Ashes: Cook puts England in charge against Australia

Alastair Cook hit an unbeaten 136 as England built a 72-run lead on day two of the second Test against Australia.

After his 235 not out in the first Test, Cook took his series aggregate to 438 with a chanceless knock as England reached 317-2 at the close.

The tourists made a bad start to the day when Andrew Strauss was bowled by Doug Bollinger playing no stroke.

But Jonathan Trott (78) and Kevin Pietersen (85 not out) helped Cook put them in a commanding position.
Once again, Australia's bowling attack was found wanting, with the seamers struggling to maintain a disciplined line and length and spinner Xavier Doherty unable to justify the shown in him by the selectors.

England will hope to bat long into day three to build a commanding lead but will be mindful that the match is following a similar course to the opening Test in which Australia held a 221-run advantage on first innings but were unable to force a victory.

With the new ball only three overs old, the home side need early wickets on the third morning. On the evidence of the series so far, however, it will need something special to dislodge Cook, who has batted for over 1,000 minutes since his last dismissal.

What marked the 25-year-old's innings out as something truly special at the Adelaide Oval was the way he avoided giving the bowlers even a glimmer of hope.

After Strauss went for one, Trott should have been out before reaching double figures and Pietersen - perhaps forgivably after sitting padded up for a combined total of almost 10 hours in the two matches - took time to settle.

But Cook played to his strengths, flicking confidently through mid-wicket when the balls was on the stumps, despatching anything short and wide past point and anything over-pitched through the covers, while remaining watchful at all times in defence.

It was a testament to his maturity that he was not discomfited by the shock departure of Strauss - the England skipper guilty of an appalling error of judgment as he chose not to play a straight ball from Bollinger which clipped the top of the stumps.

The Ashes 2010: Jimmy Anderson takes four as England skittle Australia

England defied the Adelaide traditions by losing the toss but then bowling Australia out for just 245 to take the upper hand in the second Ashes Test.

A remarkable opening to the day saw the hosts crash to two for three before Shane Watson and Michael Hussey rebuilt with a stand of 94. Brad Haddin added a half-century but the lower order crumbled. James Anderson led the way with four wickets for 51 before England openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook reached the close without alarm.

Expectations were high for a huge first-innings score at this ground synonymous with 500-plus totals over the first three days. Instead, England struck with the fourth ball of the match.

Anderson appealed for lbw against Watson and in the confusion Watson called Simon Katich through for a single - and Jonathan Trott pounced for a direct hit from square-leg to run the left-hander out, without facing a ball.

The Australian captain Ricky Ponting strode out, and trooped back off, in little more than a minute. Anderson, England's outstanding bowler and deserving of better figures in the drawn first Test in Brisbane, got an outswinger in the perfect spot to any new batsman. Ponting pushed out and edged low to second slip, where Graeme Swann took a neat catch away to his left. It was Ponting's fifth golden duck in his 150th Test, and a major shock to this sell-out crowd.

In his next over, Anderson struck again - an out-of-form Michael Clarke edging an attempted drive to Swann.

Watson survived a DRS review for a front-foot lbw as simulation showed the ball was going over the top of leg-stump, vindicating umpire Tony Hill. England would have had a fourth wicket anyway had Anderson managed to hold on to a one-handed return catch to his left when Hussey chipped a drive back - on three and with the team total still only 12.

The left-hander, who made 195 at the Gabba, also edged Anderson just short of Swann soon afterwards.

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