Australia in commanding position in third Ashes Test by Andy Jalil

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

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DateLine: 2nd August 2013

 

By Andy Jalil at Old Trafford.
In association with INVESTEC.

 

Andy Jalil at Old Trafford In association with INVESTEC © Pakistan Cricket Website

 

Manchester – Having posted a most impressive first innings total, Australia will not want to miss this opportunity of getting back in the series with a win if they are to have any chance of regaining the Ashes after being two Tests down. For the first time in the series their batting clicked with Michael Clarke’s marvellous century and four other batsmen with half centuries, two of whom were unlucky to fall just short of a hundred.

 

But their task of claiming 20 wickets on this excellent batting track is not going to be easy although with three days remaining they have the time. England have a most capable batting line-up but by stumps they had lost two wickets to Peter Siddle, both with catches behind the stumps to finish on 52 for two and trailing by 475.

 

England’s first wicket fell on 47 when Joe Root got a thin edge after a patient 8 from 57 balls over an hour and a half. It was a great ball from Siddle which just moved away enough, although Root should have been forward instead of playing from the crease. But the second wicket seemed a poor umpiring decision as Tim Bresnan in attempting a pull missed the ball. A review for the third umpire was not risked for the nightwatchman.

 

Earlier, the breakthrough that England urgently needed came after just over an hour’s play in Australia’s first innings after Clarke and Steve Smith had added 40 to the overnight score. With the intention of a five hundred plus total, they batted watchfully with Smith reaching 89 having added 19 to his overnight score before needlessly playing a slog shot off Graeme Swann and top-edging it for a catch at short mid-wicket.

 

His stand with Clarke had put on 214, the highest for the fourth wicket on this ground beating 189 by Mohammad Azharuddin and Sanjay Manjrekar in 1990. Smith had given excellent support to his captain over four and three quarter hours as the two batsmen took the side to such a strong position. David Warner was jeered with boos from the crowd on his arrival at the crease after his clash in a bar with the young England batsman Joe Root last month, resulting in his suspension and then a stint with Australia ‘A’ team in South Africa where he hit 193 before his recall.

 

His innings lasted only ten balls before he edged Swann for a catch at slip, via the wicketkeeper’s leg. It was a clear edge yet Warner asked for a review, it looked as ridiculous as Stuart Broad’s request for a review in the first Test. Clarke meanwhile had taken his score to 150, adding 25 to his overnight score and along with Brad Haddin he had put on 62, taking his score to 187, his highest against England, before he was dismissed.

 

He was unlucky to play-on to Stuart Broad when a short rising ball went off his chest and gloves and on to his stumps. It gave Broad his 200th Test wicket, the second youngest England bowler to reach that milestone after Ian Botham. Swann then completed his seventeenth 5-wicket Test haul with Peter Siddle being bowled having missed a heave to leg.

 

A hard-hitting unbroken stand of 97 between Haddin and Mitchell Starc finally saw Australia to a massive 527 for seven before the declaration came four overs after tea. Haddin remained unbeaten on 65 and Starc was 66 not out from just 71 balls.

 

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