Courage and mental strength is often the name of the game in the Test match arena, and in bouncing back from a thumping inning defeat in the last test, the Australian team has shown both of these qualities in multitudes.
On just the 4th day of the 3rd test match of the 2010/11 Ashes series at the WACA, Perth, Australia managed to bring parity back to an encounter that had seemed terribly lopsided in favour of the visiting English team on account of
both sides’ performance in the first two tests of the series. But as is almost always the case with Australian units, you cannot count them dead until they have been properly buried, and this team too has displayed that dogged determination of Australian teams
of the past.
Most of the damage in this test had been done before the 4th day, which eventually lasted just 50 minutes, for that was all the time the Australians needed to polish off England’s remaining 5 wickets. England though would not have been expecting
too much from their tail, because there having slumped down to 81 for 5 by the end of just the 3rd day of the test match with a target of 390 to chase, had meant that an Australian victory was a foregone conclusion.
After yet another failure for the Australian captain Ricky Ponting and the vice-captain Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 in the second innings, it was Australian run-machine Michael Hussey and opener Shane Watson’s 113 run partnership that allowed Australia to set England
a daunting target of 390 in the 4th innings of the match. England’s second innings did not start off too well as they lost 3 top-order wickets with the score only just past 50. A partnership of 26 after that, between Jonathan Trott and Paul Collingwood
meant that England signalled that they might be starting to find a way back in the match, but that dream was dealt two shattering blows in quick succession towards the end of the day, as first Johnson the Aussie hero of the first inning removed Trott for 31
with England’s score at 81 and then Ryan Harris dismissed Paul Collingwood for 11 with the score stuck on 81.
On the 4th day then, it was down to Ian Bell and Matt Prior to do the bulk of the work if England were to save the day. To get to Bell though, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 had to remove night watchman James Anderson, a task which did not take too long, as Ryan Harris
bowled him for 3 in just the 4th over of the day. After Anderson’s dismissal, in came Ian Bell on whom much of England’s hopes were centered, and although he looked as elegant as ever in his strokeplay, he too could only manage 16 in his brief performance
at the crease before he was trapped in front by Harris as he tried to work a straight ball into the leg side. Bell did ask for a review, but he too must have known that he was a goner, and the review certainly showed nothing to make the umpire change his mind.
Bell’s wicket meant that Australia’s victory had become a matter of when rather than if. And sure enough all the England tail could manage was a token resistance. Their last recognized batsman Matt Prior became Harris’s next wicket of the innings, meaning
the pacer had taken his first five wicket haul in test cricket, when he handed a catch to Michael Hussey at gully. Graeme Swann was the next to go as he played a Johnson delivery while attempting a big drive. Harris then wrapped up proceedings when he had
Steve Finn caught at third slip, to end the England innings at 123 and give Australia victory by a handsome margin of 267 runs.
Australia’s first victory in 6 tests since beating http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Pakistan-c755 at Lord’s means that the final two Ashes tests are now very delicately poised. The victory will ease a little pressure off the Australians but it will certainly also leave England keen for a win
to avenge their humiliating loss in this test, which should make the Boxing Day test at Melbourne a fine spectacle.
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