Kate Laven
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4th Test: England v Australia at Leeds, 16-20 Aug 2001 Kate Laven |
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Australia 2nd innings: England 2nd innings: Australia 1st innings: Pre-game: England 1st innings: |
After making 176 for four in their second innings, Australian captain Adam Gilchrist declared when it was announced that weather permitting, another 20 overs would be played at 5.50pm following a dreary afternoon watching the clouds and covers come and go.
The decision gave England a win target of 315 to aim for, with the remainder of the fourth day and a full fifth day left but Mike Atherton and Marcus Trescothick batted for just 2.3 overs before umpires offered the batsmen the light.
By then they had reduced the deficit by four after Atherton had bravely hooked Glen McGrath in the gloom to get off the mark.
Despite heavy overnight rain and misty conditions, there had earlier been a prompt start but 40 minutes later, the clouds gathered and hundreds of umbrellas popped up around the ground to signal the first interruption of the day.
But in that time, a substantial crowd were treated to a batting spectacular from Ricky Ponting who was belting the ball as if it were white.
He faced 31 balls and put on a remarkable 38 runs, including a hefty six into the West Stand off Hampshire left-armer Alan Mullally. His 50 came up in 52 balls and all Matthew Hayden could do, having resumed on 12 to Ponting’s 30, was watch in awe from the other end.
With such heavy cloud cover and on a pitch that players said was beginning to misbehave, the advantage should have been with the bowlers but Australia were after quick runs and more than ready to take risks.
In ten overs, the score shot from 69 for one to 124 for one but Ponting’s cavalier exhibition was disrupted by a 40-minute rain break then destroyed by Darren Gough who had him trapped leg before for 72, scoring at a run a ball.
His partnership with Hayden added 104 but Hayden’s luck also ran out three overs later when he edged a ball from Mullally to the wicket-keeper after he had made 35.
The afternoon session saw more rain and less play with three hours and 20 minutes lost to the weather but Andrew Caddick used the time available to great effect, having dangerman Damien Martyn back in the pavilion for six before the heavens opened.
It was Caddick’s first ball of the spell but the Australian batsman, not used to looseners, was deceived and trapped. In the distance, there were flashes of lightning and rumbles of thunder and very soon, the storm had descended on Leeds, putting a stop to proceedings.
Bad light turned quickly into heavy rain and play was eventually called off 6.35pm.
With his first ball after the interval, Andrew Caddick deceived Damien Marytn with his loosener and attempting to turn it down the leg side, he felt it rap him on the pads.
With two centuries behind him in this series, Martyn’s wicket was an important one and his departure for six was celebrated enthusiastically by England.
The score was 171 for four and Mark Waugh and Simon Katich added another five runs to the total, increasing their lead to 314, before the rain came
Ricky Ponting was snapped up by Darren Gough, who bowled consistently with pace and precision, while Alan Mullally accounted for Matthew Hayden.
Ponting’s ploy was to add quick runs and in 37 balls, he put on a remarkable 42 runs to take his total to 72 before he was finally despatched by Gough.
The Yorkshireman, bowling from the end that has been his own for 12 years, put in a vociferous appeal against Ponting during the first over back after the rain break.
It was turned down by umpire Venkat but there was little doubt about the ball that followed – another appeal for leg before which was as plumb as they come.
Ponting had faced 72 balls, sending ten of them to the boundary and one over it. His partnership with Hayden put on 104 in 122 balls but Australia suffered another blow three overs later when Hayden edged Alan Mullally to the wicket-keeper after he had made 35.
At lunch, Australia were 146 for three with their sights set on a 400-run lead and the chance to have a bowl at England to secure an early conclusion to the match.
Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting, who resumed Australia’s second innings on 69 for one, came out with all guns blazing, despite the overcast conditions and a pitch that has grown more uneven and unpredictable which should have favoured the bowlers.
They put on 55 in the first ten overs and Ponting, who was himself scoring at almost four an over as if he were playing in a one-day game, launched a ball from Andrew Caddick high into the West Stand.
But only 40 minutes' play was possible before the rain, which had threatened from the outset, started to fall, sending the players running for cover.
The score was 124 for one with Hayden unbeaten on 25 and Ricky Ponting having made his way quickly to 68, his 38 for the morning coming from 31 balls and featuring one six and five fours.
By the close of an entertaining third day, cut short by rain and bad light, the tourists were 207 runs ahead with nine wickets still in tact.
Michael Slater was England’s only second innings success, after Darren Gough forced him to play on having reached 16 and Ricky Ponting had another escape, for the second time in the match, when he was dropped by Mike Atherton on four.
A capacity Headingley crowd were kept spellbound by the action and drama provided throughout the day, with Alec Stewart playing a whirlwind innings down the order and McGrath reaching his milestone to become the third Australian in history to take 350 wickets.
A sense of theatre was created with the dismissal of England captain Nasser Hussain, just 11 minutes into play. After his valiant effort on the second day’s play, he was cornered by a ball from McGrath that kept low and nipped back to hit him on the pad.
He had added a single to his overnight total but his departure came as a major blow for England after he and Mark Butcher had raised hopes with a stand of 91 that promised a serious and hefty response to Australia’s first innings total of 447.
Butcher went nine balls later, calling for an impossible single and falling four feet short when Brett Lee broke the wicket. He made 47 but the prospect of another England collapse looked likely with the score 158 for four, two new batsmen at the crease and the follow-on target still 90 runs off.
Mark Ramprakash produced one of the highlights of the day by reacting to a painful blow on the wrist from Jason Gillespie with a powerful punch through the covers for four, to the great delight of a supportive crowd.
When Australia took the new ball, he had reached 40 and looked settled and confident but his innings was brought to a premature end when he edged McGrath to the wicket-keeper, Gilchrist taking it in front of his nose.
Meanwhile, Stewart was starting to gain momentum, showing his habitual liking for the new ball despite his demotion to number seven. He exploited a wayward spell from Lee, hitting him for three fours in one over.
He saw Alex Tudor come and go then watched as Andrew Caddick was pummelled by Lee, who had clearly singled him out for some special hostility. For the crowd, it provided some of the best entertainment of the day as Caddick retaliated to a knock on the elbow by square cutting him for four.
Lee was bowling as fast as he has ever bowled, his fastest ball reaching a remarkable 92.6mph and his next ball careered straight into Caddick's stumps but as the bails went flying, up went the umpire’s hand to signal a no-ball, to huge cheers all round.
With the score on 299 for nine, the players left the field for bad light and returned to add another ten to the total before Alan Mullally became McGrath’s seventh victim of the match and the 350th of his career.
It left Stewart unbeaten on 76, having faced 83 balls, and after a difficult series it marked a welcome return to form.
McGrath finished with a superb 7-76, including the last England wicket of Alan Mullally as England were dismissed for 309, giving Australia a lead of 138 on the third day of the Fourth npower Test Match.
Stewart, who was unbeaten on 67 when the players were taken off the field for a two-hour break for bad light and then rain, took his score to 76, producing a series of shots not normally displayed in his portfolio.
Facing a wayward ball from Brett Lee, he stepped two feet outside his leg stump and thumped the ball through to the long leg boundary, an unusual shot which proved how well he was seeing the ball. HIs 76 came from 83 balls and featured a six and ten fours.
But he ran out of partners when Mullally popped the ball into the hands of Simon Katich at short leg to hand McGrath his milestone trophy.
An enthralling post-lunch session was packed with incident and drama, starting with the crucial runs that saw England safely past the 248 target which required Australia to bat again.
Those runs came off Stewart’s bat – though both he and Ramprakash returned from lunch in attacking frame of mind, with Brett Lee the principle target of their aggression.
In the over following the interval, they picked 16 runs off Lee but were then faced with the new ball, and that immediately ended Ramprakash’s courageous innings after he had made 40.
He was caught behind off Glenn McGrath, the ball flying off the edge of the bat to hit Gilchrist’s gloves at eye level. The sixth-wicket pair had added 78 runs in 140 balls and taken England through a tricky and pressured phase.
Another expensive Lee over followed as Stewart started to hit out, striking three boundaries with the help of a portion of luck as he saw one ball hurtle just inches past gully to the advertising boards.
Alex Tudor made two before he was also caught behind off McGrath, to give the Australian his 21st five-wicket haul in Test cricket and his fifth against England.
Tudor’s dismissal made way for Andy Caddick who, from the outset, was peppered with some hostile bowling, made more threatening by unpredictable bounce.
A real tussle developed between him and Lee with words and gestures exchanged between bullet-like deliveries from Lee and some aggressive strokeplay from Caddick.
Caddick required treatment when he was hit on the elbow by Lee and the following delivery shattered Caddick’s stumps but to the delight of an animated Headingley crowd, it was called a no ball.
Meanwhile, Stewart brought up his half-century and then launched into a massive shot off McGrath which saw the ball career over the cover boundary, again to the crowd’s immense delight.
Caddick was finally sent packing by Lee, having edged the ball to the wicket-keeper.
By then, England were 299 for nine and Stewart continued his cavalier innings until the light started to fade.
When the umpires eventually called a halt to proceedings, after Stewart had struggled to make contact with a 90 mph ball from Lee, the score was 300 for nine, the deficit reduced to 147 runs. Stewart was unbeaten on 67.
In partnership with Surrey colleague Alec Stewart, Ramprakash put on a powerful and convincing show on a pitch that is showing increasing signs of uneven bounce and at lunch had steered England to 232 for five.
He was hit on the wrist by an 85 mph ball from Jason Gillespie that left him, momentarily, in some distress, needing on-field treatment from England physio Dean Conway.
But he recovered well and in the next over punched Gillespie to the boundary with an aggressively struck drive through the covers.
By lunch he was unbeaten on 33 and Stewart, who joined him after the dismissal of Usman Afzaal when the score was 174 for five, was 24 not out.
Together they added 58 in 110 balls and were making a decent fist of fending off the follow-on and of entertaining another capacity Headingley crowd.
They need another 16 runs to make Australia bat again but their progress may be disrupted by rain, which is predicted to hit Leeds mid-afternoon.
When England resumed their first innings on 155 for two, the third-wicket pairing of Butcher and Hussain had added a valuable 88 to the total. To avoid following on, both players had to continue to battle courageously against a refreshed Australian attack.
But the players had been on the field for just 11 minutes when Hussain was trapped leg before by Glenn McGrath with a ball that kept low and nipped back. He had added a single to his total, falling short of a half-century by four runs.
Nine balls later, Butcher was run out attempting a risky single to a ball pushed just four yards beyond the bowling crease. Butcher hesitated before setting off and was well out of his ground when Brett Lee scooped up the ball and hurled it at the stumps.
It left England on 158 for four, still needing another 89 runs to reach the vital target to save them batting again. The new batsmen Mark Ramprakash and Usman Afzaal were both on nought and Australia’s confidence was flying high, their first innings total of 447 looking increasingly out of reach of England’s struggling middle order.
Nottinghamshire left-hander Afzaal, who last season made a century against McGrath in a Championship match between his county and Worcestershire, survived 18 balls in only his second Test and in that time, pulled off two handsome drives to raise hopes.
But he fell trying to leave a ball from McGrath, which touched the top of his bat and flew straight to Shane Warne at slip, leaving McGrath with a superb 4-47 and England in big trouble on 174 for five.
While the Ashes are lost, England need to salvage respect from the remaining two Test Matches and a second-day batting collapse in reply to Australia’s 447 first innings total would have done little to help them recover lost ground.
So when both Mike Atherton and Marcus Trescothick departed shortly after tea with England's score 67 for two, the alarm bells started to sound and the spirit of Headingley’s favourite son and England’s mulish opener was summoned.
Obduracy and courage, of Boycott-like proportions, was now required of England’s captain Nasser Hussain and his number three Mark Butcher and they responded in a manner that would have made the Yorkshireman proud.
Hussain’s arrival at the crease was accompanied by confusion all around the ground when a third batsman in full England kit also started walking out.
It turned out to be the same fellow who mysteriously appeared in the Manchester United team photo two weeks ago but he got to within 30 yards of the crease before turning round, pulling a mobile phone out of his pocket and wandering off, the phone attached firmly to his ear, to everyone’s amusement.
The 50 partnership came in 97 balls, after Hussain had taken 20 minutes to get off the mark but he was in no rush; having spent so much time out of international cricket with his damaged digits, he seemed keen to get stuck in.
By the close, he was unbeaten on 45 and Butcher, who had unleashed some lovely drives on both sides of the wicket, was three short of his half- century, the pair having put on 88 runs for the third wicket, in 178 deliveries.
Their teamwork increased England's chances of saving the follow-on, the target of 248 still 93 runs away, with eight wickets intact.
Australia, resuming in the morning on 288 for four, made good progress in building a formidable first innings total and suffered no alarms until England took the new ball. Alex Tudor was preferred ahead of Darren Gough to see what havoc he could wreak but it was Damien Martyn and Simon Katich who had the last laugh when they picked off 23 runs in his two overs.
Gough replaced Tudor and immediately started causing trouble. He produced an excellent delivery that swung back in to Katich and clipped the top of his off stump, then before too long, he had dangerman Adam Gilchrist back in the hutch having been well caught in the covers by Trescothick.
Gough’s war on wickets was given some assistance after lunch by some profligate batting by the Australians, who had clearly had a pow-wow over lunch and decided to pile on the runs, quickly.
Martyn kicked off a tense afternoon by reaching his second century of the series. It came in just 125 balls, included 15 boundaries and a five and was a show of high-class batting at its best.
In the same over, Shane Warne went before scoring, then Brett Lee followed him, again for a duck. Jason Gillespie was caught at first slip for five and Martyn, who by this time had made his way to 118, was last to go, caught by Alec Stewart after Atherton had helpfully deflected the ball in his direction.
Gough finished with 5-103, a fine effort after an average early showing yesterday but it was Martyn who received the biggest cheer as the players departed, to prepare for the next, and possibly decisive, phase of the game.
At tea, the pair had reached the first and all-important 50 without disruption, their sights set initially on exceeding 247, the follow-on target after Australia completed their innings half an hour after lunch with 447 runs.
The sure-footed Atherton was unbeaten on 22 having seen off the worse from Glenn McGrath and his new ball while Trescothick was marginally ahead with 27.
Trescothick survived an identical heart-stopping moment as Ricky Ponting had endured while still on nought yesterday. Having made four, he defended a ball from McGrath which flew off the bat and landed low into Mark Waugh’s hands.
Umpire David Shephard, uncertain whether the catch was good, referred to the television replays which showed the ball had grazed the surface of the ground before Waugh got a touch. To many, including next batsman Mark Butcher who was fully helmeted and padded and ready to go, the decision came as a surprise but brought great relief.
The pitch appeared to pose few problems though starting dry and getting drier, it will no doubt deteriorate giving Shane Warne the perfect stage for his wizardry over the next few days.
The Yorkshireman finished with 5-103, gathering the wicket of Damien Martyn to give him his ninth five-wicket haul in Test cricket. Having made a superb 118, Martyn was caught by Alec Stewart, after the ball deflected from Mike Atherton at first slip.
He had been at the crease for just over three hours, faced 135 balls and hit a remarkable 18 boundaries, proving for the second time in this Ashes series that Australia have produced another class batsman for their formidable middle order.
His was the fourth wicket to fall in 35 minutes after a luncheon interval in which the instruction had clearly been given to up the rate, whatever the cost. Australia put on 39 runs in the seven overs and one ball bowled after lunch.
In the same over as Martyn completed his 100 – from 125 balls with 15 boundaries – Shane Warne tried to pull Gough and sent the ball flying high. It landed in Stewart’s reliable gloves to give England their seventh wicket with the score 412.
Both Warne and next batsman Brett Lee made ducks though Martyn was so productive at the other end that another ten runs had been added to the total by the time Lee departed.
Jason Gillespie was caught in the slips by Atherton for five and Glenn McGrath produced two text book cover drives off Alan Mullally before Gough wrapped up the innings at around 2.15pm.
England have to make 248 to avoid the follow-on but suffered a scare in the third over when Marcus Trescothick, playing defensively, was caught at second slip by Mark Waugh.
The catch was referred to the third umpire and the batsman was given not out, the ball seen to hit the ground before reaching Waugh’s fingers.
At lunch, Damien Martyn was revelling in the English conditions which have suited him ever since he arrived on this Ashes tour and was on the brink of his second Test century in four matches following his 105 at Edgbaston.
He was unbeaten on 97, pushing along Australia’s score with an exciting urgency that had a packed and appreciative crowd rapt. Each boundary - and there were 19 of them during the morning session on top of the 34 scored yesterday - was warmly applauded and in two hours, Australia’s middle order batters had added another 120 to the total.
Shane Warne had recently arrived at the crease following Gough’s success with the new ball. Alex Tudor was originally chosen ahead of him but after two overs, in which Australia picked off 23 runs, Gough replaced him.
The effect was almost instantaneous as Simon Katich, having made 15, received a ball that swung in and clipped the top of his off stump. The ball was five overs old and the score 355 for five.
Despite the strike, the Australians were able to keep the run rate up and Adam Gilchrist typically got off to a runaway start. He made 19 from 40 balls before slicing Gough to cover where the agile Marcus Trescothick took a superb catch diving forward. It gave Gough figures of 2-87.
After taking the two vital wickets of Ricky Ponting and Mark Waugh in the last few overs last night, England needed to hold their line and length to keep the pressure on Australia who resumed on 288 for four.
But Martyn, who made a century on his debut at Edgbaston and has proved a compelling replacement for the out-of-form Justin Langer, effortlessly exploited some wayward deliveries from Darren Gough and Alex Tudor quickly made his way to a half-century.
The milestone was earned with a sweetly timed cover drive off a loose half volley from Tudor, bowling with the new ball.
It was his eighth score of 50 or more in 15 Tests and he was given steady though cautious support from Katich, the Western Australian batsman who played for Durham last season.
The pair put on 47 runs in the first hour with Martyn’s attractive 50 coming from 78 balls and featuring six boundaries.
It was the fifth Australian century of the Ashes series but for Ponting, who has been through one of the most miserable phases of his career with just 50 runs from five Test innings, it was a spectacular return to form and showed both courage and ruthless spirit in his bid for a century.
It was courageous because he arrived at the crease with Australia in an unusually tentative position at 42 for two after Adam Gilchrist’s decision to bat first on a pitch that looked to favour the bowlers, was in danger of backfiring.
With so few runs in his tank this summer, it was a pressurised situation for Ponting but his destiny became almost preordained when the third delivery of his innings from Andy Caddick flew off his bat and carried to Mark Ramprakash at third slip.
Or did it? The umpires were unsure and referred to their third set of eyes, Neil Mallender who watched the catch over and over again and ruled that the ball had not in fact carried to the fielder.
It was an impossibly close call but from that point, Ponting, who was yet to get off the mark, was ruthless in his pursuit of runs, grabbing the opportunity as the Australians do in lucky breaks, with unrestrained zeal. By tea nine overs later, he had already notched up 32 runs
The hundred was not long in coming. Less than three hours later, having faced 113 deliveries, he flicked Alan Mullally to square leg and ran the single. He had struck three sixes, one off each of England’s frontline bowlers, as well as 11 fours, most of them immaculately and deliciously pulled through the leg side.
He shared a magnificent double hundred partnership with Mark Waugh who departed for 72 at the close having continued his rich vein of form that started pretty early into the tour.
Looking at Australia’s total at the close, 288 for four, one would never have guessed that 23 overs had been lost from the scheduled day's play. Heavy rain had greeted a large Yorkshire crowd first thing, postponing play until after lunch.
Australia are no longer fighting to retain the Ashes after their triumph at Trent Bridge but are now battling to make it a 5-0 'greenwash'. As a result, they started cautiously until they had a better measure of the pitch, a green top with patchy brown ends, that at the toss had everyone guessing.
England dropped two catches to help Australia’s openers on their way. Matthew Hayden was missed by Marcus Trescothick at gully, which marked the end of Trescothick in that position for the day. Alan Mullally then missed Michael Slater for 11 at square leg which would have made the score 23 for two.
Neither miss proved particularly expensive with both openers departing shortly afterwards to Andy Caddick, who proved the most attacking bowler in England’s otherwise ragged effort.
But the loss of Hayden leg before brought together Waugh and the mighty Ponting. The entertainment became enthralling, as both were allowed to play their shots and Nasser Hussain struggled to find the best option for bringing the show to a close.
None of his pace bowlers responded with any great commitment to accuracy or planning and so he turned to his bit parters, Mark Butcher and Mark Ramprakash who unwittingly may have set up the opportunity for Alex Tudor ten overs from stumps.
Having made a sparkling 144 from 154 balls, Ponting finally edged Tudor to Alec Stewart and an excellent third-wicket partnership was over, finishing eight runs short of Australia’s record at Headingley, set in 1930 by Sir Don Bradman and Alan Kippax.
By this time, the bowlers were looming in the shadows and many of the crowd had dispersed, possibly disheartened by another frustrating England performance but they missed a remarkable last innings setback for the tourists.
With three balls left of the day's play, Caddick surprised Waugh with a ball that lifted and the squirted up and came down in the hands of Ramprakash, to bring an amazing day's play to a close.
The departure of Michael Slater for 21 was followed three balls later by more jubilation in the England camp when Mark Ramprakash appeared to catch Ricky Ponting as the ball spurted to the ground.
Third umpire Neil Mallender took his time to scrutinise the footage and, after several television replays, decided there was still doubt about whether the ball touched the ground before being claimed. Ponting was given a second life, depriving Caddick of his second wicket.
But he did have to wait long for his reward when, in the 15th over, Matthew Hayden finished up in an ungainly muddle on the ground after attempting to fend Caddick away. The ball struck him on the pad and umpire Venkat produced an instant decision.
Australia were 42 for two and Adam Gilchrist’s decision to bat first on a pitch that promised plenty for the bowlers was beginning to look like backfiring.
But the solid experience and expertise of Mark Waugh and Ponting saw them safely through to tea without further alarm. Both players eased up against England's second change bowlers Alan Mullally and Alex Tudor, the attractive Waugh driving with all the time in the world and Ponting sending the ball hurtling to the square leg boundary with a quick flick of the wrist.
At tea, Australia were 86 for two with Ponting unbeaten on 32 and Waugh nine not out. Caddick bowled tightly to pick up 2-37 from nine overs.
The unexpected decision to bat first was beginning to look like a shrewd one by captain Adam Gilchrist, who is standing in for the injured Steve Waugh.
The green appearance of the surface, combined with reports that it was bone dry, created confusion, especially as there was still a hint of moisture in the atmosphere after four hours of rain in the morning which postponed the start of play until 2.15pm.
But Gilchrist decided the pitch would yield plenty towards the end of the game and gave his openers Michael Slater and Matthew Hayden an opportunity to build a platform for their fourth consecutive victory in the Ashes series.
Again, England found themselves wasting vital early opportunities when both Slater and Hayden were dropped in the opening overs. With the score on 16, Marcus Trescothick missed a chance at gully while Alan Mullally flinched when a powerfully struck ball from Slater hit his palms at square leg after the score had moved to 23.
But their persistence was rewarded in the 12th over of the innings when Slater was leg before to Andy Caddick with the score 39 for one.
Play finally got under way at 2.15pm after prolonged and heavy rain across Leeds in the morning. Players took an early lunch and umpires set a start time after a further inspection of the pitch.
England selectors chose to leave out Richard Johnson and spinner Robert Croft with the recalled Alan Mullally of Hampshire back in the England XI after an absence of 18 months.
Simon Katich was presented with his baggy green cap by Richie Benaud, the former Australian Test player who now commentates for Channel 4.
England: Nasser Hussain (capt, Essex); Mike Atherton (Lancs); Marcus Trescothick (Somerset); Mark Butcher (Surrey); Mark Ramprakash (Surrey); Alec Stewart (Surrey); Usman Afzaal (Nottinghamshire); Alex Tudor (Surrey); Alan Mullally (Hampshire); Andrew Caddick (Somerset); Darren Gough (Yorkshire).
Australia: Adam Gilchrist; Matthew Hayden; Michael Slater; Ricky Ponting; Mark Waugh; Damien Martyn; Simon Katich; Shane Warne; Brett Lee; Jason Gillespie; Glenn McGrath.
The good news is the rain has stopped and the groundstaff are working frantically to clear excess water from the square.
The umpires are due to inspect the ground at noon, but there seems little chance of any play before lunch.
© CricInfo
Date-stamped : 20 Aug2001 - 14:37