England well placed in 2nd Ashes Test by Andy Jalil

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Scorecard:	England v Australia
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2013

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DateLine: 20th July 2013

 

By Andy Jalil at Lord's.
In association with INVESTEC.

 

Andy Jalil at Lord's In association with INVESTEC © Pakistan Cricket Website

 

London – Australia will do well to come out of the second Test without defeat after their batting looked in utter disarray to concede a 233-run first innings deficit. It was a day that saw sixteen wickets go down with inexplicably poor batting by both sides on a fine pitch.

 

By close of play on the second day, England were 31 for three in their second innings and in an overall lead of 264. Of the three wickets they lost, the first two fell on 22 and the third went eight runs later, all to Peter Siddle’s excellent pace bowling. In successive overs he bowled Alastair Cook for 8, had Jonathan Trott play-on without scoring and Kevin Pietersen was held at point, for 5, playing a poor shot as he reached for the ball without much foot movement.

 

Earlier, resuming their first innings on the overnight score of 289 for seven, England were dismissed for 361 with the tenth wicket putting on 48. Ryan Harris added two wickets to the three he had on the previous day to finish with five for 72, his third five-wicket haul in Tests.

 

The tourists’ began their first innings just about an hour into the morning session and they lost the first wicket on the stroke of lunch. Tim Bresnan trapped Shane Watson in front of the stumps in his third over. Watson had played freely in scoring 30 from 32 balls with 24 of those runs coming from fours until he moved across to a ball angled into him. His review of the decision was unsuccessful.

 

England struck again within ten minutes into the second session. It was a strange dismissal with Chris Rogers, on 15, falling lbw to Graeme Swann. It was a full toss which seemed to hit him pretty high but he did not take a chance in asking for a review as one had already been wasted at Watson’s dismissal.

 

Three runs later Australia were reduced to 53 for three with Bresnan striking again. Phil Hughes needlessly reached for a wide ball and got a touch for a catch behind. The wickets kept falling with no sign of a revival.

 

Usman Khawaja looked uncomfortable and in attempting a big hit off Swann, he lofted a drive to mid-on where he was held for 14.

 

Swann claimed the next wicket too when Steve Smith was snapped up at short square leg. It was with the extra bounce of the ball that he gloved the catch and Australia were 86 for five.

 

Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin were the only recognised batsmen left but they offered no resistance. Having received a short rising ball from Stuart Broad, Clarke seemed to expect another but the next ball was of yorker length and it pinned him in front of the stumps.

 

The seventh wicket then fell on 96 with the run out of Ashton Agar. He had charged more than halfway down the pitch but was sent back even though it was his call. The run out decision did not even require the third umpire’s help.

 

On 104 both the eighth and ninth wickets fell. James Anderson found the outside edge of Siddle’s bat for 2 and Haddin having batted for an hour for 7 went for a big hit to leg off Swann but only top edged the drive to slip. With the tenth wicket adding 24, Australia were all out for 128 and Swann, taking the last wicket, finished with five for 44, his sixteenth five-wicket haul in Tests.

 

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2013 Andy Jalil)