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England battle back in Adelaide England hit form to restore pride
(about 2 hours later)
Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood shared an unbroken stand of 99 to put England back on course against Australia on day one of the second Ashes Test. Paul Collingwood neared a century and Kevin Pietersen added a bright fifty as England ended day one of the second Ashes Test strongly in Adelaide.
Both men reached 50 in the final over before tea in Adelaide, which they took with England 144-2. By stumps England, who won the toss, were 266-3, with Collingwood unbeaten on 98 and Pietersen 60 not out.
After a watchful first hour, openers Andrew Strauss (14) and Alastair Cook (27) both fell to Stuart Clark. Collingwood came in with the tourists 45-2 and joined Ian Bell (60) to put on 113 in 40 overs for the fourth wicket.
England, who won the toss, again ignored Monty Panesar while Glenn McGrath overcame a heel problem. Pietersen pulled Lee for four second ball and lofted Shane Warne for six to lift the run-rate late in the day.
At a venue where Australia have not been bowled out for less than 400 on their last seven occasions batting first, England are nowhere near finishing the job. At a venue where Australia have not been bowled out for less than 400 on their last seven occasions batting first, England knew winning the toss and making a big score was vital.
Had openers Strauss and Cook built on the foundations they had laid during a watchful first hour, the tourists could have been out of reach. The wicket turned out to be as good as expected and there was little on offer to the bowlers, but the batting left something to be desired as all three wickets fell to ill-advised shots.
However, the fourth-wicket duo were in a similar position to capitalise by tea, and knew they must do so before the second new ball was due in 22 overs' time. Andrew Strauss played around his front pad and lobbed a catch to mid-on, Alastair Cook groped at a ball that moved slightly off the seam and Bell perished trying to hook Brett Lee.
Although he arrived nine overs later Collingwood overtook Bell, mainly because of his willingness to work the ball for ones and twos. The run rate crawled for much of the day, with England making their way to 158-3 in the 62nd over, not helped by the idiosyncratic dimensions of the ground.
Bell was certainly not happy against Shane Warne but managed to get in the way of most of what the leg-spinner had to offer, including the occasional googly. Shots steered behind square or driven in the V between cover and midwicket often brought just three rather than the usual boundary.
Their slow run-rate was down to some good bowling by all but Brett Lee, some reluctance to cut loose after last week's opening collapse and the dimensions of this ground. Pietersen pepped up proceedings in the evening session, though, and resumed his love-hate rivalry with Hampshire team-mate Warne.
Shots steered behind square or driven through the covers or midwicket often brought just three rather than the usual boundary. Australia asked part-time spinner Michael Clarke to bowl 10 overs before taking the second new ball, a role Pietersen could be asked to fill for England.
After a suffocating period of play around the lunch break, Australia's decision to go back to Lee released the pressure somewhat, with 10 runs coming off his first over. The tourists surprised many when they opted for an unchanged side, keeping Ashley Giles in preference to Monty Panesar with James Anderson retained.
Collingwood cut him for four to take the stand past 50 in 113 balls. Captain Ricky Ponting also named the same XI that won the opening Test by 277 runs in Brisbane.
Having hit 96 in the second innings in Brisbane, he reached his own half century from 114 deliveries. He pronounced Glenn McGrath 100% recovered from a problem heel but the veteran strike bowler lacked his usual bite as his pace dropped regularly below 80mph.
And Bell followed him next ball, the 140th he had faced.
Before winning the all-important toss, Andrew Flintoff first job of the day was to tell Panesar that England would be unchanged, with Ashley Giles their sole spinner.
Clark struck twice during the morning sessionClark struck twice during the morning session
"It's tempting to change the side but we thought the balance was right and it's just a case of performing," Flintoff said. Clark was preferred to McGrath with the second new ball, with Australia clearly impressed by his early performance, when his first five overs brought figures of 2-7.
They performed for the first hour, at least, but their failure to score runs as they settled in meant when wickets came they were suddenly under real pressure. Strauss would have been disappointed not to have moved on after a watchful first hour but at least he showed he had worked on the pull shot that saw him dismissed twice in the opening Test.
Strauss had worked on the pull shot that saw him dismissed twice in the opening Test, starting the shot higher and getting on top of the delivery.
Cook looked more assured, although he only just survived on one, when an edge off Lee fell just in front of keeper Adam Gilchrist.Cook looked more assured, although he only just survived on one, when an edge off Lee fell just in front of keeper Adam Gilchrist.
Clark's arrival changed England's fortunes, though as, three balls after the drinks break, Strauss played around his front pad and lobbed a catch to mid-on. As an equal partner with Collingwood, Bell survived 148 balls but looked far from comfortable against Warne, even though the spinner was below his usual high standards.
When Cook edged a ball that moved slightly off the seam Clark, in his sixth Test, had taken 2-7 in five overs. Bell reached his second fifty of the series from the ball after Collingwood in the final over before tea - taking 140 deliveries in all - but could not continue into the evening.
Looking for a third boundary in an over from Lee he pulled a ball that was not short enough, gaining a top edge high in the air for the bowler to collect.
After a more buoyant final stand, England will have been happy with their day's work but they went to stumps only halfway to the sort of score they need to dictate terms.