Shane Watson sparkled upon his comeback and banished away the gloom that brought on the rain. Australia appear to have got it right, albeit briefly, on day one of the third Test of the Ashes at Edgbaston in Birmingham.
Watson came in for Phillip Hughes, whose conspicuous axe from the team was announced inadvertently by his manager on Hughes’ Twitter account. Watson, recovering from injury himself, brushed aside any doubts about his fitness with a belligerent 105 ball sixty-two that set the Australia rollicking after play was washed out before lunch as well as tea.
Simon Katich was the only victim to fall to Graeme Swann but that was after Australia had reached eighty-five, Australia progressed further to 126 for one at stumps after a lengthy final session that proved to be the only session of the day when the England bowlers found no assistance whatsoever.
In the most telling news, apart from the Twitter feed from Hughes, was the possibility of Brad Haddin suffering a broken finger just before the commencement of play, having Australian captain, Ricky Ponting, to approach the England team to change the wicket keeper in the final minute to Graham Manou.
Ashes T3 Day 1: Rain in, Hughes Out
Strauss Wants more ECB Stringency for IPL
Strauss, Ponting Exchange ‘Aura’ Theories
Ashes Drama Dampener, Flintoff’s NASA Experience
Border Wants ‘Don’t Blame Mom’ Johnson To Take Backseat
Warne Digs into Bell, Bell Promises to Return Fare
Lord’s Blows Hot over Lampard’s Pass Up
Mitchell Johnson’s Time is Up according to Australia
Langer Not Making Test Comeback
Ponting Wonders about Lord’s Reaction
Flintoff Fired Up, Pietersen Flustered
Steve Harmison Joins Retirement Brigade?
Ponting: Not Being Fooled Twice
KP To Be Made an Example for Future England Players IPL Participation?
Flintoff Endorses Gilly’s View for Fewer Tests
Johnson’s Mother blamed for His Loss of Form
Qantas Offers Low Fares to Mark Australia’s Low
Mitchell’s Mother Moans CA’s Disregard for Parents
Lee, Watson On Road to Recovery, Ponting Needs Replacements
Richard Branson’s Message for the Ashes Met With Angry Responses
Kevin Pietersen Out of Ashes with Achilles Surgery, Concerns for Oz
Australia Boil Over on Umpire Misgivings
Ponting: I am not talking to Border and Ian Chappell
Should SA Have Halted the Game?
Ashes: Ian Chappell Believes Australian Selections Will Backfire
Thomson Flays Ponting’s Captaincy
Flintoff: Taking a Bow and a Laugh
Ashes T 2 Day 5 Before Lunch: England, Flintoff Change History at Lord’s
Ashes T 2 Day 4 Stumps: England And Australia Alternate Fortunes
Ashes T 3 Day 3: England Get the Momentum, Australia Flattened
Ashes T 2 Day 3 Lunch and Tea: England Still in Command, Aus Slow Things Down
Ashes: Russell Crowe Steals the Show Post Tea
Warne Disagrees With Ponting, as does Hauritz
Ashes T 2 Day 2 Stumps: England Have their Hands Around Aussie Necks
Queen At Lord’s, England Reign
Lee, Watson On Road to Recovery, Ponting Needs Replacements
Ashes T 2 Day 2 Lunch and Tea: Rain Halts After Team Trade Wickets
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
