Second Ashes Test, Adelaide

[QF WP]

Noooooo, I go in for a staff meeting and look what greets me

90.5
Anderson to Haddin, OUT, 136.2 kph, Anderson gets his man! Finally this is full enough to drag Haddin forward, the full length means the ball can swing and nibble off the pitch, flicks a faint edge as Haddin aims a drive and Prior does the rest. England are through to the tail now!
BJ Haddin c †Prior b Anderson 12 (21b 2x4 0x6) SR: 57.14
90.6
Anderson to Harris, OUT, gone! King pair for Harris! Anderson aimed the inswinger at a full length, Harris left alone and it crashed into the front pad bang in front. Harris reviewed but it only confirms the worst. Harris becomes only the second Australian ever to bag a king pair.
RJ Harris lbw b Anderson 0 (1b 0x4 0x6) SR: 0.00
Anderson on a hat-trick but he'll have to wait to try and get it because it's the end of the over.
91.2
Swann to North, OUT, 87.4 kph, another massive appeal from England as North played around his front pad and was struck in front. Given not out initially but England reviewed, North got a big stride in as he thrust bat and pad together, it hit pad first, in front and Hawk Eye confirms it hitting! North gone and Australia have crumbled here this morning
MJ North lbw b Swann 22 (35b 3x4 0x6) SR: 62.85
95.1
Swann to Doherty, OUT, 89.0 kph, Swann gets another one! Doherty is bowled, top of middle. He played forward, but positioned himself for extravagant turn when there was none. The ball snuck through the gap between bat and pad and clattered into the stumps. Australia nine down now, England are very, very close

XJ Doherty b Swann 5 (17m 9b 1x4 0x6) SR: 55.55

99.1
Swann to Siddle, OUT, 89.2 kph, there it is! Classic offspinner's dismissal, drawing him forward and spinning back sharply from outside off to fizz through bat and pad and clatter into off stump

PM Siddle b Swann 6 (28m 22b 1x4 0x6) SR: 27.27

England win by an innings and 71 runs, and take a priceless 1-0 lead with three Tests to be played. Swann had been identified as the man to spearhead England's push on the fifth day and he's done just that, finishing with 5 for 91to bowl England to their 100th Test win over Australia. The hosts suffer the ignominy of their first innings defeat at home since their capitulation to the West Indies at Perth in 1993 and, to be brutally honest, it's hard to see them bouncing back to win two of the next three games to reclaim the urn. Stranger things have happened, of course, but Australia will need something truly inspirational.

"We got off to a shambolic start to the Test match, and it was always going to be hard to fight back from there," says Ricky Ponting. "We needed to make a big score in the first innings and 245 was never going to be enough. We also put down a few crucial catches in the field. It's just those little things which are literally slipping through our hands at the moment, you can't give good players second and third chances. We've got to go away and do some soul-searching. England have kept us under real pressure, and we've got to find a way to cope with that."

I'd have to agree that there need to be some changes:

Drop North for Khawaja
Hughes will likely come in for Katich due to injury (a pity, Katich was playing well, but I'd expect he's out until the 4th or 5th Test)
Drop Doherty for Steve Smith (Doherty was bowling too fast, too flat).
I'd like to add Ricky Ponting to that list
Bolly gone as well, he's not firing because he's not match fit.

 

[JohnK]

Very disappointing that Australia did not show any fight during this test match.

There is a cloud seeding aircraft departing Parafield as we speak

Too late for this match. Can you organise some aircraft for Perth?

 

[simongr]

I was keeping track on a train on the BBC website - not quite as good as watching it on TV (I actually wouldnt be able to watch it live as I am not that passionate a fan and can't imagine spending a day watching cricket whilst various other jobs mount up).

A great result for England - and they have delivered on the expectation to a certain extent.

I think this has been two great displays by England that you would not have seen for many years - saving a test when normally they would capitulate and then actually securing a win.

 

[QF WP]

Spoken like an Englishman, simongr :shock:

Have to give it to the Poms, they found form, heart and steel. The Aussies need to win 2 of the remaining 3 Tests to take the Ashes back. Draws aren't good enough. Don't like our chances

 

[markis10]

Bring back Dean Jones I say!

 

[simongr]

Spoken like an Englishman, simongr :shock:

I may have two passports but when it comes to sport I am still only English!

 

[tuapekastar]

I believe they are probably in the correct order already

Indeed they are!

 

[tuapekastar]

Have to say that 5 to 10 years ago, when Australia was winning everything, on occasions friends would complain that it was just getting boring. My response was along the lines that I'll take every boring victory I can, as it's going to change one day. That day is well and truly here.

 

[samh004]

I was keeping track on a train on the BBC website - not quite as good as watching it on TV (I actually wouldnt be able to watch it live as I am not that passionate a fan and can't imagine spending a day watching cricket whilst various other jobs mount up).

There’s a good app that’s been advertised on the TV called Cricket LIVE Australia, it’s basically the Australian cricket teams app, but while the Ashes are on has some of the best coverage.

You can also pay $2.49 per match to watch it streamed live to the app, which wouldn’t be bad if you were on wifi in the office, but refreshes the scores and what not pretty well otherwise.

I may have two passports but when it comes to sport I am still only English!

Ditto.

 

[medhead]

I may have two passports but when it comes to sport I am still only English!

In which case a victory is something to celebrate since they are so rare (in sport that is not just cricket)

 

[DrJ]

Have to say that 5 to 10 years ago, when Australia was winning everything, on occasions friends would complain that it was just getting boring. My response was along the lines that I'll take every boring victory I can, as it's going to change one day. That day is well and truly here.

Couldn't agree more. Anyone who remembered the bad old days of the 80s savoured every bit of the golden age. Looks like the bad old days are coming back - frankly I can't see Oz cricket climbing back to the top for the next few years at least.

 

[Warks]

Couldn't agree more. Anyone who remembered the bad old days of the 80s savoured every bit of the golden age. Looks like the bad old days are coming back - frankly I can't see Oz cricket climbing back to the top for the next few years at least.

Exactly. I must say I never got sick of Australia winning. Having survived those dark days of the 80s getting shellacked by the Windies and England - never would have thought it would come so soon from beating SA in SA two years ago. Mind you the cracks were showing when we lost to them before that here. But they recovered and went on.

As for the players in the wings: Hughes failed today along with Smith but Khawaja is still in. South Aust got rolled for 182 at the SCG so it's not easy batting - Smith and Henriques both took 4 wickets though.

North is done for though. Katich will probably never play again either as he's out for the season and it's a while until they play again. Probably stick to the younger players.

Well done to the Poms, don't let us be seen are sore losers - completely outplayed in every department. Aus played like the Poms did in the 1993 Ashes, clueless. Don't want to put the boot in but they haven't looked like getting a wicket since the first innings at the Gabba.

 

[serfty]

I started enjoying Oz losses around the time Dean Jones got the @rse. Not many for the period after that with McGrath and Warne.

Then there was the fiasco that season they had an Australia A team playing the WSC. When both Aussie teams made the finals, they picked Paul Reiffel, the best Australia A bowler for that Main team and promptly had him 12th man for the finals matches.

It's was all reinforced when for some reason Hodge did not get any real chance to establish himself ...

I support ANY team playing against the Australian Cricket team.:evil:

 

[straitman]

I started enjoying Oz losses around the time Dean Jones got the @rse. Not many for the period after that with McGrath and Warne.

Then there was the fiasco that season they had an Australia A team playing the WSC. When both Aussie teams made the finals, they picked Paul Reiffel, the best Australia A bowler for that Main team and promptly had him 12th man for the finals matches.

It's was all reinforced when for some reason Hodge did not get any real chance to establish himself ...

I support ANY team playing against the Australian Cricket team.:evil:

Ouch :!:

Why don't you say what you mean serfty :?:

 

[JohnK]

Why don't you say what you mean serfty :?:

He actually has a very valid point. There was no real reason why Dean Jones should have been treated that way.

And don't forget Alan Border. The selectors had given him a hint that they wanted him to retire or he woud be dropped. Border did not deserve that treatment as he was the inspiration and architect for Australia's success and was still playing quite well. Taylor, Waugh and to a lesser extent Ponting were given more changes than they deserved late in their careers.

I am trying real hard to see where Australia is going to find the players to get them out of this rut. Not a lot of talent to choose from in the Sheffield Shield.

 

[serfty]

...
I am trying real hard to see where Australia is going to find the players to get them out of this rut. Not a lot of talent to choose from in the Sheffield Shield.

I think the last decade the selectors have been too scared to try new talent from the shield, lest they be shown up as supporting the incumbents.

 

[tuapekastar]

I started enjoying Oz losses around the time Dean Jones got the @rse. Not many for the period after that with McGrath and Warne.

Then there was the fiasco that season they had an Australia A team playing the WSC. When both Aussie teams made the finals, they picked Paul Reiffel, the best Australia A bowler for that Main team and promptly had him 12th man for the finals matches.

It's was all reinforced when for some reason Hodge did not get any real chance to establish himself ...

I support ANY team playing against the Australian Cricket team.:evil:

I agree Jones and Hodge (and D Hussey, and probably a few others from various states for that matter) got very rough deals (I think it was David Hookes who reckoned that debutant players for NSW got their blue state caps handed over in a public ceremony, and at the same time were slyly handed baggy greens in a brown paper bag, for later) but I could not possibly countenance supporting anyone playing against Australia...goes against the laws of nature.

 

[samh004]

I see Qantas were quick to offer a "Run Out" sale this time!

Grab a deal to London with our Run Out Sale

 

[Sprucegoose]

Decent deal by qf?

 

[samh004]

Decent deal by qf?

Well they gave the highest Aussie score. I guess the BA fare was probably snapped up quicker, being a $620 discount!