Pitches at Adelaide Perth Sydney & Melbourne

Aussies - We've all seen the current pitch was the roadiest of roads. Anyone batting sensibly can make runs, and there are no easy wickets (unless gifted by poor shot selection)

Of all the bowlers on either side, Anderson was the only one who looked really dangerous on a consistant basis ( I'll forgive his late spell when he'd been flogges earlier and Hussey/Haddin were both entrenched) - one or two others looked threatening at times.

How will the other four pitches compare with this Gabba track ? Will there be anything like assistance for any of the bowlers, and if so, which ones?

I am, of course working on the basis of said bowlers hitting a decent line & length.

Cheers.

Adelaide is likely to be a bowler's graveyard. Perth could be a result wicket but only if this year it actually turns out to be true that they've got the pace back into it. Melbourne is an awful pitch. Always seems to slow and lifeless with tennis ball bounce. Sydney is probably the best cricket wicket in Australia at the moment. Something for everyone these days.

Apparently curators in Australia have been told to bring back the unique character of their pitches. Ie Brisbane a bit of green, Perth bounce and pace, Sydney turn....Adelaide and Melbourne pitches have never really had any character so I guess they'll remain flat.

Interestingly enough, Adelaide has had a bit more in it for the bowlers in recent seasons at times than it gets credited for but it's doubtful that either of these attacks can take twenty wickets on it. There's always the suggestion that spin will prosper late in the game but it seems more based on myth than reality.

The whisper is that Perth is gradually getting back to its complexion in days of yore but I'm not holding my breath waiting for a surface like the typical one served up when the Windies toured in their halcyon days.

Melbourne has been frustrating for all comers of late due to being a drop-in pitch but bowlers can extract something out of it if they bend their backs. Steyn took ten on it a couple of years ago and Shield bowlers have had some good spells there, especially if there's been some rain around. This spring to date has seen a run of hot days followed by wet weekends. If this trend continues the track might be more spicy than usual.

Sydney has produced a couple of seaming decks lately, one with cracks on it on day one a couple of years ago and it usually offers something for the spinners late in the game.

Anderson has looked the most likely in this test but his best spell was under cloud cover, with the pitch freshened by lots of overnight rain and he started the day with a new cherry.

This series could well end up 0-0 with perhaps England jagging a test or two as Aust gamble to get a win.

yeah. i think england will be pretty happy with roads. its up to australia to do the running in this series

hopefully we get better pitches for the rest of the tests. you really dont want to see a team losing just one wicket on day 4

TO I'd normally agree with you.

However, under the circumstances you'll understand why I was disappointed to see even the one wicket fall - and I'm sure I'm not alone

Barring brain fades like the two in each of the first two innings, Adelaide and Melbourne are going to be draws. Perth had swing the last time India played there, and so I'd back England there. Could be anyone's game in Sydney, but that may be a draw as well.

Bottomline - The bowling sucks.

the Shield results suggest the wickets this season are more sporting - Adelaide aside...the abnormally wet Spring maybe a contributor

England will have at least one craptacular collapse this tour. You could bet your house on it, and I don't say this as an attempted reverse-woof, can't be bothered to dig up the stats but I'm pretty sure we have had one in every series in the past 2 years.

With that in mind Aus are almost guaranteed to win one unless they have a similar craptacular collapse. It won't be 0-0.

agree with vilks...tho I think Oz will, on recent history and our selection policy, have more inexplicable collapses than the pomgolians

horace wrote:agree with vilks...tho I think Oz will, on recent history and our selection policy, have more inexplicable collapses than the pomgolians

I can't imagine your collapses are more frequent than ours, though if the stats tell a difference story then fair enough. Can't be arsed to check myself.

vilkrang wrote:England will have at least one craptacular collapse this tour.

Refer first innings, first Test.

Zat wrote:

vilkrang wrote:England will have at least one craptacular collapse this tour.

Refer first innings, first Test.

I'm talking sub 200 scores.

Aye, usually in the 120-130 range.

And most of the batsmen getting out in the same way. Usually the hook shot or the sweep shot.

Adelaide - slow & low
Perth - was quick and bouncy, maybe not so much any more
MCG - Can be bit of a greentop on Day 1 but flattens out (similar to Gabba)
Sydney - assists the spinners

Silly me.

Recently at Adelaide

WI - 451 & 317
Aus - 439 & 212/5
Match drawn

NZ - 270 & 203
Aus - 535
Aus win by an innings & plenty

India - 526 & 269/7
Aus - 563
Match drawn

2006-7 not recent enough?

Adelaide: not a good wicket on which to bowl short. On the evidence of the First Test, that's what all the bowlers in this series do. 1500 runs coming up ...

Let's just say I don't think we've seen our last double ton of the series.

lardbucket wrote:2006-7 not recent enough?

Adelaide: not a good wicket on which to bowl short. On the evidence of the First Test, that's what all the bowlers in this series do. 1500 runs coming up ...

With the short boundaries either side of the wicket, the run feast is set to continue, especially if they keep bowling short and wide to batsmen who love playing square of the wicket.

Gooch did mention tonight that there was quite a bit of swing around in Adelaide during the tour match but curators nearly always seem to go with more conservative decks for the tests.

New curator at Adelaide this season for the first time in 30+ years.

Of course, you can't deduce anything about the pitch from Shield matches there, mainly because the Barrels are usually crap.

lardbucket wrote:2006-7 not recent enough?

Adelaide: not a good wicket on which to bowl short. On the evidence of the First Test, that's what all the bowlers in this series do. 1500 runs coming up ...

I searched but I couldn't find a match in 2006-7. Strange that. But lookng back I can't remember one either.

I was able to find this Gaz ...


The Ashes - 2nd Test

Australia v England

Australia won by 6 wickets
Test no. 1819 | 2006/07 season
Played at Adelaide Oval
1,2,3,4,5 December 2006 (5-day match)

England 1st innings R M B 4s 6s SR
AJ Strauss c Martyn b Clark 14 63 44 0 0 31.81
14.3 oh dear, shocking shot. Strauss expects one on off stump, instead it pitches on middle-and-leg and he tries to steer it into the leg-side but mistimes it completely and it carries to Martyn at short midwicket - and that's Clark's 29th wicket in just seven Tests. Yet again Strauss is dismissed on the leg-side 32/1

AN Cook c †Gilchrist b Clark 27 90 57 2 0 47.36
20.5 gone. Cook flashes an off-drive at that one which nips across the left-hander's off stump and gets a thick outside edge. A classic set-up: Clark had been working towards that one for a while. Click here for a picture 45/2

IR Bell c & b Lee 60 189 148 6 0 40.54
61.4 the bouncer does the trick. Lee bangs it in hard and it's on to Bell too quickly, who shapes to hook but merely sends the ball directly up in the air. 'Miiine' calls Lee, as he nearly collides with Langer, but there was nobody getting in his way as he grabs on easily. Lee's face said it all at he ran into bowl that one, and Bell's face tells a story, too, for his moment of impetuosity 158/3

PD Collingwood c †Gilchrist b Clark No information available 515 392 16 0 52.55
145.5 and he's GONE! Collingwood is out, he's edged Clark behind, a swinging delivery driven on the up, takes a thick outside edge and Gilchrist takes the catch. He receive tumultuous applause, a standing ovation from everyone in the ground and every Australian on the pitch. A fabulous innings 468/4

KP Pietersen run out (Ponting) No information available 377 257 15 1 61.47
151.6 from Clark, Pietersen drops that down to Ponting in at short mid-on and the underarm shy takes the stumps at the non-striker's end. That's his equal highest Test score, but he just can't shake the monkey off his back that is 158. He got that score against Sri Lanka in the summer, and he's had 158 against Australia before, at the Oval in 2005. 489/5

A Flintoff* not out 38 101 67 2 1 56.71

GO Jones† c Martyn b Warne 1 10 7 0 0 14.28
154.2 tosses that up and he gets the reward. A wide, floated delivery and Jones rushes at that one, driving it up to Martyn at point who snaffles a pretty easy chance, standing firm and taking it in Australian-style, fingertips pointing upwards. Clever thinking from Warne but he was hardly excited, he didn't even smile 491/6

AF Giles not out 27 63 44 4 0 61.36

Extras (lb 10, w 2, nb 20

Total (6 wickets dec; 168 overs; 707 mins) 551 (3.27 runs per over)
Did not bat MJ Hoggard, SJ Harmison, JM Anderson
Fall of wickets1-32 (Strauss, 14.3 ov), 2-45 (Cook, 20.5 ov), 3-158 (Bell, 61.4 ov), 4-468 (Collingwood, 145.5 ov), 5-489 (Pietersen, 151.6 ov), 6-491 (Jones, 154.2 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
B Lee 34 1 139 1 4.08 (8nb, 1w)
61.4 to Bell, the bouncer does the trick. Lee bangs it in hard and it's on to Bell too quickly, who shapes to hook but merely sends the ball directly up in the air. 'Miiine' calls Lee, as he nearly collides with Langer, but there was nobody getting in his way as he grabs on easily. Lee's face said it all at he ran into bowl that one, and Bell's face tells a story, too, for his moment of impetuosity 158/3


GD McGrath 30 5 107 0 3.56

SR Clark 34 6 75 3 2.20
14.3 to Strauss, oh dear, shocking shot. Strauss expects one on off stump, instead it pitches on middle-and-leg and he tries to steer it into the leg-side but mistimes it completely and it carries to Martyn at short midwicket - and that's Clark's 29th wicket in just seven Tests. Yet again Strauss is dismissed on the leg-side 32/1


20.5 to Cook, gone. Cook flashes an off-drive at that one which nips across the left-hander's off stump and gets a thick outside edge. A classic set-up: Clark had been working towards that one for a while. Click here for a picture 45/2


145.5 to Collingwood, and he's GONE! Collingwood is out, he's edged Clark behind, a swinging delivery driven on the up, takes a thick outside edge and Gilchrist takes the catch. He receive tumultuous applause, a standing ovation from everyone in the ground and every Australian on the pitch. A fabulous innings 468/4


SK Warne 53 9 167 1 3.15 (1w)
154.2 to Jones, tosses that up and he gets the reward. A wide, floated delivery and Jones rushes at that one, driving it up to Martyn at point who snaffles a pretty easy chance, standing firm and taking it in Australian-style, fingertips pointing upwards. Clever thinking from Warne but he was hardly excited, he didn't even smile 491/6


MJ Clarke 17 2 53 0 3.11


Australia 1st innings R M B 4s 6s SR
JL Langer c Pietersen b Flintoff 4 9 8 1 0 50.00
1.6 short again, but this time Langer forced to play and the ball flies off the shoulder of the bat and Pietersen takes a good catch low to his right. Flintoff is mobbed by delirious team-mates as Langer slowly trudges off 8/1

ML Hayden c †Jones b Hoggard 12 57 30 1 0 40.00
12.6 and the dangerman has gone early. A nothing shot from Hayden, to one which seamed a little bit away from him and that's pouched to Jones's left off a thin edge. There's been some good control from England and that's a great ball from Hoggard. Hayden strides off, a casual, rueful look back at the wicket 35/2

RT Ponting* c †Jones b Hoggard 142 353 245 12 0 57.95
82.6 and he's GONE! A terrific ball from Hoggard, superbly bowled in the corridor and just moving away ever so slightly from Ponting who came forward tentatively, prodding at it, the ball taking the outside edge and Jones swallows a simple catch 257/4

DR Martyn c Bell b Hoggard 11 42 33 1 0 33.33
22.2 but he's gone this time! A hint of swing from Hoggard has Martyn playing away from his body and he gets a big edge on it. Ooh, now that's a good catch from Bell, low, and in his fingertips at gully. That's Hoggard's second wicket of the day and in truth he's deserved both 65/3

MEK Hussey b Hoggard 91 298 212 7 1 42.92
90.4 GODDIM! That's a thoroughly deserved wicket from Hoggard, Hussey trying to leave this but was too late, got a bottom edge and the ball crashed into his off stump. Terrific, tight, controlled bowling from Hoggard - all day, even at this late stage 286/5

MJ Clarke c Giles b Hoggard 124 318 224 10 0 55.35
157.1 goddim! Poor shot, really, a waste - swinging into Clarke and he flicks it, with a closed face of the bat and it lands in Giles's midriff who takes a good catch. Disappointing end to an otherwise fine innings 505/8

AC Gilchrist† c Bell b Giles 64 111 79 8 0 81.01
114.4 and here he goes again, he's smashed this hard, but it's miscued and it's flying down to the man at deep midwicket - and Bell clings on! Adrenaline got the better of Gilchrist there, just as he was looking all set to stamp on England 384/6

SK Warne lbw b Hoggard 43 157 108 4 0 39.81
153.5 on with the arm, Warne caught half forward and a loud and confident appeal answered eventually by Steve Bucknor ... Warne clearly unhappy with that as he slowly turns and walks off 502/7

B Lee not out 7 47 33 0 0 21.21

SR Clark b Hoggard 0 9 7 0 0 0.00
159.2 and he's got him! Terrific ball, swinging in - quick too - to take out Clark's leg stump, picking up his seventh wicket 507/9

GD McGrath c †Jones b Anderson 1 25 21 0 0 4.76
165.3 and this one moves away again from McGrath who replaces his straight bat with a wobbly one, edging it to Jones - it only just carried, mind - and finally Anderson picks up a wicket. And there's the end of Australia's innings. 513/10

Extras (b 4, lb 2, w 1, nb 7) 14

Total (all out; 165.3 overs; 718 mins) 513 (3.09 runs per over)
Fall of wickets1-8 (Langer, 1.6 ov), 2-35 (Hayden, 12.6 ov), 3-65 (Martyn, 22.2 ov), 4-257 (Ponting, 82.6 ov), 5-286 (Hussey, 90.4 ov), 6-384 (Gilchrist, 114.4 ov), 7-502 (Warne, 153.5 ov), 8-505 (Clarke, 157.1 ov), 9-507 (Clark, 159.2 ov), 10-513 (McGrath, 165.3 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
MJ Hoggard 42 6 109 7 2.59
12.6 to Hayden, and the dangerman has gone early. A nothing shot from Hayden, to one which seamed a little bit away from him and that's pouched to Jones's left off a thin edge. There's been some good control from England and that's a great ball from Hoggard. Hayden strides off, a casual, rueful look back at the wicket 35/2


22.2 to Martyn, but he's gone this time! A hint of swing from Hoggard has Martyn playing away from his body and he gets a big edge on it. Ooh, now that's a good catch from Bell, low, and in his fingertips at gully. That's Hoggard's second wicket of the day and in truth he's deserved both 65/3


82.6 to Ponting, and he's GONE! A terrific ball from Hoggard, superbly bowled in the corridor and just moving away ever so slightly from Ponting who came forward tentatively, prodding at it, the ball taking the outside edge and Jones swallows a simple catch 257/4


90.4 to Hussey, GODDIM! That's a thoroughly deserved wicket from Hoggard, Hussey trying to leave this but was too late, got a bottom edge and the ball crashed into his off stump. Terrific, tight, controlled bowling from Hoggard - all day, even at this late stage 286/5


153.5 to Warne, on with the arm, Warne caught half forward and a loud and confident appeal answered eventually by Steve Bucknor ... Warne clearly unhappy with that as he slowly turns and walks off 502/7


157.1 to Clarke, goddim! Poor shot, really, a waste - swinging into Clarke and he flicks it, with a closed face of the bat and it lands in Giles's midriff who takes a good catch. Disappointing end to an otherwise fine innings 505/8


159.2 to Clark, and he's got him! Terrific ball, swinging in - quick too - to take out Clark's leg stump, picking up his seventh wicket 507/9


A Flintoff 26 5 82 1 3.15 (5nb)
1.6 to Langer, short again, but this time Langer forced to play and the ball flies off the shoulder of the bat and Pietersen takes a good catch low to his right. Flintoff is mobbed by delirious team-mates as Langer slowly trudges off 8/1


SJ Harmison 25 5 96 0 3.84 (2nb, 1w)

JM Anderson 21.3 3 85 1 3.95
165.3 to McGrath, and this one moves away again from McGrath who replaces his straight bat with a wobbly one, edging it to Jones - it only just carried, mind - and finally Anderson picks up a wicket. And there's the end of Australia's innings. 513/10


AF Giles 42 7 103 1 2.45
114.4 to Gilchrist, and here he goes again, he's smashed this hard, but it's miscued and it's flying down to the man at deep midwicket - and Bell clings on! Adrenaline got the better of Gilchrist there, just as he was looking all set to stamp on England 384/6


KP Pietersen 9 0 32 0 3.55


England 2nd innings R M B 4s 6s SR
AJ Strauss c Hussey b Warne 34 125 79 3 0 43.03
29.6 gone! Oh dear. Don't think Strauss is too happy with that. He came skipping down the pitch, trying to work it to leg, the ball hit the pad and ballooned to short-leg who appealed...as did every Australian and Bucknor raises his finger. Replays confirm the ball missed the bat by, well...several inches. 69/2

AN Cook c †Gilchrist b Clark 9 48 35 1 0 25.71
10.6 and he's gone this time. It was a good delivery, slanting across him, tempting him to play and play he did, edging straight to Gilchrist who took a good two-handed catch at his ankles. Nothing more than a decent line-and-length delivery and that's his fourth wicket this match 31/1

IR Bell run out (Clarke/Warne) 26 85 73 2 0 35.61
31.6 from Warne, oh dear, what a complete and utter shambles. Pushed out into the covers, Collingwood called Bell through but Bell didn't want the run. Collingwood sprints nevertheless, Bell reluctantly agrees but is caught well short of his ground, Clarke fields from cover to Warne who throws down the stumps with ease. Disaster 70/3

PD Collingwood not out 22 198 119 2 0 18.48

KP Pietersen b Warne 2 8 5 0 0 40.00
33.1 GOT HIM! What a ripper from Warne, pitching on leg and Pietersen tries to sweep...and it clips off stump. Massive, ripping, gripping legbreak. Warne roars his delight at Pietersen who marches off and England are now in a hole 73/4

A Flintoff* c †Gilchrist b Lee 2 25 24 0 0 8.33
38.6 and Lee strikes! Flintoff, the big wicket, their big hope, he's gone! Lee banged that one down and Flintoff flashes at it and the ball takes the outside edge.
Flintoff stands motionless. My, my, England are in deep deep trouble 77/5

GO Jones† c Hayden b Lee 10 41 24 1 0 41.66
48.4 what a sucker punch and what a soft dismissal! A fullish ball so wide that Jones had to stretch to reach it, and he cracks it straight to Matthew Hayden in the gully who takes a good catch .... he didn't have to move much but it was travelling 94/6

AF Giles c Hayden b Warne 0 14 8 0 0 0.00
51.6 Giles's wretched match continues with a blob. He tried kicking it and failed two balls earlier, so this time he plays at one outside leg stump, is turned square and a thick outside edge gives Hayden at slip his second catch in as many overs 97/7

MJ Hoggard b Warne 4 27 24 0 0 16.66
57.5 lovely, lovely bowling. A big, flighted googly, 18 inches wide of off stump and it's too much for Hoggard to resist ... he shapes to drive and the ball snorts back and into his stumps, aided by a big inside edge. The height did for Hoggard there ... his eyes lit up as he saw it arcing towards him. "C'mon!" cries a grinning Warne, pumping his fist and sending Hoggard on his way with a raised index finger which screams 'You're out' 105/8

SJ Harmison lbw b McGrath 8 25 21 0 0 38.09
62.6 but he's gone now; at last McGrath swings this in and Harmison is rapped on the pad, all of Australia roar their appeal...and the slow finger of fate is raised by the umpire. 119/9

JM Anderson lbw b McGrath 1 41 28 0 0 3.57
72.6 GOT HIM! He's GONE! Anderson shuffled across his stumps here and, for the fifth or sixth time, McGrath raps him on his pad, roars an appeal and finally gets his man. 129/10

Extras (b 3, lb 5, w 1, nb 2) 11

Total (all out; 73 overs; 324 mins) 129 (1.76 runs per over)
Fall of wickets1-31 (Cook, 10.6 ov), 2-69 (Strauss, 29.6 ov), 3-70 (Bell, 31.6 ov), 4-73 (Pietersen, 33.1 ov), 5-77 (Flintoff, 38.6 ov), 6-94 (Jones, 48.4 ov), 7-97 (Giles, 51.6 ov), 8-105 (Hoggard, 57.5 ov), 9-119 (Harmison, 62.6 ov), 10-129 (Anderson, 72.6 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
B Lee 18 3 35 2 1.94 (2nb)
38.6 to Flintoff, and Lee strikes! Flintoff, the big wicket, their big hope, he's gone! Lee banged that one down and Flintoff flashes at it and the ball takes the outside edge.
Flintoff stands motionless. My, my, England are in deep deep trouble 77/5


48.4 to Jones, what a sucker punch and what a soft dismissal! A fullish ball so wide that Jones had to stretch to reach it, and he cracks it straight to Matthew Hayden in the gully who takes a good catch .... he didn't have to move much but it was travelling 94/6


GD McGrath 10 6 15 2 1.50 (1w)
62.6 to Harmison, but he's gone now; at last McGrath swings this in and Harmison is rapped on the pad, all of Australia roar their appeal...and the slow finger of fate is raised by the umpire. 119/9


72.6 to Anderson, GOT HIM! He's GONE! Anderson shuffled across his stumps here and, for the fifth or sixth time, McGrath raps him on his pad, roars an appeal and finally gets his man. 129/10


SK Warne 32 12 49 4 1.53
29.6 to Strauss, gone! Oh dear. Don't think Strauss is too happy with that. He came skipping down the pitch, trying to work it to leg, the ball hit the pad and ballooned to short-leg who appealed...as did every Australian and Bucknor raises his finger. Replays confirm the ball missed the bat by, well...several inches. 69/2


33.1 to Pietersen, GOT HIM! What a ripper from Warne, pitching on leg and Pietersen tries to sweep...and it clips off stump. Massive, ripping, gripping legbreak. Warne roars his delight at Pietersen who marches off and England are now in a hole 73/4


51.6 to Giles, Giles's wretched match continues with a blob. He tried kicking it and failed two balls earlier, so this time he plays at one outside leg stump, is turned square and a thick outside edge gives Hayden at slip his second catch in as many overs 97/7


57.5 to Hoggard, lovely, lovely bowling. A big, flighted googly, 18 inches wide of off stump and it's too much for Hoggard to resist ... he shapes to drive and the ball snorts back and into his stumps, aided by a big inside edge. The height did for Hoggard there ... his eyes lit up as he saw it arcing towards him. "C'mon!" cries a grinning Warne, pumping his fist and sending Hoggard on his way with a raised index finger which screams 'You're out' 105/8


SR Clark 13 4 22 1 1.69
10.6 to Cook, and he's gone this time. It was a good delivery, slanting across him, tempting him to play and play he did, edging straight to Gilchrist who took a good two-handed catch at his ankles. Nothing more than a decent line-and-length delivery and that's his fourth wicket this match 31/1



Australia 2nd innings (target: 168 runs) R M B 4s 6s SR
JL Langer c Bell b Hoggard 7 12 8 1 0 87.50
2.2 short, wide, but gone! Bell at gully has snaffled that one as Langer throws his hands at a low cut and he's on his way. Now then, there's a glimmer for England - a dull one, still - but nevertheless that could change the complexion of this innings a touch. Not Hoggard's finest moment with the ball, that, but he won't care right now and neither will England 14/1
2.2 short, wide, but gone! Bell at gully has snaffled that one as Langer throws his hands at a low cut and he's on his way. Now then, there's a glimmer for England - a dull one, still - but nevertheless that could change the complexion of this innings a touch. Not Hoggard's finest moment with the ball, that, but he won't care right now and neither will England 14/1

ML Hayden c Collingwood b Flintoff 18 31 17 2 0 105.88
5.4 massive swing across the line and it's a steepling top-edge. Paul Collingwood runs back from short midwicket, steadies himself, and that a brilliant catch. Collingwood was judging that, just watching it come over his shoulder. Hayden is gone and England have a slight sniff 33/2

RT Ponting* c Strauss b Giles 49 95 65 5 0 75.38
21.4 Ponting looks to hit it through the covers but doesn't make a good connection and Strauss at short extra cover takes a good waist-high catch 116/3

MEK Hussey not out 61 129 66 5 0 92.42

DR Martyn c Strauss b Flintoff 5 4 4 1 0 125.00
22.2 wide and Martyn leans back and looks to crack that through point but only hits it hard at Strauss who takes the catch. No celebrations, but England at least have a glimmer of hope now ... the odds are, however, still with Australia 121/4

MJ Clarke not out 21 47 39 0 0 53.84

Extras (b 2, lb 2, w 1, nb 2) 7

Total (4 wickets; 32.5 overs; 161 mins) 168 (5.11 runs per over)
Did not bat AC Gilchrist†, SK Warne, B Lee, SR Clark, GD McGrath
Fall of wickets1-14 (Langer, 2.2 ov), 2-33 (Hayden, 5.4 ov), 3-116 (Ponting, 21.4 ov), 4-121 (Martyn, 22.2 ov)

Bowling O M R W Econ
MJ Hoggard 4 0 29 1 7.25
2.2 to Langer, short, wide, but gone! Bell at gully has snaffled that one as Langer throws his hands at a low cut and he's on his way. Now then, there's a glimmer for England - a dull one, still - but nevertheless that could change the complexion of this innings a touch. Not Hoggard's finest moment with the ball, that, but he won't care right now and neither will England 14/1


2.2 to Langer, short, wide, but gone! Bell at gully has snaffled that one as Langer throws his hands at a low cut and he's on his way. Now then, there's a glimmer for England - a dull one, still - but nevertheless that could change the complexion of this innings a touch. Not Hoggard's finest moment with the ball, that, but he won't care right now and neither will England 14/1


A Flintoff 9 0 44 2 4.88 (2nb)
5.4 to Hayden, massive swing across the line and it's a steepling top-edge. Paul Collingwood runs back from short midwicket, steadies himself, and that a brilliant catch. Collingwood was judging that, just watching it come over his shoulder. Hayden is gone and England have a slight sniff 33/2


22.2 to Martyn, wide and Martyn leans back and looks to crack that through point but only hits it hard at Strauss who takes the catch. No celebrations, but England at least have a glimmer of hope now ... the odds are, however, still with Australia 121/4


AF Giles 10 0 46 1 4.60
21.4 to Ponting, Ponting looks to hit it through the covers but doesn't make a good connection and Strauss at short extra cover takes a good waist-high catch 116/3


SJ Harmison 4 0 15 0 3.75 (1w)

JM Anderson 3.5 0 23 0 6.00

KP Pietersen 2 0 7 0 3.50

Match details
Toss England, who chose to bat
Series Australia led the 5-match series 2-0

Player of the match RT Ponting (Australia)

Umpires SA Bucknor (West Indies) and RE Koertzen (South Africa)
TV umpire SJ Davis
Match referee JJ Crowe (New Zealand)
Reserve umpire AD Willoughby

Ugh... avert the eyes.