The ASHES Australia vs England

Wednesday, December 8, 2010

Shane Warne has said he is "flattered" at all the talk of a possible comeback to help Australia's struggling bowling attack and stopped short of completely ruling out a return even though it would be a huge admission of the team's current failings.

Warne has arrived in London on a promotional trip for his new chat show and was greeted at Heathrow Airport by photographers and reporters who were only interested in one topic. "Just landed in London it's freezing and was welcomed by press and photographers asking am I making a comeback? What have I missed ?," he posted on his Twitter feed.

Earlier, his Daily Telegraph column made a brief mention of the debate in Australia, which has led the creation of a fund and a website - bringbackwarne.com - that is aiming to raise enough money to bring Warne out of retirement. "We offer the Rescue Fund to the King of Spin," the website says, "pleading with him once again to don the baggy green and attempt us to win back the Ashes."

"There has been a bit written in Australia and people have been asking me about making a comeback," Warne wrote in the newspaper. "All I can say is that it is very flattering to hear those words."

However, he preferred to look at what options Australia could take among their current players. It is almost certain that Xavier Doherty won't be retained after taking three wickets in his first two Tests and being punished by the England batsmen.

"Do they opt for Nathan Hauritz or a wrist-spinner like Steve Smith?", Warne wrote. "Do they play two spinners or none at all and prepare a green, grassy wicket in Perth? That would be a big gamble against England's seam attack.

"The pitch is not fast and bouncy these days, so maybe you get a local guy who knows the Perth conditions, like left-arm spinner Michael Beer. Sometimes horses for courses works. Australia have to explore all options and win this next match to get back into the series. They need to look at all avenues and go all out for a win."

Beer, 26, has taken 16 first-class wickets in five matches at 39.93. He played against England in their opening tour match at Perth and claimed 5 for 207 but conceded runs at five per over.

Hauritz is favoured for a recall, and hit a hundred as nightwatchman for New South Wales in the Sheffield Shield match against South Australia having gone wicketless in his first innings. However, in his previous Shield match, against Western Australia at the WACA, he took a five-wicket haul.

"Whenever you're dropped you are always looking to perform well," Hauritz said. "I've been lucky enough to take some wickets and score some runs but the job's only halfway done. I was dropped for not doing my role in the side. I've got to go back to first-class cricket and prove I can do that and restore the faith in the selectors and the captain. If you're taking wickets, scoring runs and playing the role they want you're put in their faces."

Tuesday, December 7, 2010

Ponting slumps after Adelaide failures

Ricky Ponting has fallen out of the world's top 20 batsmen for the first time since 2001 following his double failure in Adelaide as Australia were crushed by an innings-and-71 runs in the second Ashes Test. The man who removed him for a first-innings golden duck, James Anderson, has risen to a career-best No. 3 in the bowling rankings while Graeme Swann has closed the gap on Dale Steyn at No. 1.

Ponting didn't survive the opening over in Adelaide, when he was caught at slip first ball, and could only manage 9 in the second innings before he was removed by Swann. It meant he had only 70 runs in four innings for the series, 51 of those in the second innings in Brisbane as the match was drawn.

Anderson overtook Zaheer Khan to secure third spot following his match figures of 6 for 143. He began the match in stunning style by removing Ponting and Michael Clarke as Australia slumped to 3 for 2 and then, on the final morning, found himself on a hat-trick after claiming Brad Haddin and Ryan Harris.

The Adelaide Test was a forgettable
match for Ricky Ponting
© Getty Images

Swann, meanwhile, bounced back from a disappointing performance in Brisbane by playing a key role in England's innings-and-71-run victory. He took two important wickets in the first innings, but came into his own second time around as he bagged five on a wearing pitch.

He is now just 14 points behind Steyn at the top of the table and, if he performs well in Perth and Melbourne, has a chance to finish the year as the leading bowler in the world. However, Steyn will be looking to consolidate his position when he leads South Africa's attack against India in the Test series that starts on December 16

After conceding 620 runs it's not surprising that Australia's bowlers slipped, with Doug Bollinger sliding four places to No. 13 and Peter Siddle, who hasn't claimed a wicket since his Brisbane hat-trick, slipping three to No. 17.

England also made significant gains on the batting front, with Jonathan Trott continuing his rise after securing a career-best position last week and moving further up to sixth place, while Alastair Cook's mighty form has seen him climb to No. 13 and he now has the most points of his career. Kevin Pietersen is also marching back up the ladder after ending his lean run with a career-best 227.

The one bright spot for Australia has been Mike Hussey's form and he gained ten places following his match double of 93 and 52 in Adelaide. Michael Clarke's second-innings 80 has prevented him from slipping down the list.

For the full rankings click here

Related Links

Players/Officials: James Anderson | Michael Hussey | Ricky Ponting | Graeme Swann | Jonathan Trott

Series/Tournaments: England tour of Australia

Teams: Australia | England

Swann bowls England to innings victory

England 5 for 620 dec beat Australia 245 and 304 (Clarke 80, Watson 57, Hussey 52, Swann 5-91) by an innings and 71 runs

England have one hand on the Ashes after Graeme Swann bowled them to victory with a five-wicket haul in Adelaide, where neither rain nor the lower order could save Australia on the fifth morning. The significance of the win cannot be underestimated, as it gives England a 1-0 advantage heading in to the third Test in Perth, which starts in a week and a half.

The triumph came when Swann turned a ball through the gate to bowl Peter Siddle, completing his five-for and confirming the margin of an innings and 71 runs. It was a devastating morning for Australia, who began the day hopeful that they could survive for a draw with six wickets in hand, but it took England less than 90 minutes to skittle the remaining Australians.

Last time England took a series lead in Australia, it was 1986-87, and they did not give it away. And as the holders of the urn, Andrew Strauss and his men will retain the Ashes unless Australia can win at least two of the remaining three Tests, a monumental task given that they have now gone five Tests without tasting victory, stretching back to the series against Pakistan in England.

There will be changes for both teams at the WACA, with England forced to look to Chris Tremlett or Tim Bresnan, due to a series-ending abdominal injury to Stuart Broad. Australia will have to find a new opener as Simon Katich's Achilles tendon problem has ruled him out of the rest of the series, while Xavier Doherty and Marcus North will also face a nervous wait to see if they keep their places.

North could have saved his position by salvaging a draw for Australia on the final day, but he was one of the wickets to fall cheaply as England wrapped up the contest before lunch. The visitors knew a thunderstorm was expected later in the afternoon, and after they made the initial breakthrough by getting rid of the established Michael Hussey for 52, they tightened the noose on Australia's lower order.

Hussey and North resumed at 4 for 238 after the loss of Michael Clarke from the last ball of play on Monday, and it took only six overs for England to get a sniff of victory. Hussey was dropped by Matt Prior off the bowling of Swann but didn't survive a second chance when he top-edged a pull off Steven Finn and was comfortably taken at midwicket by James Anderson.

There was a roar from Anderson as soon as he had the ball safely in his hands, knowing that the in-form Hussey was the big breakthrough England required. Brad Haddin followed soon afterwards for 12 when he edged behind off Anderson, and England were in to Australia's long tail, with North carrying the home team's slim hopes at the other end.

Anderson quickly found himself on a hat-trick when Ryan Harris made unwanted history by completing a king pair, leaving a ball that swung back in and struck him in line with the stumps. Out of desperation more than belief, Harris asked for a review, but there was no way he was going to be saved, and neither were Australia.

There was no hat-trick for Anderson when he began his next over but he didn't really mind, as in the meantime Swann had removed North, the last of Australia's specialist batsmen, for 22. This time the review system did overturn a decision; Tony Hill gave North not out as he came forward with bat and pad close together, Swann wanted a referral, and the replays showed it was pad first, hitting the stumps, and a potentially career-busting blow for North.

Swann bowled outstandingly on the final day, and deserved his 5 for 91. In the absence of Broad for much of the innings, he sent down 41.1 overs, and collected the final two wickets when he sneaked the ball under the bat of Doherty for 5 and then finished off Siddle.

And it all happened under the most perfect, sunny skies. If Australia were hoping for storms, their prayers were not answered. In truth, they never recovered from the hurricane that struck on the first morning when they were 3 for 2. And now, England need only one more victory to retain the Ashes.

Brydon Coverdale is an assistant editor at Cricinfo