The Ashes 2013: Australia vs England- Gabba Test, Day 4

Updates from the fourth day of the first Test between Australia and England.

Zee Media Bureau

SCORECARD» I COMMENTARY» ==================================================================================== ENGLAND: (2nd innings) OVERS: 81.1 II SCORE: 179/10 That’s it folks! Australia have registered a massive 381-run victory over England in the first Ashes Test. James Anderson was the final English batsman to depart after offering a return catch to Johnson. He scored 2 (8b). Johnson has completed his five wicket haul. An excellent performance not only from the paceman but also from the entire Australian team! They were in a sorry state on the opening day before Haddin and Johnson rescued them down the order. Later, their bowlers put up a brilliant show bundling England out for a cheap total and then their batsmen put up a much better performance in the second innings helping them to a mammoth lead that always looked an improbable target for the hapless English side to achieve. ==================================================================================== ENGLAND: (2nd innings) OVERS: 80 II SCORE: 175/9 Just one wicket separates Australia from a dominating victory over England at Gabba. Harris removed Tremlett in the 77th over by having him caught at short leg by George Bailey. He scored 7 (41b, 4X1). James Anderson came in to bat next. Earlier, the play resumed after being halted for the second time due to rain. Harris continued and Root drove him for a four. Five runs came from the over. The next resulted in just one while the following by Johnson was a maiden over. Tremlett scored his first boundary off Harris in the 77th over before edging the next that fell short of Haddin behind stumps. However, the following delivery proved to be his last as this time he was caught safely by the fielder. ==================================================================================== ENGLAND: (2nd innings) OVERS: 71.1 II SCORE: 160/8 Rain has stopped play for the second time today. Harris had bowled the first delivery of the 71st over before rain interrupted the proceedings. ==================================================================================== ENGLAND: (2nd innings) OVERS: 65 II SCORE: 151/8 It just gets worse and worse for England! The rain-break has worked massively in favour of the home side as they have picked four wickets in the space of five overs. Johnson continued his over as the play resumed after the rain interruption. That ended as a maiden over. Lyon ended Cook’s lone struggle after having him caught by wicketkeeper Haddin in the 61st over. He scored 65 (195b, 4X3). Next batsman Matt Prior opened his account with a boundary off the second delivery he faced. That was to be his only scoring shot as Lyon removed him in the 63rd over for his second wicket of the innings. He was caught by Warner at leg slip after scoring just 4 (8b, 4X1). Stuart Broad came next. He got off the mark in similar fashion as Prior with a boundary off Lyon. Johnson in the next over ensured that England’s any hope of a rearguard action will just be stuff of wishful thinking today by removing Broad and Graeme Swann in quick succession. Broad was caught by Haddin while Swann was caught by Smith at third slip. Just one and two wickets from the over. The 65th by Lyon was a maiden over. ==================================================================================== ENGLAND: (2nd innings) OVERS: 59.2 II SCORE: 142/4 Alastair Cook scored his first boundary of the second innings off the 31st delivery he faced. His second came 123 deliveries later in the 48th over, bowled by Johnson, employing a cut to third man region to reach his 33rd Test fifty. He scored another boundary off the next delivery via an upper cut. 11 runs came in the over. The following over by Harris was a maiden. Siddle picked up his first wicket of the second innings in Ian Bell by inducing an outside edge from his bat that was taken by wicketkeeper Brad Haddin in the 54th over. He scored 32 (70b, 4X3). Joe Root came in to bat next. He played the remaining five deliveries safely as the over came to an end. The following over by Johnson also was a maiden. Root got off the mark with a boundary off Siddle in the 56th over with a drive to long off fence. Clarke dropped Cook at slips off Lyon in the 57th over when the southpaw attempted a cut. That was a very difficult chance though. However, rain interrupted the play in the 60th over as the players headed back to the comforts of their dressing room. ==================================================================================== ENGLAND: (2nd innings) OVERS: 45 II SCORE: 105/3 The overnight pair of Alastair Cook and Kevin Pietersen resumed English innings on the penultimate day staring at a daunting task of chasing down a record target of 561 runs set by Australia. Peter Siddle and Ryan Harris began the attack on the fourth morning of the first Ashes Test. Siddle’s produced just a single while Pietersen drove Harris for a boundary off the final delivery of the 17th over. Nathan Lyon was introduced into the attack in the 23rd over and Pietersen greeted him with a four. That over resulted in nine runs for England – all coming from the bat of KP. Mitchell Johnson replaced Siddle in the 26th over and gave away five runs in his fifth over of the innings. Johnson tasted success in his third over of the day when he removed Pietersen by having him caught by substitute fielder Sabburg at fine leg. He scored 26 (52b, 4X2). Ian Bell walked in as the next batsman. Clarke brought back Siddle in the 34th over and Cook managed a single off it. Steven Smith was introduced into the attack in the 37th over and a single came from the bat of Bell in it. Siddle continued from the other end and allowed just two runs including one thanks to a no ball. Bell scored his first boundary in the 39th over, bowled by Smith, through covers. Shane Watson came in to bowl his first over of the innings next and bowled a maiden. Bell’s second and third boundary also came off Smith in the 41st over. Watson continued and bowled another maiden over. Lyon bowled the final over before lunch was taken. Johnson started the proceedings of the second session’s play with Harris joining him from the other end.