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| November 27, 2006 | Monday | Ziqa'ad 5, 1427 |
Australia eye victory in first Test
BRISBANE, Nov 26: Kevin Pietersen was eyeing a century after Paul Collingwood made 96 and England finally found some form to stall Australia's march towards victory in the first Ashes Test on Sunday.
Pietersen belted 14 boundaries in an unbeaten 92 after Collingwood fell agonisingly short of his own hundred to help England reach 293 for five in their second innings and force the match into a final day.
Australia, who lost the Ashes to England last year for the first time since 1989, were looking to wrap up victory with a day to spare after dominating the first three days at the Gabba then declaring before lunch on Sunday with a massive 647-run lead.With no real prospect of victory, England's best hope of salvaging something from the match was to try and survive the last two days to force a draw or get some valuable batting practice before the second Test starts in Adelaide on Friday.
But their chances of achieving either of those aims seemed doomed when they lost Andrew Strauss (11), Ian Bell (no score) and Alastair Cook (43) cheaply to slump to 91 for three when Pietersen and Collingwood set about restoring England's pride.
Despite the team's grim position, the pair went on the attack, treating the Australian bowlers with contempt as they piled on 153 for the fourth wicket at almost a run a minute and finally giving their travelling supporters a reason to cheer.
Collingwood had a lucky escape when Damien Martyn dropped a sharp reflex catch at short extra cover before he was off the mark but he was unfazed and steadily grew in confidence.
The 30-year-old slammed 13 fours and two sixes and seemed certain to reach three figures until he threw his wicket away when he danced down the pitch to Shane Warne and was stumped by Adam Gilchrist, who took over the captaincy when Ricky Ponting left the field for back treatment.
Pietersen, who scored his maiden Test hundred in the last Ashes Test in 2005 to seal the draw England needed for a 2-1 series win, also had a few anxious moments in his 151-ball knock.
The 26-year-old survived a strong appeal for a catch behind when he was on 44 then Gilchrist missed a stumping chance when he was on 80 but was otherwise in complete control during a superb display of big-hitting.
He will resume on Monday alongside wicket-keeper Geraint Jones (12 not out) and Australia hoping to get into the tail after England lost their skipper Andrew Flintoff 36 minutes before stumps.
Flintoff cracked four boundaries to race to 16 before he chanced his arm once too often and smacked Warne straight to Justin Langer at long-on.
Warne failed to take a wicket in England's first innings but finished the fourth day with 4-108 and looking to add to his haul on Monday as the pitch starts to deteriorate.
Australia ended their second innings just 23 minutes after the start of play when Langer completed his century with a single off Steve Harmison.
The left-handed Langer had resumed on 88 and wasted little time chalking up his 23rd Test hundred and fifth against England, finishing 100 not out off 147 balls.
Langer shared an unbroken partnership of 113 with Ponting, who made 60 not out after his 196 in Australia's first-innings total of 602 for nine declared.
Ponting, who decided not to enforce the follow-on after his team led by 445 on first innings, was troubled by lower back pain and did not return to the field during the rest of the day.
Australian fast bowler Glenn McGrath also left the field several times for treatment to a bruised heel but still completed 12 overs.
Scoreboard
AUSTRALIA (1st Innings) 602-9 declared (R.T. Ponting 196, M.E.K. Hussey 86, J.L. Langer 82, M.J. Clarke 56; A. Flintoff 4-99).
ENGLAND (1st Innings) 157 (I.R. Bell 50; G.D. McGrath 6-50).
AUSTRALIA (2nd Innings, overnight 181-1):
J.L. Langer not out 100
M.L. Hayden run out 37
R.T. Ponting not out 60
EXTRAS (LB-4, NB-1) 5
TOTAL (for one wkt decl, 45.1 overs) 202
FALL OF WKT: 1-68.
BOWLING: Hoggard 11-2-43-0; Anderson 9-1-54-0; Flintoff 5-2-11-0 (1nb); Harmison 12.1-1-54-0; Giles 5-0-22-0; Pietersen 3-0-14-0.
ENGLAND (2nd Innings):
A.J. Strauss c sub (Broad) b Clark 11
A.N. Cook c Hussey b Warne 43
I.R. Bell lbw b Warne 0
P.D. Collingwood st Gilchrist b Warne 96
K.P. Pietersen not out 92
A. Flintoff c Langer b Warne 16
G.O. Jones not out 12
EXTRAS (B-8, LB-5, W-1, NB-9) 23
TOTAL (for five wkts, 80 overs) 293
FALL OF WKTS: 1-29, 2-36, 3-91, 4-244, 5-271.
BOWLING (to-date): Lee 17-0-81-0 (5nb); McGrath 12-2-30-0 (3nb); Clark 19-5-56-1; Warne 31-7-108-4 (1nb, 1w); Hussey 1-0-5-0.—Agencies
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