Trott keeps England on target to retain the urn

England 5 for 444 (Trott 141*, Cook 82, Prior 75*, Strauss 69, Pietersen 51, Siddle 3-58) lead Australia 98 by 346 runs

 On a day when Ricky Ponting lost his cool with the umpires, Jonathan Trott was a picture of composure as his second century of the series kept England on target to retain the Ashes. Led by an aggressive Peter Siddle in front of his home crowd, the Australian fast men tried to drag their team back into the contest but after their first-innings 98, the hosts needed a miraculous day, not a solid one.

Trott was the anchor for England, with support from Kevin Pietersen and Matt Prior, and by the close of play their advantage had grown to 346 runs, already an ample lead that will grow on day three. Trott went to stumps on 141 and Prior had 75, and Australia's inability to break through in the final session sapped any energy they might have drawn from Siddle's early strikes.

Three days of rain might be feasible in Brisbane, given the recent weather in the north, but it won't happen in Melbourne, and Australia's batsmen must find remarkable resolve in the second innings if England are to be denied victory and the urn is to remain up for grabs at the SCG. And judging by Ponting's outburst, levelheadedness is not widespread in the team right now.

He was convinced the review of a not-out caught-behind decision against Kevin Pietersen showed a deflection on Hot Spot, but it was a misguided thought as the ball had passed much higher on the bat. After the third umpire correctly backed Aleem Dar's on-field decision to reprieve Pietersen on 49, Ponting heatedly argued with Dar, Pietersen and the other umpire Tony Hill. 

It was an ugly incident that took the attention away from a solid 92-run partnership between Trott and Pietersen, which ended soon afterwards when Pietersen was plumb lbw to Siddle for 51. What followed was an eventful mini-session as the out-of-form Paul Collingwood (8) and Ian Bell (1) both hooked short balls from Mitchell Johnson to Siddle at fine leg, before Prior had a lucky escape on 5.

Just before tea, Johnson won a caught-behind decision from Dar, and Prior was walking off when he was called back by Dar, who had a nagging doubt about whether Johnson had overstepped. A quick consultation with the third official showed Johnson had indeed delivered a no-ball; Prior was reprieved, the Australians were frustrated, and the Prior-Trott partnership was allowed to bulge to 158 by stumps.

The Ashes 2010: England on top at the Waca as Australia fall for 268

To England went the spoils of the first day, which means eight successive days, since the third day in Brisbane, or 20 successive sessions, won by the visitors.

Australia, put in to bat, were dismissed for 268, four overs before the second new ball was due, for which Andrew Strauss would cheerfully have settled beforehand. The end justified the means. But with the exception of a terrific performance from one paceman and another outstanding fielding display, this was an indifferent England, several notches below the complete game they managed in Adelaide.

Chris Tremlett was a giant in the literal and metaphorical sense, gaining steepling bounce and good pace to claim three wickets on his return to Test cricket, and more than justified his selection. But Jimmy Anderson was way off beam with the new ball, criminally so, his three-wicket return a bonus rather than an achievement, although he did manage the early wicket of Ricky Ponting, while Steve Finn was unable to locate the length required, erred either too full or, as the day wore on, too short and was handed out a near run-a-ball spanking as a result. Graeme Swann's two-wicket intervention ought not to have been necessary.

In the 12 overs bowled to them as the shadows lengthened across the Waca, the England openers, Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, ensured that the day was not sullied, seeing out all four of the Australian seamers with no alarm other than one rasping square cut from the captain that seared at catchable height past Mike Hussey in the gully, squinting into the setting sun. Twice Cook carved short deliveries deliberately over the slip cordon, one of them for six. Twenty-nine without loss, and the initial hardness already going from the ball, was the ideal finish.

readmore

The Ashes 2010: England run riot against Australia to win second Test

It was only a morning, but it was one of the great mornings for England cricket in modern times. No weather to save Australia. In winning the second Test overwhelmingly, by an innings and 71 runs, they have achieved what no England side has managed for 24 years and won a Test in Australia while the Ashes were still at stake.

This represents a hammer blow to Australia, who must now win two of the final three Tests if they are to regain the Ashes, a prospect not helped by the news that their opener Simon Katich will miss the remaining matches with an Achilles injury.

There were tense final moments as England, a bowler down because of the injury to Stuart Broad which has also finished his involvement in the series, sought the final wicket with the two Australian tailenders at the crease. To gasps from the crowd and players, balls beat the bat.

Finally, at 11.27am precisely, almost an hour and a half into the day, Graeme Swann spun an off-break through the gate left by Peter Siddle to hit off stump and spark celebrations.

Swann had taken the last three wickets to finish with five for 91 and confirm his status as the leading spinner in world cricket. It was Swann who took the final wicket at The Oval when the Ashes were won last year. Only Marcus North, for almost an hour, offered resistance as Mike Hussey went to Steve Finn and the new ball for 52, and the tail folded. In 17 overs England took six for 64.

 readmore

Pietersen hits double century; England 551-4

Kevin Pietersen passed the double hundred mark for the second time in his Test career as England reached 551—4 at tea on Sunday on the third day of the second Ashes Test in Adelaide, taking a commanding 306—run, first innings lead over Australia.

Paul Collingwood was the only batsman to be dismissed in the second session, going out lbw to Shane Watson for 40. Earlier in the day, Alastair Cook was dismissed for 148, caught by Brad Haddin off Ryan Harris.

Pietersen was 213 not out at the break, while Ian Bell had 41.

England, following its 517—1 declared in the second innings of the first Ashes Test at Brisbane, has now passed 500 in consecutive innings for the first time against Australia.

Despite a sore hamstring, Pietersen reached his double century with a quick single to mid off and then punched the air and saluted the England fans on the hill at the Adelaide Oval.

The South African—born batsman, who came to the wicket before tea on Saturday afternoon, had gone 27 Test innings without making a hundred, dating back to March 2009.

Australia finally managed to dismiss Cook for 148 when he inside—edged Ryan Harris behind to Brad Haddin. That ended Cook’s run of 1,057 minutes without losing his wicket, going back to his second innings of 235 not out in Brisbane.

readmore

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.