus. That meant that he had put brakes on his own overnight score of 161. It was still a significantly important innings, and one had only to look what happened yesterday evening on the first day and just after the fall of his wicket on the second.
Graeme Swann and Stuart Broad followed him back to the pavilion and it appeared England would barely touch 380. However, James Anderson is on a near purple patch as far as his performances are concerned. Once again he carried his bat and instead of defending and reducing the time factor at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff to save the first Test, here he was using the long handle to good effect to stretch England’s first innings score to 425, his contribution being twenty-nine runs.
Hilfenhaus was the only man the Australian captain Ricky Ponting could turn to and the fast bowler was rewarded with four wickets. Peter Siddle picked up two. Mitchell Johnson eventually picked three wickets, but it would be misleading to think that he was a key performer. If anything, his three wickets covered up a near disastrous situation for Australia where their spearhead, in the absence of Brett Lee, was the most expensive bowler of the innings, going at over six an over.
Buoyed by the unexpected late charge from Anderson, England were charged up. And it told. Phillip Hughes became Anderson’s first victim, caught by Matt Prior behind the stumps. Ricky Ponting followed suit, giving Anderson and England a real break at ten for two. Australia went into lunch at 22 for two and in some trouble.
The session after lunch though proved tricky with rain frequently interrupting play. Simon Katich and Mike Hussey hung on to their task, slowly and steadily stretching the Australia’s score to eighty-seven for two at tea, without any further damage.
Ashes T 2 Day 1 Stumps: Aus Pick Wickets, Strauss Extends Himself
Ashes T 2 Day 1 Lunch & Tea: Strauss & England on Top, Australia Wayward
Ashes at Lord’s: Warne Resumes his Battle with Bopara
Flintoff Makes Retirement Announcement, Tests Out
Atherton: England Should not Grieve over Andrew “Second Hand Car” Flintoff
Ponting Cries Foul; Umpire Disagrees; Duncan Slams
Boycott Digs into KP, Calls him “Spoilt Child”
Flintoff, Monty in Trouble, Harmison and Onions vie for Spot, Aussies Unsympathetic
Ashes T1 day 5: England Complete a Houdini, Draw with Australia
Mitchell’s Mother Moans CA’s Disregard for Parents
Vaughan retirement:
Michael Vaughan Set to Retire?
