We’re two Tests into the 2010-11 Ashes Cricket Series in Australia and England is one win away from retaining the six inch terracotta urn. The visitors appear indomitable.
The Australians are all at sea. From players through to selectors, they deserve almost all the condemnation that’s been cast at them. Almost all, I say, because England are no less deserving of all the praise that is being heaped on them.
The gulf between these two sides will be hard to leap for the baggy green wearing team. They stare down the barrel of consecutive losses in the third Test at the WACA in Perth from Dec 16 to 20. Failure there means that they were unable to retain or recover the Ashes on Australian soil for the first time since the 1986-87 series.
The five match Test series began at the Gabba in Queensland. Australia started well; England finished better with the game petering out to an uninspiring draw on the fifth day. Australia squandered a commanding 221-run first innings lead; England recovered and batted their way to the draw as they took a moral victory—they lost just one wicket for 517 runs.
Second Test
Then, the Second Test held all the drama to the end on Tuesday Dec 7, with England winning by an innings and 71 runs—the greatest margin the visitors have had over the hosts in 24 years.
England’s Graeme Swann conceded just 91 runs and took his fifth and the final wicket of the match to stake his claim as the hero of the match. While Kevin Pietersen’s superb knock of 227 runs set up the monster lead, James Anderson’s wickets in the first innings gave them their dream start.
There were no heroes for Australia. While Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke at bat, along with the underused Ryan Harris with the ball, shouldn’t drop their heads—for they were admirable, given the circumstances—there were too many under-achievers.
Australia had won the toss, elected to bat on a flat, green pitch, then proceeded to have their worst first innings in a Test match for 60 years. Chaotic from the first over, Simon Katich was run out without even facing a ball—a diamond duck. Then, the next bowl had Captain Ricky Ponting facing his first ball and he was caught out for no runs—a golden duck. Only five balls had been delivered by England’s James Anderson and Australia were 2 for 0.
Anderson got his next wicket in his second over—second drop batsmen Michael Clarke. It was only the third over and Australia was like a trout flopping on the bank of Adelaide’s River Torrens at 3 for 2.
Their first innings at bat didn’t see out the day and they were all out for 245. England, continuing from where they left off at the Gabba, scored 620 before retiring on the fourth day. Having lost just five wickets, the tourists led by 375.
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