England 194/3 at tea vs Australia
Mitchell Johnson struck twice as Australia got their Ashes defence
off to a fine start by removing England’s top three before lunch on the
first day of the first Test at Sophia Gardens here on Wednesday.
England, who’d won the toss, were 97 for three at the interval after
the exits of Alastair Cook, captain Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara.
Left-arm quick Johnson, the spearhead of Australia’s attack in their
2-1 series win in South Africa earlier this year, had taken two wickets
for 37 runs in nine overs and Ben Hilfenhaus a miserly one for 17 in 10.
Kevin Pietersen was six not out and Paul Collingwood five not out.
When fast bowler Brett Lee was ruled out Monday with a rib injury it
meant Australia, who thrashed England 5-0 in 2006/07, would go into this
match with none of their pace attack having before played in an Ashes
Test.
They opted for Hilfenhaus instead of the more experienced Stuart
Clark, who has played English county cricket, and also chose off-spinner
Nathan Hauritz.
England made sedate early progress on a slow pitch in what was the
first Test ever played in Cardiff.
But Hilfenhaus struck in the eighth over thanks to brilliant fielding
from Mike Hussey.
Left-hander Cook (10), playing loosely away from his body, saw Hussey
hold a brilliant one-handed catch in the gully as he dived to his right.
England were now 21 for one.
Bopara, making his Ashes debut, was then hit second ball in the
throat by first-change Peter Siddle, who was getting more out of the
pitch than the new-ball duo, and he got off the mark thanks to a
fortunate inside edge.
But Bopara, who’d scored hundreds in his last three Tests, all
against the West Indies, did strike several elegant boundaries.
However, when it seemed Bopara was settling in, the Essex batsman was
hit on the head by a Johnson bouncer.
But it was Strauss, who’d looked assured while making 30, who was out
to a well-directed bouncer from Johnson when, after taking his eye off
the ball, the left-hander gloved to Michael Clarke in the slips.
CARDIFF, AFP
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