The Ashes 2006/07: The Adelaide Test Thread - Day Three

[Rachael]

The Ashes 2006/07: The Adelaide Test Thread - Day Three. Hayden and Ponting resume batting with Australia trailing by 523 runs with 9 wickets remaining in the 1st innings.

England 1st innings - 551/6 wickets dec; 168 overs
Australia 1st innings - 28/1 in 9.0 overs (ML Hayden 12, RT Ponting 11)

Bowling	O	M	R	W	Econ	
MJ Hoggard	5	1	14	0	2.80	
A Flintoff	4	0	14	1	3.50	(1nb)

For commentary see the cricinfo scorecard

[sportsfreak]

England will struggle to take wickets early on.


But once the ball becomes older Mahmood should be able to get it to reverse swing nicely and Monty should be able to extract a lot of turn...


...oh hang on.

[Rachael]

In the last Test match played at Adelaide Australia batted second... and were all out for 428... which is surely a total England would take if offered right now. Note: the key bowler was the famous world-beater... Dwayne Bravo!

Australia 1st innings                                           R   M   B  4 6
JL Langer             c Ramdin           b Edwards             99 279 174 10 0
ML Hayden             c Chanderpaul      b Bravo               47  82  58  6 0
*RT Ponting           lbw                b Bravo               56 168 122  6 0
BJ Hodge              lbw                b Edwards             18  54  35  2 0
MEK Hussey            not out                                 133 293 215 13 3
A Symonds                                b Bravo                9  69  51  1 0
+AC Gilchrist         c Chanderpaul      b Bravo                6  20  18  0 0
SK Warne                             c & b Bravo                0   3   3  0 0
B Lee                 c Ramdin           b Bravo                9  15   9  0 0
SCG MacGill                              b Edwards             22 116  51  2 0
GD McGrath                               b DR Smith             5  39  17  0 0
Extras                (lb 7, w 2, nb 15)                       24
Total                 (all out, 123.3 overs, 573 mins)        428

FoW: 1-97 (Hayden, 17.3 ov), 2-211 (Ponting, 54.3 ov),
     3-228 (Langer, 60.3 ov), 4-238 (Hodge, 66.1 ov),
     5-271 (Symonds, 81.3 ov), 6-277 (Gilchrist, 87.1 ov),
     7-277 (Warne, 87.4 ov), 8-295 (Lee, 91.1 ov),
     9-388 (MacGill, 114.6 ov), 10-428 (McGrath, 123.3 ov).

Bowling                      O      M      R      W
Edwards                     23      4    114      3 (12nb)
Powell                      24      6     80      0
Collymore                   23      1     59      0
Bravo                       27      7     84      6 (2w)
DR Smith                    17.3    3     59      1
Hinds                        9      1     25      0

[flanflinger]

As the pitch breaks up, which some experts think it will do (Chappell and Fleming), I expect the tall fast bowlers like Harmison and Flintoff to make an impact using the irregular bounce. They will make it very difficult for the Aussie batters, who are not used to batting second under pressure (normally McGrath and Warne would have taken the pressure off by bowling a side out quickly) the Aussies are not used to pressure, it will be intresting to see if they can handle it - they didn't do so well in 2005...

[Harmy's Army]

Quite a coincidental stat pops up from Lords this year - England 551/6 declared and Pietersen 158 with the match eventually drawn. I guess omens (along with a flat deck) point to a draw, but a couple of early wickets and you never know. On a personal note I'm a bit on the fence, my Cricinfo fantasy team being 33rd in the overall standings before play on day 3 and I have Ponting and Hussey in it along with Freddie. Anyone else doing the Cricinfo fantasy league? I will say it numbed the pain a bit at Brisbane (having a reason to cheer on the Aussies I had selected ).

[Ernest]

If Harmison fires - then England will win this Test IMO - if not a messy draw.

The delivery from Flintoff that got Langer out was a brute, Harmison is a big man, he should be able to do the same.

Originally Posted by Harmy's Army

Quite a coincidental stat pops up from Lords this year - England 551/6 declared and Pietersen 158 with the match eventually drawn.

Was that not the match England dropped 9 catches?, lets just hope it's just the scores that's coincidental!!

[Ernest]

Ponting really should know where the ball is, Harmison never bowled a beamer at Knee high Tut Tut, the no ball was not because of the hight of the full toss.

[Ernest]

Giles dropped Ponting what a plonker - Ponting dropped on 35 will this be expensive?, will this cost England the Ashes?.
Hoggard bowling well - on a dead pitch these chances have to be taken.

[Irish Left Armer]

Aye that could be a big moment. It wasn't a dolly or anything but he still should have taken it.

Hoggard bowling well but realistically there's nothing in this pitch. If Ponting and Hussey dig in then England won't be able to get them out.

[Ernest]

True but England are making chances - Harmison looking better Ponting has had his share of luck.