Ashes history has been full of dramatising opening days. Brisbane produced another drama to be added http://www.senore.com/Cricket/AS-Peter-c46174 Siddle, a controversial inclusion for the match, thrashed the English side completely.
He gave himself the perfect gift to remember on his birthday, career best figures of 6 wickets for 54 runs, which helped skittle England at 260. Alastair Cook played calmly for his 67 and Ian Bell fashioned one of finest knocks but the visitors will feel
that a great chance has been missed as Australia closed the day at 25 runs for no loss.
Siddle’s moment of grandeur came in the final session of the opening day after England were 4 for 197 and Australia had gone into a holding pattern. He was called into the attack to unsettle the England batting. It started when Siddle dismissed Cook on 67
with a fine ball that was edged towards the slip cordon. This was followed up by an equally impressive delivery, full enough to send Matt Prior into the dressing room. It seemed as if there was no time to react for the player at all. The hat-trick ball was
loomed into the line of stumps but it hit the batsman’s boot. The atmosphere at the Gabba was electrifying and just to add to the drama, Broad decided to review the decision, only to be given out again.
It seemed like a way to mark a Test recall. Siddle had not played a single Test since January, yet his performance at Brisbane showed everyone the way to bowl on a batting-friendly pitch. The selectors have always preferred Doug Bollinger over the young
pacer, but today justice was done. Even before claiming the hat-trick, Siddle bowled exceptionally well against Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood and he later removed both of them.
The drama of the final session will surely grab the headlines, but the series has also been given a brilliant start. England has managed to add to the list of their horror starts. It did not take the series to burst into a lively start when Andrew Strauss
was sent back on the third ball of the first over. Michael Hussey took a brilliant catch to remove the England skipper.
The England captain stood his ground for a moment, in a state of denial, until the celebrations around reminded him of the dismissal. Strauss had made two centuries in the warm up games and his shocking dismissal in the real game came as a stunner for him.
England were confident that they could target Shane http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326, but that also proved to be wrong. And the bowling from other end was exerting more and more pressure on the English. The game settled for a moment when Cook and Pietersen added 76 runs. But after
Pietersen was dismissed, the batting nearly collapsed.
Siddle claimed the wickets fairly quickly which sent England on the back foot. But Ian Bell’s held the innings together to some extent. He remained calm and concentrated till the end until he fell to the young debutant, Xavier Doherty. The performance in
the first innings has embarrassed the fans of the in-form visitors, who want to witness a comeback from them. However, the bowling line-up of the Australians have silenced the critics.
With the comeback of Siddle in a fine fashion, http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 think might be able to post a competitive total for the visitors and take a good lead in the first innings.
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