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The Ashes 2009
- Thread starter chandikagunawardhana
- Start date
Hauritz battles the pain
Nathan Hauritz ignored a badly bruised middle finger to dismantle England's top order but his brave performance was not enough to stop Australia from needing a monumental effort to save the second Test. Hauritz, who suffered a dislocation on Thursday, felt few signs of discomfort in taking the first three wickets before tiring late in the day as the hosts sped towards a lead of 521.
He now has nine victims, the same number as Ben Hilfenhaus, to lead Australia in the series, a result which was unthinkable two weeks ago when Hauritz was battling for control and Brett Lee was still fit. After coming from the fringes of the New South Wales squad in 2008-09, he has developed to the point where he is now a threat even when not fully fit.
Given four overs either side of lunch after Australia were dismissed for 215 in reply to England's 425, he trapped Alastair Cook playing back to a ball that failed to spin. In his next over he removed Andrew Strauss, edging to first slip, and there was briefly some hope from the tourists that they might have an achievable chase.
Kevin Pietersen arrived, lifting Hauritz over midwicket for four, and Hilfenhaus was called immediately to replace the offspinner at the Nursery End. His figures read 4-1-12-2, but he had to wait until the third session for another opportunity.
A thoughtful player who captained youth teams growing up in Queensland, he was partly to blame for the decision. "I even suggested it to Ricky," he said. "Ben bowled the best out of our bowlers in the first innings and it was two right-handers and the ball was swinging. He looked like getting wickets pretty regularly and he bowled pretty tight." The plan didn't work and Hilfenhaus returned 0 for 59.
It didn't take Hauritz long to strike again when he was recalled, with Ravi Bopara bumping a catch to Simon Katich at short leg. Life became harder after that as Matt Prior and Paul Collingwood lifted the run-rate and Hauritz finished with 3 for 80 in 16 overs.
In the morning he felt surprisingly good considering the damage a Strauss straight drive caused on the opening day. "I definitely wouldn't have been able to bowl yesterday," he said. "I spent the past two nights icing. The hardest thing today was spreading my fingers along the ball.
"The middle finger takes a lot of the pressure, but once the adrenalin kicked in it became a lot easier. The only problem was the fingers did get tired really quickly because of the strength there." There was also pain when he misfielded a ball at square leg off Andrew Flintoff and his hand touched the ground forcefully.
Hauritz's other main moment of action had come when he lunged low at mid-on to scoop at a flimsy pull from Bopara. After picking up the ball, risking more damage to his finger as it was squeezed into the field, he threw it in the air, but neither the bowler Mitchell Johnson nor the umpires were convinced. The decision was referred to the Nigel Llong, the TV official, who ruled it not out due to the doubt created by the camera angles.
"I thought I caught it straight away," Hauritz said. "I said to Rudi, 'I caught it', and he went to refer it and said it was inconclusive. I didn't hear it hit the ground but the third umpire said it was inconclusive."
Australia's only realistic hope over the next two days is to bat out the match to achieve a draw. England will declare early on the fourth morning - they had hoped to close the innings before stumps today but the light deteriorated - and Hauritz insisted they still had a chance.
"We batted last week and scored over 600 in Cardiff," he said. "We obviously didn't bat as well as we would have liked in the first innings but that happens, that's cricket. Whatever it takes, we're going to have almost two days of batting. We just have to have a positive outlook and back our ability, that's what we have to do."
Clarke, Haddin keep England at bay
Australia 313/5.
Australia require another 209 runs with 5 wickets remaining.
Australia 313/5.
Australia require another 209 runs with 5 wickets remaining.
Clarke and Haddin's remarkable stand has stretched to an unbeaten 185. Outstanding rearguard action from these two.
Michael Clarke 125*
Brad Haddin 80*
Michael Clarke 125*
Brad Haddin 80*
Flintoff ends England's 75-year wait
In his final act at the home of cricket, Andrew Flintoff broke England's 75-year Lord's curse with his first five-wicket haul since the Ashes-clinching Oval Test of 2005. It was, unquestionably, a performance that will enhance his already mythical status within English cricket, but more pertinently for now, delivered England to a 1-0 series lead heading into Edgbaston.
Victory was sealed 17 minutes before lunch when Graeme Swann, another major contributor on Monday, pegged back Mitchell Johnson's middle stump with the Australian total at 406. The wicket prompted scenes of jubilation not witnessed at Lord's in decades, and a collective furrowing of brows in the Australian dressing rooms as the series momentum shifted sharply in the hosts' favour.
Flintoff, who bowled unchanged for ten overs from the Pavilion End to claim three of the five Australian wickets to fall on Monday, broke first from England's celebratory huddle to shake the hands of the vanquished Johnson and his batting partner, Ben Hilfenhaus. It was a scene that mirrored the final act of the corresponding Test four years ago, and envoked a spirit of cricket that had been bruised over the previous four days.
Having spent the better part of Sunday evening chasing leather to all corners of Thomas Lord's playing field, England could scarcely have began the final day's play more positively. James Anderson's first delivery of the morning cannoned into Michael Clarke's thigh and prompted a raucous lbw appeal from both bowler and slips cordon, which was turned down by Billy Doctrove. Two more unsuccessful appeals reverberated around the grandstands before the first over was out, as Anderson probed the off stump at pace, precision and just a hint of movement away from the right-handers.
Flintoff displayed similar menace steaming in from his favoured Pavilion End, as 25,000 screaming voices drowned out the pain of a knee that, after four years of numbing injections, now resembles a pin cushion. Only a famous exit from Lord's would do for "Super Fred", and England's allrounder duly obliged with the wicket of Brad Haddin from his fourth ball of the day.
Haddin was seldom ruffled on Sunday, mixing punchy strokes forward of the wicket with deft glides behind, but a new ball and an inspired Flintoff would prove an irresistible combination. Fast and full, Flintoff coaxed Haddin into an edge that flew to Paul Collingwood at second slip, terminating his innings for an impressive 80 but placing Australia in precisely the position they had hoped to avoid. Flintoff, the victor, did not so much celebrate the dismissal as assume Nelson's Trafalgar Square pose. A candidate, if ever there was one, for the fourth plinth.
Johnson's early exchanges inspired little confidence that he would be the man to steer Australia to an improbable victory. Johnson half-ducked, half-stabbed at his first delivery from Flintoff and, as with his bowling, looked a shadow of the figure who compiled unbeaten innings of 96 and 123 against the South Africans four months prior. Edges off the bowling of Flintoff and Stuart Broad fell inches in front of the slips, and Johnson may well have found pavilion-bound had Flintoff not overstepped before wrapping him on the pads with a straight full-toss that struck in line.
Clarke, save for the odd Flintoff bouncer, was a picture of poise in the first half-hour of play, leaving judiciously outside his off stump and driving with sublime placement and timing. The fluency of his batting contrasted greatly with the nervous Johnson, although the latter eventually found something resembling a groove as the hour progressed.
As the first drinks break loomed, Clarke might have entertained notions of bettering his previous highest Test score, famously struck on his Test debut five years ago, however a change of bowling prompted a change in his fortunes. Swann had spent much of the previous evening bowling a faster, flatter line, but found success with a slower, looping delivery that dropped under the bat of the advancing Clarke and spun just enough into the off stump. Devastated, Clarke did not lift his head, nor raise his bat, despite a generous reception on his journey back to the Pavilion.
The loss of their sole centurion while still 165 runs in arrears of England was the death knell for Australia's aspirations of a world-record run chase. And when Nathan Hauritz was bowled shouldering arms to Flintoff the next over, an England victory was all but assured.
Johnson, by now, had found his batting form and blazed his way to a quick-fire half-century. But it would be in vain. Flintoff claimed his third career five-wicket haul by bowling Peter Siddle, and Swann rounded off the innings, and the match, by scything through Johnson's defences.
The last time Australia lost at Lord's, they went on to win the series 2-1. Of the last three Ashes contests in England, two - in 1997 and in 2005 - were won by the team which fell behind in the series.
Pietersen ruled out of Ashes
Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the Ashes after undergoing surgery on his long-standing Achilles tendon injury. Pietersen was assessed on Wednesday morning by a leading specialist, and the decision was made to undergo surgery which means he will miss up to six weeks.
The news comes as a massive blow to England's morale and momentum after a week in which they finally ended a 75-year jinx in beating Australia at Lord's, and so went 1-0 up in an Ashes series for the first time since 1997. Pietersen's contribution to the match was muted, with twin scores of 32 and 44, but it nevertheless took his career tally against Australia to a formidable 1116 runs in 12 Tests, at an average of 50.72.
England, however, will now have to make do without that prowess. ECB Chief Medical Officer, Nick Peirce, said: "Following a consultation, involving scans and testing, with the world's leading Achilles specialist, Kevin Pietersen today underwent surgery on his right Achilles tendon.
"The operation involved a small incision and trimming of the blood vessels and nerves around the inflamed tendon and appears, at this early stage, to have been routine. Kevin will look to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to ensure there is no risk of recurrence. This is expected to be approximately six weeks but will be taken at an appropriate pace following constant review.
"Despite conventional conservative treatments to the tendon with trial periods of rest and rehabilitation, Kevin continued to be in significant discomfort and is currently unable to run or even walk comfortably. He had a strong desire to get through the Ashes series but despite this he has recently been unable to achieve a maximum level of performance.
"A number of short-term measures were considered but having been reviewed by the specialist, who flew into London from Sweden specifically, it was felt that anything else would put the tendon at risk and jeopardise his long-term recovery."
Pietersen said: "As an England cricketer the Ashes are the pinnacle of the game so I'm absolutely devastated to be missing the rest of this series.
"Up until now the Achilles injury has been manageable but it recently reached the point where we needed to look at other options in terms of treatment. I hate missing matches for England and especially during an Ashes summer but now that the decision has been made to undergo surgery I'm confident I can return to the England team injury-free following a course of rehabilitation.
"I was pleased with the previous course of treatment as it allowed me to take part in this Ashes series but unfortunately the injury has recently deteriorated. To leave a winning dressing room at this time is heart breaking but it wouldn't be fair to the team or myself to continue given the severity of the injury. I'll be supporting the team closely and wish them the best of luck as they look to build on the brilliant win at Lord's and reclaim the Ashes."
In Pietersen's absence, England are likely to offer a recall to Ian Bell, who was dropped in February after a run of low scores, but who has been in fine form for Warwickshire this season, with 640 runs at 80.00 before today, when he made 7 against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.
"I am desperate to play," said Bell. "Having faced the Aussies before I know what to expect from them, and once you have appeared at Test level you want to carry on playing against the best players in the world."
The Australian camp maintained the line of the coach Tim Nielsen, who said on Tuesday he was not concerned by what was happening in England's squad. Shane Watson, the allrounder, said losing a key player like Pietersen "makes it very difficult".
Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the Ashes after undergoing surgery on his long-standing Achilles tendon injury. Pietersen was assessed on Wednesday morning by a leading specialist, and the decision was made to undergo surgery which means he will miss up to six weeks.
The news comes as a massive blow to England's morale and momentum after a week in which they finally ended a 75-year jinx in beating Australia at Lord's, and so went 1-0 up in an Ashes series for the first time since 1997. Pietersen's contribution to the match was muted, with twin scores of 32 and 44, but it nevertheless took his career tally against Australia to a formidable 1116 runs in 12 Tests, at an average of 50.72.
England, however, will now have to make do without that prowess. ECB Chief Medical Officer, Nick Peirce, said: "Following a consultation, involving scans and testing, with the world's leading Achilles specialist, Kevin Pietersen today underwent surgery on his right Achilles tendon.
"The operation involved a small incision and trimming of the blood vessels and nerves around the inflamed tendon and appears, at this early stage, to have been routine. Kevin will look to undertake a comprehensive rehabilitation programme to ensure there is no risk of recurrence. This is expected to be approximately six weeks but will be taken at an appropriate pace following constant review.
"Despite conventional conservative treatments to the tendon with trial periods of rest and rehabilitation, Kevin continued to be in significant discomfort and is currently unable to run or even walk comfortably. He had a strong desire to get through the Ashes series but despite this he has recently been unable to achieve a maximum level of performance.
"A number of short-term measures were considered but having been reviewed by the specialist, who flew into London from Sweden specifically, it was felt that anything else would put the tendon at risk and jeopardise his long-term recovery."
Pietersen said: "As an England cricketer the Ashes are the pinnacle of the game so I'm absolutely devastated to be missing the rest of this series.
"Up until now the Achilles injury has been manageable but it recently reached the point where we needed to look at other options in terms of treatment. I hate missing matches for England and especially during an Ashes summer but now that the decision has been made to undergo surgery I'm confident I can return to the England team injury-free following a course of rehabilitation.
"I was pleased with the previous course of treatment as it allowed me to take part in this Ashes series but unfortunately the injury has recently deteriorated. To leave a winning dressing room at this time is heart breaking but it wouldn't be fair to the team or myself to continue given the severity of the injury. I'll be supporting the team closely and wish them the best of luck as they look to build on the brilliant win at Lord's and reclaim the Ashes."
In Pietersen's absence, England are likely to offer a recall to Ian Bell, who was dropped in February after a run of low scores, but who has been in fine form for Warwickshire this season, with 640 runs at 80.00 before today, when he made 7 against Hampshire at the Rose Bowl.
"I am desperate to play," said Bell. "Having faced the Aussies before I know what to expect from them, and once you have appeared at Test level you want to carry on playing against the best players in the world."
The Australian camp maintained the line of the coach Tim Nielsen, who said on Tuesday he was not concerned by what was happening in England's squad. Shane Watson, the allrounder, said losing a key player like Pietersen "makes it very difficult".
Strauss wary of Australia backlash
Habits of a lifetime are difficult to change for Andrew Strauss, who despite England's strong Ashes position believes it's too dangerous to glance ahead. In past years, series involving these teams hadn't started before the predictions of convincing victories occurred, although those were usually made by players named Warne, McGrath or Waugh. Those Ashes heroes have left and England find themselves 1-0 ahead against Australia's weakest team in more than 20 years.
It is now the hosts with the momentum after their history-breaking win at Lord's, but not the faith to say in public what they privately believe. Australia are vulnerable, particularly with their mis-firing bowling, and despite losing Kevin Pietersen, the hosts will be boosted by the sort of crowd support not received since 2005. These strong feelings and omens have not moved Strauss, who would not allow himself to show the self-belief of England's former conquerors.
"I'm never confident enough to predict anything," he said. "It's a dangerous route to go down." When on top, some sides see further opportunities to gain an advantage, others see risk. Strauss's main aim in the lead-up to Thursday's third Test is to ward off complacency.
He said the Lord's Test was one of the best team performances he had been involved in with England. "You gain a huge amount of confidence winning an Ashes Test," he said. "I'm looking forward to this week, there will be a nice feeling in the camp. We can't let that feeling become a sense of complacency, it's something we've got to be very guarded against. We have three Tests to go, if we play three good Tests we've got the potential to win an Ashes series."
It all sounded very pleasant, just what an Australian would expect at an English sponsorship announcement. For the next four years Brit Insurance will appear on the team's shirts, but there is no assurance of further success. Not even from the captain.
"We are expecting an Aussie backlash and we expect this Test to be harder than the other two we've played," Strauss said. "We're excited about that, and we're excited to be ahead in an Ashes series, but we know that that can change quickly. If we're not right on, then there can problems."
He did tell his men not to take the foot off the pedal at Edgbaston and believed they had strong form in that department. "In the past five or six months there have been some good performances and we've been quite clinical when we've got on top," he said. "I was very confident we could get over the line [at Lord's], the key now is to go right back to first principles and how we set up the game."
Problems exist in the absence of Kevin Pietersen with an Achilles injury and the limping caused by Andrew Flintoff's right knee. Flintoff will bowl in the nets on Tuesday, when England will know whether his fitness will be an issue for the back-to-back Tests in Birmingham and Leeds. "At this stage we're very confident," Strauss said.
Ian Bell will take Pietersen's place at No. 4 to limit the disruptions to a team that will consider bringing in Steve Harmison on a pitch threatening to be underprepared. A report has suggested Harmison will join Flintoff in retirement at the end of the series, but he currently has not played a match and his best chance will occur if Flintoff is injured. Strauss had heard nothing about Harmison walking away and is not concerned about the pitch.
He is more worried about Australia's attack, which is wobbling more than a toddler. After years spent facing Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, England's batsmen have their easiest task for two decades. "It's dangerous to make those assumptions after two Tests," Strauss said. "We've played on two very flat pitches and things this week might be completely different. Whenever you play an Australian side they are always strong. They may not have Warne or McGrath, but they look pretty good." Danger lurks everywhere, apparently.
Habits of a lifetime are difficult to change for Andrew Strauss, who despite England's strong Ashes position believes it's too dangerous to glance ahead. In past years, series involving these teams hadn't started before the predictions of convincing victories occurred, although those were usually made by players named Warne, McGrath or Waugh. Those Ashes heroes have left and England find themselves 1-0 ahead against Australia's weakest team in more than 20 years.
It is now the hosts with the momentum after their history-breaking win at Lord's, but not the faith to say in public what they privately believe. Australia are vulnerable, particularly with their mis-firing bowling, and despite losing Kevin Pietersen, the hosts will be boosted by the sort of crowd support not received since 2005. These strong feelings and omens have not moved Strauss, who would not allow himself to show the self-belief of England's former conquerors.
"I'm never confident enough to predict anything," he said. "It's a dangerous route to go down." When on top, some sides see further opportunities to gain an advantage, others see risk. Strauss's main aim in the lead-up to Thursday's third Test is to ward off complacency.
He said the Lord's Test was one of the best team performances he had been involved in with England. "You gain a huge amount of confidence winning an Ashes Test," he said. "I'm looking forward to this week, there will be a nice feeling in the camp. We can't let that feeling become a sense of complacency, it's something we've got to be very guarded against. We have three Tests to go, if we play three good Tests we've got the potential to win an Ashes series."
It all sounded very pleasant, just what an Australian would expect at an English sponsorship announcement. For the next four years Brit Insurance will appear on the team's shirts, but there is no assurance of further success. Not even from the captain.
"We are expecting an Aussie backlash and we expect this Test to be harder than the other two we've played," Strauss said. "We're excited about that, and we're excited to be ahead in an Ashes series, but we know that that can change quickly. If we're not right on, then there can problems."
He did tell his men not to take the foot off the pedal at Edgbaston and believed they had strong form in that department. "In the past five or six months there have been some good performances and we've been quite clinical when we've got on top," he said. "I was very confident we could get over the line [at Lord's], the key now is to go right back to first principles and how we set up the game."
Problems exist in the absence of Kevin Pietersen with an Achilles injury and the limping caused by Andrew Flintoff's right knee. Flintoff will bowl in the nets on Tuesday, when England will know whether his fitness will be an issue for the back-to-back Tests in Birmingham and Leeds. "At this stage we're very confident," Strauss said.
Ian Bell will take Pietersen's place at No. 4 to limit the disruptions to a team that will consider bringing in Steve Harmison on a pitch threatening to be underprepared. A report has suggested Harmison will join Flintoff in retirement at the end of the series, but he currently has not played a match and his best chance will occur if Flintoff is injured. Strauss had heard nothing about Harmison walking away and is not concerned about the pitch.
He is more worried about Australia's attack, which is wobbling more than a toddler. After years spent facing Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, England's batsmen have their easiest task for two decades. "It's dangerous to make those assumptions after two Tests," Strauss said. "We've played on two very flat pitches and things this week might be completely different. Whenever you play an Australian side they are always strong. They may not have Warne or McGrath, but they look pretty good." Danger lurks everywhere, apparently.
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