England's Andrew Strauss in action against Australia 2009 Ashes npower Test Series Second Test First Day

After a nail-biting first test match the Ashes Series travels to Lord’s for the Second test match between England and Australia. Some of the key factors before the start of this match include the time wasting tactics used by the Englishmen in the first test match and Andrew Flintoff’s decision to retire from test cricket after the Ashes Series. The Australians will be aware of both these factors when they taken on England in this match to get the upper hand in the series. The pre match hype if not serious will play a key role in the outcome of this match as neither team will take each other lightly.

The Australians will know that they had England pinned right on the mat and missed securing victory by a narrow margin in Cardiff. They might go into the match a little disappointed with England happy to be on level terms. Only time will tell if these factors play a key role in the match. The conditions on field are excellent for the bowlers from both the teams as the wicket at Lord’s will offer the required pace and bounce. However, Lord’s has been a special place for the Aussies since the Englishmen have never got the better of them in this venue for the last 75 years of the Ashes series. Perhaps it is time to add a new chapter to the history of Lord’s this time round or will it be the same story as heard often while going through the pages of history.

Lord’s might be the venue where the English captain Andrew Strauss can get a huge score after missing out in the First test match. This is the ground where Strauss plays county cricket for Middlesex, so nothing is unknown to him regarding this venue. However, the Australians should not sleep on their record in this venue. The Englishmen have not fared badly on this wicket. Strauss himself has got an average of over 50 in his last few innings on this ground. The Australians will need to show similar kind of form as in the first test match to ensure that their record remains intact in this venue. The England squad will have five bowlers with a slight concern regarding Flintoff’s knee injury. Steve Harmison is there to make the squad incase Flintoff pulls out. Graham Onions might get a look in as the wicket of Lord’s might not be suitable for two spinners. The Australians are likely to send out the same squad into the field to get the better of England this time round.

Though drawn test matches happen more frequently in Lord’s but the bowlers should be happy that this pitch has a bit of juice in it to help the bowlers. The Cardiff wicket was a nightmarish situation for the English bowlers as they did not get any kind of assistance from the wicket. Neither did the Australian batsman lower their guard. In a match held in 2005, 17 wickets tumbled on the opening day on this wicket. Therefore, one should expect a lot of lively bounce and movement for the faster men in this match.

England manage to draw the first test against Australia in Ashes Series 2009

One can simply say that it was an amazing test match that just concluded between England and Australia at Cardiff. There could not have been a more perfect beginning to the Ashes series as Australia pushed hard for victory in the first test match and England managed to hold on to salvage a draw in spite of some very ordinary bowling performance in the test match by its bowlers. The Englishmen were totally outplayed in all the departments whether it be bowling, batting, or fielding. England narrowly managed to get a draw out of this test match due to some determined and courageous batting by Paul Collingwood, James Anderson, and the English spinning wizard Monty Panesar. With this result England managed to head for the second test of the Ashes series with everything to play for in the upcoming matches.

If one looks at the closing stages of the test match then it was a huge task for both Monty Panesar and James Anderson to save the game for England. However, both these English knights showed enough courage and determination to hold fort in the final overs of the day and help England escape with a draw. Both these players played solid cricket to stop the Aussie bowlers from getting the last wicket, thereby denying Australia victory in the first test match. Panesar saw off 35 balls and Anderson saw off 53 balls in the closing stages of the match to make sure that England could snatch a draw from the jaws of defeat staring right into their face. In this course of time England tried out various tactics by calling the 12th man and Physio on several occasions to make sure that the game slowed down. However, it was grit and determination of the last pair that saw England sail through to salvage this draw.

England started the first innings of the match by handing over the advantage to the Australian bowlers as they were reduced to 97 for 3 at lunch on the first day. However, some solid batting performances from thereon by Kevin Pietersen (52 runs) and Paul Collingwood (50 runs) ensured that England were going smoothly till the final session of the day. Australia struck back in the final session of day one to reduce England to 336 for 7 with just the tail left in the England first innings. The second day started off well as Graham Swann and James Anderson played with a positive frame of mind to ensure that the English tail wagged a little longer so that England could put a decent first innings score of 435 runs on board.

However, the best part of the match had ended for the Englishmen as the Australians took control. The match from Day 2 afternoon session onwards till Day 5 afternoon session belonged to the Aussies as they outplayed the Englishmen in all departments of the game. The Australian batsman butchered the English bowler as they hit them to all parts of the ground. There was arrogance in the way the Aussies played and scored runs freely as the English bowlers toiled hard to get them out. Without any major contributions from the spinning duo of Panesar and Swann, the English pace attack looked toothless on an excellent batting strip laid out in Cardiff.

The Australian batsman dictated terms to the English bowlers and showed their batsman the way to get big scores in test matches as they pilled up a huge total. The major contributions came from Katich, Pointing, North, Clarke, and Haddin as the Aussie run machine feasted on the lackluster English bowling attack.  The Aussie captain was simply outstanding in the match as he scored 150 runs to ensure that the Australians did not need to bat again. Notable contributions from Katich (122 runs), Clarke (83 runs), North (125 runs) and Haddin (121 runs) ensured that the Australians put up a mammoth 674 runs in the first innings before declaring on Day 4 with an overall lead of 239 runs. The Australian bowlers were warmed up to hit form in the second innings as the English batsman faltered on Day 5 of the test match. Had it not been for Collingwood, Panesar and Anderson, it would have been a sure shot victory for the Australians. However, the end result is that both the teams are tied at 0-0 for the series and would hope to turn the tables in the next test match.

Australian continued their dominance on day 4 of the first Ashes test in Cardiff. Building on their 44 run lead, Marcus North and Brad Haddin both hit centuries.

England were sloppy, poor fielding was opitimised when Alastair Cook threw a ball in from the boundary, there was a very good chance of running out Haddin at the bowlers end, despite plenty of time, Anderson was not stationed by the stumps, and the opportunity was missed.

After lunch Haddin broke loose, the Australians looking for quick runs in time for a declaration. Also in mind was the weather, which was in danger of curtailing the fourth days play.

Haddin eventually cracked on to Ravi Bopara at deep mid wicket, and with that he departed for 121, Ricky Ponting declared on 674 – a lead of 239, with Marcus North not out for 125.

England returned to a grim scene – not only their position in the game, the clouds were looming, and the floodlights were on. They were tentative to start, after hooking him for four, Alastair Cook played across the line of a straight ball, and Mitchell Johnson had his man – England were 13/1.

The lights were on, but unfortunately for England – there was no-one at home. Ravi Bopara was unfortunate to be given out LBW, off the ground, the ball struck him well above the knee roll. Billy Doctrove didn’t agree, Ben Hilfenhaus had his wicket and England were starring down the barrell at 17/2. With a hint of rain, and the floodlights doing their bit to keep the players out there on a grim afternoon, England headed in for tea at 20/2.

And that ultimately – was that. The day was called off for the day. The weather seems much better for tomorrow, and England have their work cut-out. They still trial by 219 runs, and with nothing to play for – other than the draw – they must be moderately attacking and avoid the awful performance in Adelaide where they scored 60 runs in two sessions when trying to bat out for the draw.

A dominant 189 run partnership between Ricky Ponting and Simon Katich swung the pendulum firmly in Australia’s favour in day 2 of the First npower Ashes Test, Cardiff.

England amassed an extra 99 runs in the morning session before finally being bowled out for 435. Australia’s start was electric, with Phil Hughes hitting a run a ball 30 before lunch. Andrew Flintoff eventually had him caught behind, but after that the play was all Australia as Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting hit centuries as Australia ended the day on 249-1, trailing England’s total by 186.

England’s start to the day was very positive. Beginning on 336/7 Stuart Broad struck two delightful fours off Peter Siddle, one a scorcher past mid off. The Nottinghamshire man met an unlucky end to his innings, a ball from Mitchell Johnson hit the underside of his thigh pad and dragged back onto his stumps.

Broad’s demise didn’t stem the scoring however, Graham Swann looked to be forceful, and keep the scoreboard ticking over, night-watchman James Anderson also got in on the act as the pair pushed three’s to the long square boundaries at the SWALEC Stadium. The positivity forced Ricky Ponting to spread sweepers on both the square boundary.

England’s aggression forced the Australian skipper to bring on Nathan Hauritz. And no doubt to the delight of batsman Graham Swann – an no doubt all of the England camp, Hauritz’s first ball spun sharply off the pitch, past the keeper for four byes.

Undeterred, Swann went after Hauritz – striking two consecutive boundaries down the ground followed by an audacious reverse sweep that went to the third man boundary. Swann and Anderson’s 50 run partnership coming up in just 38 balls as England were racing along at 7 an over in the morning session.

James Anderson fell trying to hit Hauritz over the top, and Monty Panesar after struggling for a short while, eventually edging the off-spinner to Ricky Ponting a gully.

Phil Hughes got off to a flyer at the beginning of the Australian innings, Stuart Broad imparticular on the receiving end of Hughes’ aggression as Australia made it to 39-0 in a short spell before the lunch break.

Immediately after lunch Andrew Flintoff was bought into the attack bowling around the wicket to Hughes. The over was lively, short pitched, but to Hughes’ credit – he evaded the short ball well.

A short while later Flintoff forced opener Simon Katich to punt one back at him, he stuck his giant claw in the direction of the ball, and agonisingly for him and for England, the ball popped out and down to the ground.

But the breakthrough finally came when Flintoff had Hughes get an inside edge through to ‘keeper Matt Prior who took a smart catch diving away to his right – Hughes departing for 36.

In the following over Stuart Broad had close LBW appeals against both Katich and Ricky Ponting. Katich got a feather of an inside edge on his, and Ponting had himself well outside the line of the off stump – but Broad, England and the fans, were defiantly fired up.

The pair settled in for the afternoon session, as England turned to both spinners Graham Swann and Monty Panesar without fortune. On the stroke of tea Ponting scored a 2 off Broad to take himself to 11,001 test runs – joining the select group of Brian Lara, Sachin Tendulkar and Allan Border.

Simon Katich went past 50 as Australia reached 143-1 at tea, the Flintoff/Hughes battle aside – Australia’s session.

It was much of the same after the break, the pair bought up their 100 partnership of 179 balls. Andrew Strauss tried every option available to him, but Ponting and Katich stood firm as Australia bought the 200 up. The run rate continued at 3.5 an over and England struggled to get any movement with the ball, or much life out of the pitch.

On the stroke of stumps Simon Katich bought up his hundred off 214 balls, and Ponting likewise off 155 balls. Australia ended the day in a dominant position – only 1 wicket down, and trailing by only 186 runs.

The Australian captain Ricky Pointing faces a tough proposition this time round, as he will lead the Australian team perhaps for one last time to face the English men in their own soil. This is going to be one grueling encounter that will make test cricket come alive, as both the teams will fight for the crown of the Ashes. Things will not be that easy for the Australian team and hoping for a clean sweep of the series this time round may not be an easy task for them. The Australians will miss their premier fast bowler Bret Lee, who is out of this match due to an injury. However, there are many players in the both the teams who can make a difference to this match with some brilliant performances on their parts. The favorite as usual is the Australian team but do not leave out a rejuvenated England team who are looking at this opportunity to settle scores with the Aussies.

It is important to watch out for Kevin Pietersen, one player that the Aussies fear the most. Flintoff has recovered from his injury and is looking forward to a piece of the Aussie pie. Monty Panesar along with Graeme Swann adds that spinning edge to the English line up with a solid pace attack comprising of Anderson and Broad. Kevin Pietersen scored an impressive 963 runs at an average of 53.50 in the last Ashes series and will definitely be on the hit list of the Australian bowlers. However, his Achilles injury is threatening to derail the plans of England winning the Ashes this time round.

If there is one Australian bowler that the English batsman would want to avoid is the dangerous Mitchell Johnson. Perhaps, the most frightening bowler playing the game right now he has both pace and swing in his armor. His performance might be the Australia’s success in this Ashes series. The Australian batting line up is looking very strong with the likes of Pointing, Hughes, North, Hussey, and Clarke. Getting them out twice in a test match might be a tough proposition for the English bowlers. In addition, do not rule out the contributions of Hauritz and Hilfenhaus. They are extremely competent bowlers with the skills to derail the English batting lineup. Without Bret lee the Australian pace attack might look weak but never count them out.

The Cardiff wicket has been newly laid and that makes the venue unknown to both the teams. This is the first time that an International match will be played on this strip. Therefore, England might not get the advantage of the home conditions in the first test match. However, with the crowds out there to back the English men, there is definite advantage for them in their home soil. It is going to be an exciting match in front of a sell out crowd that is sure to enjoy every bit of action that will be dished out to them.