England carried on their good work in the Ashes series as they shut down http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 for a paltry 245 runs on the opening day of the second Test match of the five match series being played at the Adelaide Oval.
The match could not have started on a worse note for the hosts as opening batsman Simon Katich was run out without facing a ball on only the fourth ball of the innings.
There was more disaster in the waiting for the Aussies as captain reliable Ricky Ponting edged a perfectly pitched away swinger by James Anderson and Graeme Swann did the rest in the second slip.
Anderson had one of the most rewarding days of his career as he blitz through to send four Australian batsmen to the pavilion with perfectly pitched away swingers, mixed with in swingers that too were perfectly pitched and made life extremely difficult for
the opposition.
The spearhead of England was elated with his effort as he dispelled the impression that he was not going to strike gold on placid Australian wickets.
"To be honest I tried to put the Gabba out of my mind," said Anderson. " So I just wanted to continue the form I felt I was in, and I did that. It was hugely satisfying for everyone, to come to a ground which is notoriously flat and with big first-innings
scores, a great effort for everyone to keep them to such a low score."
The Australians had to rely on the batting form and talent of Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326, Mike Hussey and wicket-keeper batsmen Brad Haddin.
The trio struck half centuries yet were frustrated at the way they all failed to convert their starts into hundreds which was the need of the hour after the stunning collapse at the start of the innings.
With the first three overs the hosts were tottering at 3/2 when http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 fell to Anderson, at this juncture a shell shocked Mike Hussey rushed to the middle and he conceded that he could hardly believe that he was heading out to bat as early as he did.
"I was just rushing to get my gear really," Hussey said. "It was all happening very quickly. I couldn't really believe it to be honest, it was just [a feeling] of shock. Before I blinked I was out there in the middle."
However Mr. Cricket who scored a brilliant 195 at Gabba quickly went into his usual groove striking the bad balls to the boundary as he aimed at getting back at the tourists.
Hussey was set to reach his second hundred on the trot when he was sent packing by off-spinner Graeme Swann for 93 runs that came off 183 balls. He hit 8 fours in his innings.
Despite his contribution the rest of the batting line-up had little answers to the four pronged English bowling attack, capitulating for a below par total on what is being considered as a good batting wicket.
Besides Anderson, Swann, Finn and Broad chipped in with vital wickets to strangulate the Aussies.
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