Ashes - Clarke and North bat Australia ahead

Eurosport - Sat, 11 Jul 10:05:00 2009

Australia batted throughout a rain-interrupted third day of the first Ashes test against England to take a 44-run first innings lead over the hosts.

CRICKET Michael Clarke Australia Cardiff - 0

After floodlights had been turned on for the first time in a British test, Australia reached 479 for five in their first innings in reply to England's 435.

Captain Ricky Ponting led from the front during a sun-baked morning session, reaching 150 before he dragged a Monty Panesar delivery on to his stumps.

His deputy Michael Clarke took over with a delightful 83 and Marcus North showed the benefit of his stints with five English counties to mark his Ashes debut with a thoroughly competent 54 not out.

The pair added 143 for the fifth wicket and England will now be batting to save the match after a dispiriting day for their bowlers.

James Anderson raised the hosts' hopes briefly having taken the second new ball 30 minutes into the day after Australia resumed on 249 for one.

A late inswinger accounted for Simon Katich (122) after more than five hours at the crease and Michael Hussey did not linger, edging Anderson to Matt Prior behind the stumps after scoring three.

Ponting, who reached his 38th test century on Thursday evening, drove crisply through the covers and hooked an Andrew Flintoff no-ball for six over a leaping Panesar at fine-leg.

There seemed no obvious reason why he should ever get out until he stepped back to hit Panesar through the off-side and the ball ricocheted off his bat and clattered into the base of the stumps.

Three wickets had fallen in 63 balls for 22 runs and with Australia 331 for four, England were back in the game.

Clarke and North ensured there were no further alarms for the Australians by batting through the afternoon session.

North got off the mark with a deft on-drive for four and Clarke played a series of delightful drives and the shot of the day when he used his feet to loft Panesar over long-off for six.

Panesar got the occasional delivery to turn but Graeme Swann, who has superseded the left-armer as England's number one spinner, was ineffective.

Clarke leaned back to pull Flintoff through mid-wicket for four to bring up the 100 partnership and the teams went to tea with Australia 463 for four.

The sky darkened during the break and steady rain drove the players off the field 12 minutes into the evening session.

After play resumed under the lights Stuart Broad took his first wicket of the innings when Clarke edged an attempted hook to give wicketkeeper Matt Prior his third catch.

But after half an hour the umpires consulted again and the players left the field for the final time.

Reuters

Comment 8 - 27 of 27

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  1. Bobito, I would have to say that although Swann(average­ 28 something in 8 tests) has a marginally better­ bowling average than Hauritz(32 something in 4 tests),­ I would be very wary of writing off young Hauritz. The­ aussies have put him in the squad for a reason, so they­ must back him. When you listen to people who have faced­ Hauritz, although he is no Warne, they do say he is­ dangerous. Lets wait an see how he bowls tomorrow. I,­ as an aussie fan, am looking forward to seeing Swann­ take a few wickets, as I have heard some great things­ about him, its a shame he isnt bowling well in this­ test. Both teams will only need one spinner at Lords,­ so Swann better take a few wickets or Monty might get­ the nod

    From Phillip, on Sat 11 Jul 1:36PM

  2. Phillip, I agree that Swann has not bowled well in this­ match. The difference is that Hauritz is not capable of­ bowling well.

    From Bobito, on Sat 11 Jul 11:52AM

  3. Royjohn, well said I agree entirely. I also hope there­ is a result, no matter who wins, and that is why the­ 2005 series was a great one. Good to see English­ supporters that enjoy the game of cricket, and not so­ one sided.

    From Phillip, on Sat 11 Jul 11:22AM

  4. can i put my head above the parapet and say that i DO­ NOT want the rain to decide the outcome of this test,­ even if that ultimately means that the Aussies­ win......If they are the better side over the 5 days­ then fair play to 'em. Call it "old school­ thinking if you like, but i like my test matches to be­ resolved by what takes place on the field (regardless­ of who wins) rather than what goes on up in the­ heavens....

    From roy, on Sat 11 Jul 11:13AM

  5. It seems as though england have a lot in common with­ Ivan Lendl. He couldn't play on grass either.

    From DEREK, on Sat 11 Jul 10:02AM

  6. Bobito, this is the 2nd time on these forums you have­ suggested our womens spinners take over from Hauritz,­ as they are better bowlers. If Nathan is as rubbish as­ you have suggested in the past and continue to suggest,­ how do you think your spinner, Swann stacks up against­ him. Yet to take a wicket(I appreciate the innings is­ not over), where as Nathan took 3. If our women­ spinners are better than our bloke counterparts, that­ doesnt say alot for the standard of your spin attack in­ this country. Anyway, you included 2 spinners of­ supposedly far greater quality than ours, in your team­ for a reason, but we have yet to see that reason, hope­ fully today for your sake we do

    From Phillip, on Sat 11 Jul 9:43AM

  7. True Dom, if England had have scores another 100 runs­ averaging the same or less per over the press would be­ saying what a masterful display of batting worthy of­ winning. I doesn't help losing time during rain­ either. Still Im hoping for a draw :) I think that­ would hurt the poms more.

    From gmmason42, on Sat 11 Jul 9:38AM

  8. The Aussies only come over here to get away from their­ Prisoner Cell Block H lookalike women.Australia.Where­ men are men,and so are the women.
    Apparently Shane­ Warne was on his driving test and the the examiner­ asked if he could make a U-turn.
    "You're­ joking mate" he replied,"I could make­ it's eyes pop out!"

    From Perry Neeham, on Sat 11 Jul 8:23AM

  9. Not a bad idea Mike. Lisa Sthalekar and Shelley­­ Nitschke are certainly better spinners than Nathan­­ Hauritz.

    From Bobito, on Sat 11 Jul 5:06AM

  10. concerned Your a pr!ck! (((:

    From , on Sat 11 Jul 12:41AM

  11. This ones gonna be a draw....

    From David, on Sat 11 Jul 12:28AM

  12. maybe we should send the girls over to play the­ POMMIES, might be a even series then

    From Mike, on Sat 11 Jul 12:27AM

  13. What a pity.....I thought the pommies were going to up­ to our standard and we would have a good ashes series,­ we should send over a "b" side to make it­ more interesting.

    From Mike, on Sat 11 Jul 12:21AM

  14. What a pity.....I thought the pommies were going to up­ to our standard and we would have a good ashes series,­ we should send over a "b" side to make it­ more interesting.

    From Mike, on Sat 11 Jul 12:20AM

  15. Am I right in saying if the series is a draw,Aussies­ keep the AShes?
    noname

    From Shireesh, on Fri 10 Jul 11:52PM

  16. aaronabhinav, how the hell can you say that we dont­ have the fire power in our bowling, we got you all out­ you fool, and you have yet to get us out. If we have no­ fire power, what the hell has England got with their­ bowling attack(considering before the series you had­ the superior bowlers).
    I think it very unfortunate that­ due to weather, the aussies wont have a chance to shut­ up some very ignorant English supporters.

    From Phillip, on Fri 10 Jul 11:32PM

  17. CONCERNED. Aus is scoring at half a run slower than­ England, and that's without that flourish from the­ tail enders, because, wait for it, Aus haven't even­ got there yet. How you long been watching test cricket?­ A bit of patience and understanding. And anyway, it was­ always going to look like a draw if both sides can­ produce that kind of batting display, even though­ England didn't look as good, 435 is still good and­ I back England to better their batting as the series­ moves on. Although, I am concerned that the bowlers­ can"t get wickets unless it's swinging or­ turning (even though Monty's wicket was Pontings­ error). What's happened to Swann's form-he was­ look sharp before this.

    From dom S, on Fri 10 Jul 10:30PM

  18. DONNAY,TAK YOR CRACKAT BOL AN ROM IT OP YAR BONEHAL AN­ CRACK THE CRACKAT BOT OWR YAR BONCE WY YER AT AT

    From offmymash, on Fri 10 Jul 10:16PM

  19. this ones gonna be a draw

    From RYAN, on Fri 10 Jul 10:13PM

  20. Concerned, it took the Aussies perhaps four and a half­ sessions and only 23 overs more than us to achieve­ their score. And there is little slow about almost 4­ runs an over. Difference between them and us is they­ still have six wickets left into the bargain and, had­ the weather not intervened they would likely still have­ been batting at tea tomorrow with a lead of 350 or more­ and we, once again, would be batting for­ survival.
    Heaven knows what passes for a batting master­ class in your rather skewed book. Take the blinkers off­ (no offence intended). Your assessment of a draw­ however, is very likely correct.

    From nocohere, on Fri 10 Jul 10:10PM
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