Match Report

Entertaining beginning to the Carlton & United Series

Under overcast skies, amidst stifling humidity, and in front of a big Sunday afternoon crowd, the Carlton and United One Day series has commenced at the 'Gabba ground in Brisbane. 

The subject of much anticipation for local cricketing fans (after a week in which the conduct of Mark Waugh and Shane Warne has again dominated cricketing discussions for all the wrong reasons), game one - between Australia and England - has opened brightly with both teams providing the indication that we will see some entertaining play throughout this tournament.

Although Australia has made the early running (pinning their opponents on to the back foot after taking a vital early wicket), the visitors' top order players have looked in a positive mood.  After winning the toss (Alec Stewart's first such success against Australia all summer!!) and electing to bat, the Englishmen have moved to the score of 1/14 after 5 overs.

Whilst Glenn McGrath, opening the bowling for Australia from the Vulture Street End, started his spell with the look of a man struggling to regain his rhythm after a long and tiring Test series, local boy Adam Dale started in the most spectacular fashion possible.  Bowling the typically straight, mesmering line for which he has become renowned in Australian domestic competition, Dale produced a beautiful gentle outswinger with his first ball, trapping Stewart right in front of the stumps.

Not to be deterred by the departure of their captain, Nick Knight and first gamer Vince Wells have looked to take advantage of a diet of short and wayward deliveries from McGrath.  Seeking to make his mark in a country in which he has not previously played international cricket, Knight has opened brightly - lashing an outswinger from Dale through backward point for four before adventurously hooking McGrath for another boundary.

Wells, too, has looked confident.  Other than one poor pull shot (which fortunately for him ballooned over two fieldsmen running back from square leg and mid wicket), he has generally looked confident - particularly in his running between the wickets.

England deep in trouble

England is deep in trouble after the loss of three key wickets in the early part of this match at the 'Gabba.  Following the loss of Alec Stewart (0), Vince Wells (10) and Graeme Hick (8) have now also departed the crease - leaving the visitors in peril at 3/45 after fifteen overs.

After looking to play in a forthright and enterprising manner in his first one day international, Wells was bowled by a beautiful off cutter from Adam Dale.  Forced to temper his instincts to charge down the wicket at Dale by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist's heady decision to move up to the stumps, Wells was beaten by the very next ball as he played an extremely loose attempted on drive.

The situation then worsened dramatically as Hick became the victim of a particularly dubious caught behind decision from the bowling of Fleming. Looking to play a scything cut stroke off a relatively short ball moving marginally away toward the slips, Hick appeared to be struck high on the pad but Tony McQuillan had no hesitation in raising the finger.

Opener Nick Knight (22 no) and number five batsman, Neil Fairbrother (4 no), are accordingly now attempting to set themselves to play long innings and to deny a rampant Australia the chance to take complete control of the match.  At the end of fifteen overs, the score is 3/45.

Whilst Knight is still looking to take advantage of anything short and wide by advancing down the wicket and crashing the ball either through or over the tightly set Australian field, he is naturally playing in a more subdued fashion than he chose to earlier in the innings.

Similarly, Fairbrother is tempering his naturally aggressive instincts and is looking to play cautiously for the most part.  He is playing edgily and has already survived one huge lbw appeal from Fleming.

Dale, continuing to bowl a strangingly straight line and immaculate length, is essentially the man who has put Australia on top.  Now supported by Damien Fleming - who relieved a slightly disappointing Glenn McGrath after just four overs had been bowled at the Vulture Street End - Dale is making the most of the appreciable assistance being offered to the bowlers by the muggy nature of the weather in Brisbane today, swinging and cutting the ball both ways.

Whilst there has been the occasional wayward return to Gilchrist, the Australlians are also backing up their bowlers well with some good aggressive fielding.  Their effort was highlighted by a magnificent full length diving save from Blewett at square leg as he spectacularly intercepted a back foot pull shot from Hick off Fleming's bowling in the ninth over.

England continues to struggle

The memory of England's commanding batting against Queensland at this same venue earlier this week is fast becoming a distant one as their struggle continues against an accurate Australian attack.

Although only one further wicket has been claimed by the Australians over the course of the last ten overs, the visitors have been slowed considerably on a pitch that is flattening out nicely and an outfield that is blindingly fast.  At the halfway mark, they have some arduous work ahead of them with the score at 4/77.  Neil Fairbrother - who has been troubled by the swing of both Adam Dale and Brendon Julian as he has sparred tentatively at the ball outside the line of the off stump - is on a painstakingly made 19 (from 48 balls) and Adam Hollioake is on 2.

The only batsman to lose his wicket during that period of ten overs was opener Nick Knight (30) who only succeeded in edging a reasonably short ball bowled outside the line of off through to Adam Gilchrist as he attempted to angle Glenn McGrath away to third man.

Bowling unchanged from the Stanley Street End in front of his highly appreciative home crowd, Dale (2/25) has now completed a wonderful spell of ten overs.  As he has done throughout his relatively brief career for Australia to date, the diminutive Queenslander has maintained a superb line today, troubling all of the batsmen with his ability to move the ball both ways.

Whilst not nearly as accurate as their teammate, Julian and Damien Fleming have also bowled well.  But there have been some signs during the last few overs that batting is becoming a little easier.  (A still rusty-looking Shane Warne has certainly not created too many alarms in his three overs so far.)

At this stage, Australia remains in a dominant position.  In Dale's absence, however, there is a window of opportunity now for England to start attacking the bowling again.  It is a challenge to which they will need to respond urgently if they are to have a chance of setting a genuinely competitive target.

Australia in complete command as England finds itself in disarray

England is continuing to flounder as it embarks on its long rebuilding mission in this match.  At drinks (after the completion of 32 overs), it is marooned at a dismal 6/97 and, even at this early stage of the contest, is already staring down the barrel of defeat.

Looking to nudge and deflect the ball more than he is to power it through the field, Neil Fairbrother has progressed steadily to a score of 31.  At the other end, Mark Ealham is on 3.

The fifth wicket to fall was that of Adam Hollioake (5) - who fell, after struggling to find his timing and placement throughout what was a poor innings, when he feebly edged Damien Fleming through to the safe hands of Adam Gilchrist.  He was followed shortly afterwards by Mark Alleyne (2), who made a disappointing start to his international career by suicidally attempting to take a second run to Glenn McGrath at fine leg after he had played a leg glance off Shane Warne.

In short, this has been an inept start to the competition from England. Whilst the bowlers have received some assistance from the high content of humidity prevailing in Brisbane today, this scoreline is far more a reflection of some very poor batting than of the state of either the Australians' play or the conditions.

Fairbrother vainly attempts to lead England back into the match

As the first innings of this match heads towards its conclusion, Australia's bowlers continue to restrict an England side which has resorted now to accumulating the majority of its runs from sharply taken singles. With only 10 overs remaining, the score is 7/136.  Neil Fairbrother - playing a steadfast innings amidst the carnage around him - has moved now to 47 and Robert Croft has made 10.

For as badly as his countrymen have been playing around him, Fairbrother has done well and he is even beginning to improvise cleverly.  Not that there has been much with which to compete, a delightful sweep shot for four off the unimpressive Shane Warne and a wristy uppercut from Brendon Julian for two to third man that he has played recently have been among of the shots of the innings.

As if to underline England's total inability to produce any degree of continuity in their performance, the dismissal of Mark Ealham (14) brought perhaps the greatest degree of amusement of all to a crowd which has been revelling in the face of the visitors' woes throughout the afternoon. After producing the only six of the innings with a blazing straight drive over the head of an amazed Julian, he proceeded to spoon the easiest conceivable catch at cover to Ricky Ponting off a leading edge from the very next ball.

Warne, rotating his bowlers cleverly and maintaining tight fields, and his team indeed remain well in command here.  If they can maintain the degree of pressure they have been exerting on England throughout the closing overs, their target to win this match will be far from an imposing one.

England's tale of woe comes to its inexorable end

Despite some sturdy late resistance from tailenders Robert Croft (26 no) and Darren Gough (23 no), England's effort has substantively remained a disappointing one from beginning to end at the 'Gabba today.  At the end of its 50 overs, England's score has ultimately reached 8/178.

Hamstrung by the loss of Neil Fairbrother for 47 after a full ball from Glenn McGrath clattered into his stumps in the 41st over, Croft and Gough worked the ball around the field cleverly and ran between the wickets impudently in a desperate bid to transform a meagre total into a vaguely competitive one.  Their effort was a solid one as they took 12 from Shane Warne's last over (and the 50th of the innings)and added an unbroken 42 for the ninth wicket.

At the end of this innings, there still remains a foreboding sense that the total is not nearly large enough to cause the Australians much grief tonight. Nevertheless, the Australians' history of struggling to chase small targets - and the absence of the injured Steve Waugh and Darren Lehmann - at least must give Alec Stewart some hope that his bowlers can keep his team in the game.

Overall, it was an excellent performance from the Australians with the ball.  Led brilliantly by Adam Dale (2/25), they maintained a disciplined line and length and never allowed their opponents to take too many easy runs.  Of the other bowlers, McGrath (2/24) and Fleming (2/33) were the most impressive.  As for Warne himself, it is clear he is still far below his best; he bowled a number of short balls toward the end of the innings and generally produced an overabundance of misdirected flippers.

It is difficult to foresee anything other than an Australian win tonight but we will have to wait and see what eventuates.

Rain may prove to be England's salvation

Consistent Brisbane rain appears to be offering England some hope this evening at the 'Gabba.  After some sorry batting from Alec Stewart's men through the afternoon, the prospect of an Australian victory in this opening match of the 1998/99 Carlton and Unites series had seemed almost a foregone conclusion.  The intervention of Pluvius has, however, changed the scenario and has consequently proved a timely one for the visitors and their large band of previously disheartened supporters at the ground.

Thick grey clouds descended over the field shortly after the end of the England innings and persistent drizzle followed for the next ninety minutes.  Accordingly, the Australians' target to win this match has become a significantly more challenging one than the one which was originally presented.

Under the Australian Cricket Board rules in vogue in the event of rain delays and interruptions in this tournament, there would need to be at least 25 overs bowled in each innings for a game to be officially constituted.  As matters stand at 7:15 pm Brisbane time, the Australian innings has been reduced to 36 overs and a revised target of 153 has been set.  The umpires, Daryl Harper and Tony McQuillan, have decreed that play will re-commence at 7:25 pm.

A blazing start from Australia

Unperturbed by the lengthy delay caused by an early evening break in Brisbane's weather, Australia's batsmen have made a quickfire start to their pursuit of a revised total of 153 for victory (from 36 overs) this evening.  Despite the loss of Adam Gilchrist (for a rapid fire 13 from 11 balls), they have raced to 1/35 at the end of 5 overs.  Mark Waugh is on 14 and a still-awkward and nervous looking Ricky Ponting has accrued 5.

Although they are being aided by a now lively pitch, a drastically slowed outfield, and an atmosphere conducive to swing bowling, England's bowlers have generally been unable to find their direction so far.  Other than one superb ball from Alan Mullally which cut back into Gilchrist, brushed his pad and then rattled into the top of middle stump, they have been unable to make a great impression.

Gilchrist was particularly severe on anything short and wide, executing his trademark square cut with particular distinction.  Two magnificent shots to deep point off successive balls in Darren Gough's second over - from which 15 runs ultimately came - were the highlight of his entertaining display.

Mark Waugh has cruised effortlessly to his score.  He has been at his most effective against some uncharacteristically erratic bowling from Gough. The Yorkshireman has already bowled 3 wides as he has struggled to reproduce the wonderfully consistent form that he exhibited throughout the recently concluded Ashes series.

One highlight - or lowlight - of the early overs was a spectacularly unsuccessful fielding effort from Mark Alleyne as he chased a bll toward the deep mid wicket fence.  After unsuccessfully electing to execute a slide on a still damp outfield, Alleyne not only suffered the indignity of having to pick himself up and sprawl after the gently rolling ball again but, to the mirth of the packed 'Gabba audience, he missed the by now gently rolling ball twice again! 

England dramatically storms its way back into the match

Suddenly reinvigorated, England has almost literally come from the clouds still hovering over the 'Gabba to storm its way back into this match on the back of a classical display of left-arm pace bowling from Alan Mullally (4/17).

After racing towards its revised target during the early overs of its innings, Australia has suffered an all-too-familiar batting collapse in the course of pursuing a small total for victory to fall spectacularly to a score of 5/59 at the end of 15 overs.  Michael Bevan is on 5 and Brendon Julian 6.

England's bowlers - despite becoming increasingly hampered by a rapidly dampening ball - have settled into bowling a much more consistent line than they were prone to do at the outset of the innings.  As a result, Mark Waugh (23), Ricky Ponting (8), Greg Blewett (0) and Damien Martyn (0) have all beat a retreat to the pavillion in frighteningly quick succession in front of a crowd which has been almost stunned into silence.

At the core of their performance has been Mullally.  The left armer induced the stunning collapse with an excellent inswinging delivery to dismiss Waugh - caught behind off an inside edge as he aimed to drive through the off side.  Ponting, who again spent much of his innings lurching on to the front foot and attempting to turn the ball to leg, was the next to go - brilliantly caught by Adam Hollioake diving forward from mid off to accept a poor leading edged shot just inches above the turf.  That Ponting unnecessarily appeared to want to dispute the fairness of the catch only compounded the nature of his surrender.  Mullally chimed in with his fourth scalp when he went comprehensively through the defences of the recalled Damien Martyn to have him bowled for a duck.

Mullally has been grandly supported by Mark Ealham (1/9), whose tight line and subtle variations in pace have served as an excellent foil at the other end.  That the Kent allrounder induced Greg Blewett to indifferently bottom edge a ball through to Stewart only added to the quality of his own spell.

An Australian line-up suddenly looking all at sea without its regular numbers four and five is under huge pressure now for the first time in this match.  Such has been the extent of their disintegration that they now have only one specialist batsman - Bevan - left to fight this game out.  Lest it be thought that the conditions have unfairly contributed to this demise, it must be said that it has been a combination of woeful batting and magnificent controlled bowling which has been the catalyst for this unexpected turnaround.

Bevan and Julian steady a teetering Australian ship

Led by Alan Mullally's best ever performance (4/18) in a one day international, the England attack is continuing to work hard to restrict Australia's efforts to claim victory in this spectacularly low scoring encounter.  But they are meeting stern resistance in the form of an excellent partnership between Michael Bevan (20 no) and Brendon Julian (23 no) which has advanced the home team's score to 5/94 at the end of 25 overs.

As he has done with such incredible success over his preceding 88 one-day innings for Australia, Bevan is again the key to his team's effort here and is proving a frustratingly difficult figure for the Englishmen to remove. Playing a range of stunted drives and glides, he is right in his element - holding Australia together with his trademark resolve and determination. He was nevertheless extraordinarily fortunate when he was on 12 to survive a dropped catch by Stewart as the England captain unsuccessfully joined his bowler, Adam Hollioake, in imploringly attempting to convince umpire McQuillan that the ball had not taken a fine inside edge before hitting Bevan's pad and squirting through the wicketkeeper's gloves toward a fine third man position.

Julian, a towering figure who hits the ball with incredible power when it finds the middle of his bat, is resisting his natural urge to attack and is also playing a defiant innings for his country.  Despite being troubled repeatedly by Gough early in his innings and although he has played the occasional wild swipe, he is predominantly playing straight and with common sense and is looking to alternate the strike wherever possible.

As the match heads into its concluding overs, it is not easy to pick the winner.  In much the same manner as the remarkable contest between New Zealand and South Africa headed toward its cataclysmic finish at this venue last year, this game is fast becoming poised on a knife-edge.

England secures a nail-biting win

Inspired by a sensational early innings bowling display from man-of-the-match Alan Mullally and Mark Ealham, England has snatched a remarkable 7-run victory over Australia in this opening match of the Carlton and United series at the 'Gabba.

Whilst they proved unable to extract the wicket of Michael Bevan (56 no) - who delayed their victory charge with yet another stoic exhibition for Australia - the visitors' bowlers and fielders applied the requisite level of pressure on their opponents and struck with the appropriate degree of consistency to ensure that they claimed a stunning triumph.

Over the closing overs of the match, England's performance was highlighted by some tidy bowling from Robert Croft (2/24) and some excellent general ground fielding.  Croft was responsible for removing the dangerous Brendon Julian (23) with a ball that went right through the tall Western Australian's defences and Damien Fleming (2), who holed out to the inspired Mullally at long off.  After being the subject of the public's amusement earlier in the night after a comical attempt to effect a sliding save, Mark Alleyne also hit back in emphatic fashion in the field by diving to his left at mid on, and producing a direct hit at the bowler's hand with his right hand from a crouched position at mid on to brilliantly run out Shane Warne (8).

After conceding his runs almost uncontrollably earlier in the night, Darren Gough (1/47 from an amazingly expensive 6 overs) also proved something of a hero for England with an excellent last over.  With the Australians needing 13 to win, he produced a sizzling delivery to bowl Adam Dale (4) from the second ball of the over before he cramped Bevan for room with a series of full, straight deliveries as the left hander tried in desperation to register the 10 runs his team needed for victory from the final 3 balls.

Whilst it was thoroughly entertaining throughout (and although it remained a captivating spectacle right through to its conclusion because of its closeness), neither side in all honesty was at its best in this match. Notwithstanding the notion that the bowlers received more help from Brisbane's humidity than is usually the case, the batting was consistently unimpressive.  Even given England's justifiably jubilant victory celebrations, it may well be that world champion Sri Lanka - awaiting England tomorrow - is the team which takes the greatest degree of pleasure of all from this result.

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