Triumph of cricket

Five days of intense cricket in front of a sell out crowd on all five days. This, Sir, is The Ashes. After 14 and half sessions of intriguing cricket with constantly changing fortunes, England had the laugh, racing into a jubilant huddle as a near full house cheared them on with complete enthusiasm. Valiant knocks, brilliant display of swing bowling! Matches like this ensure the victory of Test cricket. It all started off with 14 wickets falling on the first day, 5 of them going to Peter Siddle who helped bundle out England for 215. Australia's innings didn't start of any better, with Anderson picking up a five wicket haul, with a good use of reverse swing. But fighting half centuries from Steven Smith and Paul Hughes, and a score of nearly hundred by debutant number eleven Agar, in an astoninshing last wicket partnership ensured that Australia took the lead. A bad start by England to their second innings was followed by a stabilising partnership by the watchful Cook and Pietersen, who exhibited the use of the straight bat with near perfection. This was followed by a vital, fighting stand between Bell and Broad. Bell showed immense amounts of concentration and technique to bring up his eighteenth Test century, and rescued England from a precarious position along with Broad, whose innings included a controversial umpire decision. Being bowled out for 375, England set Australia a target of 311, difficult but possible, and would have been the highest successful Test chase at Trent Bridge if it was chased down. Australia did go about scoring well the batsmen getting decent starts, but wickets in regular intervals did not help them one bit. They went into the final day requiring 137 runs with 4 wickets in hand, Haddin and the first innings' Golden Boy Agar at the wicket. But Agar couldn't repeat his magic and Australia quickly lost wickets to be stranded at 231/9, requiring another 80 runs with only a wicket left. But Australia's last wicket pair proved to be a thorn in England's flesh yet again, this time involving Haddin and Pattinson, putting on 65 runs before Haddin, after a fighting innings of 71, was given out virtue the Umpire Decision Review System. Anderson picked up another five wicket haul, giving him ten wickets in the match, proving to be that one vital difference between the two teams, helping England clinch a 1-0 lead in the series.

 

-SN