| England Vs Australia | ||||||||
Venue :1st Test Match, Sophia Gardens, Cardiff | ||||||||
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This year’s Ashes series launched into action today and all indications are that the first test should be a cracker with Australia taking honours on day one.
At stumps England were poised delicately at 7/336 with nightwatchman James Anderson (2) and Stuart Broad (4) facing a nervous night as they prepare to face an Aussie pace barrage that was extracting banana swing and wicked seam from Cardiff’s Sophia Gardens pitch.
As predicted here at BetUS.com Ben Hilfenhaus (2/61) started his Ashes career in fine form taking the wicket of Alastair Cook for 10 before man-model Mitchell Johnson (2/68) had England on the back foot at 3-90 dismissing Andrew Strauss (30) and Ravi Bopara (35).
A middle order revival through born-again Englishman Kevin Pietersen (69) and ginger-ninja Paul Collingwood (64) righted a potentially capsizing ship putting on 138 for the fourth wicket before gingerness caused Collingwood to lose his head.
Pietersen then succumbed to delusions of his own grandeur believing incorrectly that you can sweep a ball from far outside off stump without moving giving Nathan Hauritz (1/67) his first and potentially his last wicket of the series (due to a lack of talent more than anything).
Andrew Flintoff (37) and ‘keeper Matt Prior (56) combined for a slapdash 80-plus partnership before Peter Siddle (2/93) sidled up to claim their wickets late in the day.
Australia will be hoping to strike nice and early tomorrow morning and remove the tail to allow their batsmen an opportunity to compile a healthy lead.
With Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar the batsmen to come, it should be quick if they can remove Anderson or Broad.
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