Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook had a brilliant day by hitting magnificent centuries which gave the visitors a golden chance to save the first Ashes Test at Brisbane. The opening stand of 188 runs is the seventh highest by any
English opening pair in Australia. The challenge to continue the brilliance in performance was taken up by Jonathan Trott when Strauss left the crease with a 110 runs to his name. Along with Cook, Trott racked up a partnership of 121 for the second wicket.
No one anticipated that England will end up 309 for the loss of one wicket but it was made possible by exceptional and responsive batting by the English batsmen. Alastair Cook remained unbeaten on 132 when bad light stopped play for the day.
Strauss’s strength gave the English players a way for to make Australia feel the same as England did on Day Three, when the resilient batting of Hussey and Haddin had the pommies scratching their heads. England will still try to
push http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Australia-c746 on the last day but the forseeable weakenss that might tip the balance in favour of Australia is the weak English balling attack. Strauss performed with class, progressing towards his 19th Test century and 4th against Australia.
He was very aggressive towards the spin bowlers and used his feet more efficiently this time, smacking the ball down the ground. He celebrated his century emotionally as before this knock, England’s inability to contain Hussey and Haddin had out them in a
very tight spot indeed.
An early scare had Strauss on the defensive when the batsman was spared by a fumbled catch from Mitchel Johnson off Doherty and again when he misjudged a pull on 88 that edged and flew between the slips taking him to 96. His shots
through cover showed that Strauss’s game was in top order as he was hard on http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Watson-c96326 and Hilfenhaus whenever they over pitched and played on the back foot when it was bowled shorter than that.
Alastair Cook also followed on in Strauss’s footsteps and gave a brilliant display by playing a respectable innings of 132 runs. He reached his landmark shortly after tea after which Peter Siddle in diving catch , failed to hold
on to the ball off a top edged pull. On the other hand in an attempt on Trott, the ball slipped out of the finger tips of Michael http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Clarke-c51120 when the Englishman was on 34.
The opening pair came up with a handful of records. This was the visitor’s highest stand at the Gabba and best opening stand by any visiting country in Brisbane. Strauss and Cook have become England’s most successful opening pair
in Test cricket although the previous record holding pair of Jack Hobb and http://www.senore.com/Cricket/Herbert-Sutcliffe-c63035 had only played the number of matches compared to Strauss and Cook. In closing, the 4th day at the Gabba was an impressive show of England’s batting that helped them
recover and saved England from losing their first Test after a poor show in the first innings.
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