Clarke rode his luck to score an unbeaten hundred, after North just missed out on his ton, with the captains agreeing to call the game off directly after Clarke reached three figures in a day dominated by the bat.

Australia had started 25 runs behind England on the first inning at two for 88, but to England’s dismay their bowlers again failed to derive much at all in the way of swing through the air or cut off the pitch, as was the case in the previous evening. With strike bowler Andrew Flintoff obviously struggling with the long-term injuries that have caused him to announce his retirement after this series, the day came down to a question of whether the Australian batsmen could hold their nerve.

After the overnight pairing of Shane Watson and Michael Hussey added a further 49 runs in the first hour, the first over after the drinks break saw Watson (53) play a shot at a well-directed but straight delivery which produced a noise that had the umpire’s finger up for a catch behind. Unfortunately the replays showed Watson had hit his pad with the bat, not the ball, but such umpire errors punishing Australia have become standard practice in this series so it was not surprising.

Clarke strode to the crease but Hussey (64) was also out soon after nicking a straight ball through to the keeper. North then joined Clarke and neither player looked in much trouble against an attack that was not extracting anything unusual out of either the conditions or themselves.

The second session produced 121 runs with both batsmen starting to really wind up their shotmaking. In the final session, North in particular started flaying the bowling as his hundred neared, but as he was just a boundary short of his ton, North (96) played a loose shot past gully but James Anderson was able to leap athletically to his right and pluck an excellent one-handed catch to deny the Western Australian his third Test century.

Clarke, who was just as dashing it his stroke play, then had a few lives. He missed an Anderson delivery that clipped his off-stump on 92, with the bail refusing to fall. Then on 96 several overs later, he was caught at second slip off Ravi Bopara from a no ball. Finally Clarke (103 not out) was able to pull a Bopara delivery to teh boundary to bring up his ton and the teams trudged off.

Michael Clarke and Marcus North force draw in third Ashes Test is a post from: The Inquisitr

Watson, who replaced the out-of-form Philip Hughes as an opening batsman and fifth bowler, had never opened in Tests before and only had any serious experience in the position in one-day and Twenty20 forms of the game. He and Katich shared an 85-run opening partnership and Watson remains 62 not out with Ricky Ponting 17 to put Australia one for 126 at the close of a weather-curtailed day’s play that only spanned 30 overs.

Brad Haddin was the other change for the Australians, breaking an index finger in the warm up and leaving captain Ricky Ponting to have to ask English counterpart Andrew Strauss for special leave to bring in Graeme Manou after team sheets had been submitted. As expected, Ian Bell was the replacement for the injured Kevin Pieterson for the home side.

The English attack began poorly, with Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson bowling too short and wide, allowing Watson and Katich to leave balls that were swinging in overcast conditions. It took a while for the first boundary, a cover drive by Watson, but the runs started to flow as the sun came out and the line and length did not improve.

Watson survived a close LBW shout from Anderson before the first bowling change, but his combination of playing down the ground “in the V” and pulling viciously at short balls proved successful, particularly against Graham Onions who replaced Anderson. Broad, who replaced Flintoff, fared little better against Katich, giving away a number of easy boundaries from full balls pitched on the stumps while playing with a field that contained only two leg-side fielders.

It took until the advent of Graeme Swann for the first wicket to fall. First Watson survived a leg-before shout, and then Katich (46) missed a pull shot to a rank long hop and was trapped himself LBW off the last ball of Swann’s first over. However, Swann was only given one more over with Flintoff and Anderson brought back on – but their second spells were no more accurate than their first, and the pressure was off again by the time the end of play came.

Shane Watson the unlikely early star of third Ashes Test is a post from: The Inquisitr

Kevin Pietersen has been ruled out of the 2009 Ashes series after undergoing surgery on his Achilles tendon, dealing a blow to an England side which was cock-a-hoop after going 1-0 up after the Lord’s test.

“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,” said the England Cricket Board’s chief medical officer, Nick Peirce, confirming that Pietersen would be out for an expected six weeks.

Pietersen’s lower order batting replacement is likely to be Ian Bell, an accomplished Test batsman who nonetheless has struggled at times in comparison to Pietersen. Bell’s Ashes run total is 502 at an average of 25.1 from 20 innings, including four ducks and only nine innings in double figures with six 50s. After his 32 and 44 at Lord’s, Pietersen’s numbers against Australia are 1116 runs at 50.7 from 24 innings with seven 50s and two centuries.

Meanwhile, Australia is looking likely to bring in Shane Watson for Marcus North to bolster their bowling stocks, pending the form lines from this week’s tour match.

Kevin Pietersen ruled out of Ashes, exposing England’s Achilles heel is a post from: The Inquisitr

England have continued their domination of the Second Ashes Test and the strain is starting to show on Australian captain Ricky Ponting.

England are six for 311 with a lead of 521 runs and two days remaining to pile on the lead. They will hope to bowl the visitors out, as Australia couldn’t in the first Test, on a reasonably true pitch with rain threatening to cut down the action as it did in Cardiff.

After missing an easy run-out chance on Kevin Pietersen and dropping a catch from Ravi Bopara at second slip in successive overs early in the day, Ponting’s horrible game came to a head when Bopara hit a ball from Mitchell Johnson to mid on where Nathan Hauritz claimed a difficult catch, whereupon umpire Rudi Koertzen called for the third umpire and eventually gave Bopara not out.

Ponting’s reaction was to question Koertzen, who had mistakenly given Ponting himself out caught for a ball he didn’t hit in the Australian first innings, and then turn on Pietersen.

Australia started day three on eight for 156, still needing 76 to avoid the follow on chasing England’s 425. Hauritz (24) and Peter Siddle (35) provided some resistance but although the Australians only managed a total of 215, England captain did not enforce the follow on, as is the modern custom.

Englands openers Strauss (32) and Cook (32) started the innings on a solid footing and then came Bopara and Pietersen’s series of good luck. Their 74-run partnership was broken by Hauritz again with Bopara (27) caught by Katich, but by that time the lead was already over 350 and the batsmen started taking the long handle in a short-term search for quick runs.

Siddle had both Pietersen (44) and Collingwood (54) caught behind by Brad Haddin, with their dismissals split by the run out of Matt Prior (61) by Marcus North.

England grinds Australia into Lord’s dust in Second Ashes Test is a post from: The Inquisitr

Flintoff has arguably been England‘s best bowler for many years now but has missed more than half of their Tests in the last four years with knee and ankle ailments.

In the most recent match in Cardiff, he was restricted to short spells among his 35 overs for an analysis of one for 128.

“I’ve had four ankle operations and knee surgery, so my body is telling me things, and I’m actually starting to listen,” Flintoff said.

“I can’t just play games here and there while waiting to be fit. For my own sanity, and for my family’s, I’ve got to draw a line under it. I’ve been going through two years of rehab in the past four, which is not ideal.”

The knee injury is the one that continues to bother him in this series, but he is taking cortisone injections and looks likely to soldier on for one more campaign.

Flintoff will remain available for one-day and Twenty20 matches for England, but will surely be looking now towards the Indian Premier League for a big final pay day, as have retired greats from other countries in the last two seasons like Shane Warne and Adam Gilchrist.

Andrew Flintoff to retire from Test cricket after 2009 Ashes is a post from: The Inquisitr

Australia has failed to winkle out the last wicket on the final day of the First Ashes Test in Cardiff after a stout tenth-wicket resistance by James Anderson and Monty Panesar robbed them of a hard-fought victory.

Starting the fifth day at two for 20 with a deficit of 219 runs still to make up on Australia’s first innings lead, England played cautiously in an effort to conserve their wickets. This effort was not helped by Kevin Pietersen (8) having his off stump knocked over by Ben Hilfenhaus in the fourth over of the morning, with Pietersen leaving the ball entirely as he had two overs before in surviving a big shout for leg before wicket.

England captain Andrew Strauss (17) joined him in the pavilion six overs later, nicking a regulation Nathan Hauritz off-spinner to keeper Brad Haddin. The third wicket to fall in the morning session was England gloveman Matt Prior (14), who stopped a late cut to Hauritz half way through the shot but allowed the ball to glance off the edge to Michael Clarke at slip.

Paul Collingwood was the rock around which any English rearguard action had to be built, and he found a willing partner in Andrew Flintoff (26), who lasted 71 balls before providing Ricky Ponting with a sharp low catch off Mitchell Johnson. Stuart Broad (14) also tried to hang around but was caught LBW to a skidding Hauritz delivery before tea.

The last session yielded most of a 62-run partnership for the eighth wicket between Collingwood and Graeme Swann (31) before Swann was hoodwinked by Hilfenhaus using the second new ball, sending men out for a hook shot but bowling a slow straight one for the LBW decision.

Anderson (21 not out) looked at some stages like providing enough support to Collingwood, getting England’s total to within six runs of the total required to make Australia bat again, but it was Collingwood (74) himself who eventually fell, hitting a loose shot from Peter Siddle to gully where Michael Hussey juggled the catch.

The remaining 11 overs were the sort of tense, pulsating Test cricket that Ashes series have come to be known for, with Panesar (7 not out) and Anderson both not providing a chance to leave England nine for 252 with a second-innings lead of just 13 runs. The Australian bowlers could not get the vital breakthrough and will have to go to the second Test at Lord’s with disappointment in their minds.

England saves First Test of 2009 Ashes series is a post from: The Inquisitr

Australia has put a stranglehold on the First Test of the 2009 Ashes series, setting up a fifth day where England have to bat all day with only eight wickets in hand and only scattered rain predicted.

Starting the day five for 479 with a lead of 44 runs over England’s first innings of 435, with Marcus North on 54 and Brad Haddin on 4, the two batted through the morning session and most of the middle session as well, to completely put the game beyond England’s reach.

When Haddin (121) was out after slogging to all parts of the boundary, eventually caught by Ravi Bopara off Paul Collingwood, captain Ricky Ponting called Haddin and North (125 not out) in to declare at seven for 675, a total of 239 runs ahead on the first innings.

Some commentators thought the declaration slightly premature, but Ponting was vindicated first by his bowlers and then by the conditions. After looking scratchy in his early overs, Mitchell Johnson trapped Alastair Cook (6) in front with a slightly slower straight ball, then Ben Hilfenhaus extracted a second leg before wicket decision to dismiss Bopara (1) with a delivery that looked a little high.

At the tea break the long-forecast rain for the day finally arrived, and play was eventually abandoned for the day with England 2/20 and staring an innings defeat in the face on the fifth day.

Australia closes in on 2009 Ashes First Test win is a post from: The Inquisitr

The third day of the First Ashes Test in Cardiff went the same way as the second, with Michael Clarke and Marcus North building the second strong partnership of the innings to almost rule out an English victory at 479/5 in reply to England’s 435.

Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich began the day on three figures each with Australia 1/249, but both fell to the second new ball in the morning session. Katich (122) was caught LBW by an excellent inswinging yorker by James Anderson, as the new Duke ball did show significant movement through the air despite doing precisely nothing off the pitch.

Michael Hussey (3) continued his poor run of recent form with a relatively tame nick through to keeper Matt Prior from Andrew Flintoff. Ricky Ponting (150) passed 11,000 Test runs during a highly controlled innings but edged a Monty Panesar spinner onto his stumps just before lunch with a tired cut shot.

With the ball aging and the pitch offering nothing, the middle session belonged to Clarke and North, with English captain Andrew Strauss setting a packed off-side field to Clarke with two close covers to no effect. The spinners, Panesar and Graeme Swann, both struggled with their length, with Swann offering many full tosses and Panesar serving up multiple long hops. Neither batsman gave a chance before a two-hour rain delay spanning the tea break brought a halt to proceedings.

Clarke (83) hit yet another beautiful cover boundary in the first over after resumption, but he did eventually fall caught behind to Prior off Stuart Broad down the leg side. North (54 not out) was joined by Brad Haddin (4*) and they survived until a second interruption ended the day’s play.

Australia will probably have to add another 200 runs to build a total that they can use to win the game, in the hope that they can force England to bat last on the fifth day. The pitch has not shown much signs of deteriorating so far but the rain may help that process along, especially with further showers forecast for the fourth day.

Clarke and North bat England out of First Ashes Test is a post from: The Inquisitr

Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting have both posted centuries to put Australia in the strong position of one for 249 on the second day of the First Test of the 2009 Ashes series in reply to England’s 435.

England started the day on 7/336 with only bowlers left at the crease, but after Stuart Broad (19) was bowled behind his legs by Mitchell Johnson, James Anderson (26) lent great support to Graeme Swann (47 not out) in a 67-run partnership for the ninth wicket. After Anderson was caught by Michael Hussey from the bowling of Nathan Hauritz, Monty Panesar (4) was the last to fall to a catch by Ponting off Hauritz.

Australia’s openers put on 60 for the first wicket without any of the English bowlers providing anything like the swing that the Australians had yesterday on a dull, lifeless, straw-coloured pitch. Andrew Flintoff’s first spell, however, was full of menace, particularly towards Philip Hughes who was put under scrutiny by the English media before the game for supposedly being susceptible against the short ball. Flintoff tested Hughes on this point and Hughes eventually succumbed via an inside edge to Flintoff which was smartly caught by Matt Prior.

The unbeaten 189-run partnership for the second wicket between Katich (104*) and Ponting (100*) which followed for the rest of the second day was characterised by patient accumulation by both players. Katich’s shots, when they came, did go through the air for significant periods but always wide of the field, while Ponting looked in supreme control for the vast majority of his innings without pushing his game beyond the limits of the pitch.

The bad news for England was compounded by an injury to Broad in the last session of the day, which given that England has five recognised bowlers in this game won’t hurt as much as could be imagined, but will test the fitness of the underprepared Flintoff and also test the quality of the two spinners Swann and Panesar, who will get the bulk of the extra work.

Ponting and Katich bat Australia into strength in first Ashes Test is a post from: The Inquisitr

Two late wickets with the new ball by Peter Siddle have tipped the First Ashes Test at Cardiff in favour of Australia after England won the toss and batted their way to 336 for 7.

On a dry, flat pitch which looks to be as friendly to spin as had been foreshadowed prior to the match, the toss was a crucial one to win, and Ricky Ponting’s incorrect call of heads set the series off on a poor foot for the Aussies.

Australia’s bowling attack of Mitchell Johnson, Siddle, Ben Hilfenhaus and Nathan Hauritz managed three wickets in the first session, with Alastair Cook (10) caught in the gully by Michael Hussey in his left hand diving full length in the air, Andrew Strauss (30) caught in slips by Michael Clarke leaving his bat hanging at a Johnson bumper, and Ravi Bopara (35) deceived by a Johnson slower ball to be caught in the covers by Philip Hughes. England reached lunch at 97 for three with honours even in conditions that allowed significant swing but very little movement off the pitch and a true bounce.

The middle session was dominated by England, with Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood compiling most of their 138-run stand for the fourth wicket. Hauritz and Siddle in particular leaked many runs, with Siddle giving up many boundaries and Hauritz unable to stop Pietersen sweeping him for easy runs.

After Collingwood edged Hilfenhaus to Brad Haddin’s right for 64, Hauritz had the last laugh on his tormentor after tea when Pietersen (69) made another early movement to sweep but found Hauritz had bowled four feet wide of off stump. Pietersen’s shot bounced off his own helmet and popped up to Simon Katich.

Andrew Flintoff and Mark Prior then shared an 86-run partnership for the sixth wicket at a fast scoring rate before first Flintoff (37) and then Prior (56) edged inswinging deliveries by Siddle with the second new ball into their stumps. Flintoff’s dismissal was due to a poor shot with an angled bat, but Prior’s wicket was taken with a viciously swinging delivery that beat the batsman for pace and movement.

While Australia will be struggling to win this test given their loss of the toss, they can be happy to have shaded day one with those two late wickets. England’s two spinners, Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar, remain in the sheds and are likely to have most influence over the game, particularly in the second innings.

Australia swings ahead on first day of 2009 Ashes is a post from: The Inquisitr

It’s that time of the four-year cricket cycle when Australia visits the Old Dart to take on England for the Ashes, and it’s the old story of arrogance and bluster before the first Test in Cardiff starts later today.

Last time at home, England managed an unlikely victory by the smallest of margins, but since then they have lost 5-0 in Australia. For its part, the Australian team has struggled to maintain its form since the retirement of Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath, but it wrested back top spot in the Test rankings earlier this year by beating South Africa on home soil, albeit after losing to them in Australia.

Most media speculation before proceedings get underway in Cardiff is centring around Australia’s lack of spinner stocks, with Nathan Hauritz not impressive in warm up games as the only specialist tweaker in the squad – while Jason Kresja tears up Pakistan A in Darwin. Mitchell Johnson will again spearhead the attack as he did with great effect in South Africa, and if he can produce a couple of spells like he did to win a Test or two over there, it will go a long way towards winning Australia the series, in the manner that McGrath and Warne have delivered in Ashes clashes for so many previous series.

The third seamer position, behind Johnson and Peter Siddle, had looked like going to Brett Lee after his strong performance in the tour match at Worcester a week ago proved that he was reverse-swinging the ball in English conditions. However, a slight tear in a hip muscle has ruled him out of one to two Tests, bringing Stuart Clark back into the slot. Despite Lee’s good recent form, though, it may very well be better for the Australian XI to have the far more dependable Clark rather than the unpredictable Lee in that position – particularly as Lee has been the reason Australia have lost several Tests recently with profligate spells of little menace.

England’s batsmen have been given the seal of approval by the media after feasting on the West Indies in away and home series in succession, but the fact that the entire top six of the batting order are averaging over 50 in 2009 masks the lack of quality in the bowling opposition they have faced in that time, not to mention the flatness of the pitches in the Caribbean which were prepared after the Windies won the first test of their home series in an eventually successful attempt to preserve the series victory. South Africa had similarly had an excellent warm up series against Bangladesh before facing Australia last summer, but it didn’t help their cause in the end.

As for Australia’s batting stocks, it is a line up in transition with some still-raw youngsters with obvious skill flaws. Philip Hughes had a fine series in South Africa but the English conditions will leave his singular technique open to further inspection from an honest set of English opening bowlers, not least of which the always dangerous Andrew Flintoff. Ricky Ponting is becoming more and more susceptible to giving the slips catching practice early in his innings, as does Simon Katich with his penchant for flashing through the off side. Cardiff is expected to give the most help to slow bowlers, but if Australia’s slight weakness against spin is exploited there for an opening loss, expect the other pitches on the tour to start turning square, allowing the likes of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar to lift themselves above some indifferent county cricket form to take advantage of favourable pitches.

Finally on the keepers, both Mark Prior and Brad Haddin are better batsmen than glovemen based on recent form, with both dropping relatively easy catches in warm up games.

At first glance, it appears both sides may struggle to take 20 wickets in a game. Given that Britain is currently undergoing what Nasser Hussain recently described as a “six week drought” (not that Englishmen know the meaning of the word) it doesn’t sound like rain-outs are all that likely, so there will be enough opportunity for the bowlers to grind out results. As was seen in the most recent Australian tour of India, however, even “roads” can produce results if one side established mental dominance over the other.

My gut feeling says Australia is still the more mentally tough squad, and if it can win against South Africa in South Africa it is capable of beating England at home, a team with many more flaws. Some of those flaws are not being talked up at the moment, with raw numbers racked up against lesser opponents by Englishmen masking some iffy temperaments and lack of Test hardness. Australia’s current #1 Test ranking may flatter them, with India and South Africa having claims to the title, but there’s no question that England does not belong in the top echelon of the sport at this stage. I would expect Australia to jump out to a series lead of 1-0 or 2-0 by the third test, and then maybe drop one on the way home. 2-1 is the favourite scoreline for me, Australia’s way.

2009 Ashes preview is a post from: The Inquisitr

The Australian cricket team has opened the tour match against the England Lions with three good innings but zero depth in between, while only Alastair Cook can say he did his innings justice in England XI’s total of 290 against Warwickshire.Australia started their second four-day match of the 2009 Ashes tour at the New Road ground in Worcester on a flat, slow pitch in conditions that allowed a decent amount of swing. A big hundred from Mike Hussey (143*) with support from Simon Katich (95) and Mitchell Johnson (47) helped Australia to a total of 331/8 at the close of the first day’s play. No other Australian could score higher than seven runs, though all but Marcus North (1) got runs in the previous match against Sussex at Hove.

The English Lions, a second XI which is equivalent to the Australia A team of the antipodeans, worked professionally in the field without any of their bowlers demanding a place in the first Ashes Test at Cardiff. Spinner Tim Bresnan (3/46) was the pick of the bowlers, Steve Harmison (3/67) and Graham Onions (2/66) were at about the same pace, while Sajid Mahmood (0/74) was punished by Hussey and Johnson in particular.

Most of the pre-match hype at Worcester was around the last bowling spot in the Australian XI, with Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle guaranteed spots and Stuart Clark, Brett Lee and Nathan Hauritz fighting over the other two. With the pitch being as dull as it is, in contrast to the Cardiff pitch which is expected to take a lot of spin, the Australian selectors may not get a clear idea over the next three days in any case.

Meanwhile, over at Birmingham it was the Alastair Cook show, whose 124 included 21 fours. Cook enjoyed good partnerships with Andrew Strauss (31) and Ravi Bopara (43) with both out to indifferent shots. Bopara, who skied gently to midwicket, is the man slated to replace the recently retired Michael Vaughan at the forefront of the English assault on the Ashes. None of the other English batsmen reached 25, with Pietersen (1) nicking to slips in disappointing fashion. Anderson took the only Warwickshire wicket to fall in the 10 over stint at the end of the day.

Ashes combatants warm up with patchy batting is a post from: The Inquisitr