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| Version 4 | Version 5 |
|---|---|
| Aussies gain upper hand in Sydney | Aussies gain upper hand in Sydney |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| England produced an improved bowling performance but Australia ended day two of the final Ashes Test on 188-4 in reply to the tourists' 291 all out. | England produced an improved bowling performance but Australia ended day two of the final Ashes Test on 188-4 in reply to the tourists' 291 all out. |
| Steve Harmison took 2-34 and England had the bonus of Ricky Ponting's wicket for 45 - the Aussie captain was in fine touch before running himself out. | Steve Harmison took 2-34 and England had the bonus of Ricky Ponting's wicket for 45 - the Aussie captain was in fine touch before running himself out. |
| Earlier, England subsided quickly from an overnight 234-4 but captain Andrew Flintoff (89) emerged with credit. | Earlier, England subsided quickly from an overnight 234-4 but captain Andrew Flintoff (89) emerged with credit. |
| Disappointingly, England's last five men produced only four runs. | Disappointingly, England's last five men produced only four runs. |
| Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark all finished with three wickets. | Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath and Stuart Clark all finished with three wickets. |
| The second new ball was taken as soon as play began on Wednesday and McGrath and Lee looked dangerous immediately. | The second new ball was taken as soon as play began on Wednesday and McGrath and Lee looked dangerous immediately. |
| Paul Collingwood was dropped by Justin Langer in the slips in Lee's first over, but in any case added just two to his overnight 25 before edging a McGrath lifter to wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist. | Paul Collingwood was dropped by Justin Langer in the slips in Lee's first over, but in any case added just two to his overnight 25 before edging a McGrath lifter to wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist. |
| Chris Read never settled and soon gave Gilchrist another catch off Lee, who followed up by removing Sajid Mahmood for a golden duck. | Chris Read never settled and soon gave Gilchrist another catch off Lee, who followed up by removing Sajid Mahmood for a golden duck. |
| Mahmood, batting at least two places too high at number eight, fended away amateurishly for Matthew Hayden to take the easiest catch imaginable at gully. | Mahmood, batting at least two places too high at number eight, fended away amateurishly for Matthew Hayden to take the easiest catch imaginable at gully. |
| Steve Harmison celebrates after dismissing Matthew Hayden | Steve Harmison celebrates after dismissing Matthew Hayden |
| Though he struggled to put bat to ball, Harmison did better than his fellow tail-enders, lasting 24 balls to allow Flintoff to go from 61 to 82. | Though he struggled to put bat to ball, Harmison did better than his fellow tail-enders, lasting 24 balls to allow Flintoff to go from 61 to 82. |
| The England skipper moved to within sight of his sixth Test century - and first since the summer of 2005. | The England skipper moved to within sight of his sixth Test century - and first since the summer of 2005. |
| But wickets were falling and he had to take more and more risks, so it was no huge surprise when he nicked a big drive behind to be the ninth man out. | But wickets were falling and he had to take more and more risks, so it was no huge surprise when he nicked a big drive behind to be the ninth man out. |
| And the final wicket of the innings was Shane Warne's 1,000th in international cricket, Monty Panesar missing an attempted sweep to be adjudged lbw. | |
| Langer survived the one over bowled by England before lunch and emerged after the interval to play a range of shots with real panache. | Langer survived the one over bowled by England before lunch and emerged after the interval to play a range of shots with real panache. |
| But having got to 26 quickly he contrived to glove a ball from James Anderson down the leg-side, Read taking the catch. | But having got to 26 quickly he contrived to glove a ball from James Anderson down the leg-side, Read taking the catch. |
| Ponting and Hayden were given plenty of balls to attack - which had not been the case when England had batted. | Ponting and Hayden were given plenty of balls to attack - which had not been the case when England had batted. |
| And the tourists had to wait until the score had got to 100 before the next wicket came - Hayden lazily steering a wide ball from Harmison to Collingwood in the slips. | And the tourists had to wait until the score had got to 100 before the next wicket came - Hayden lazily steering a wide ball from Harmison to Collingwood in the slips. |
| When Ponting began to blossom after tea, hitting two terrific pull shots off Anderson, things looked ominous for England. | When Ponting began to blossom after tea, hitting two terrific pull shots off Anderson, things looked ominous for England. |
| But a daft decision to try to steal a single to mid-on ended Ponting's innings, Anderson hitting middle stump with his sharp throw. | But a daft decision to try to steal a single to mid-on ended Ponting's innings, Anderson hitting middle stump with his sharp throw. |
| Michael Clarke then edged a good ball from Harmison to Read, whereupon the heavens opened with Australia 155-4. | |
| When conditions abated, Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey had to weather a difficult 12 overs before stumps. | When conditions abated, Andrew Symonds and Michael Hussey had to weather a difficult 12 overs before stumps. |
| England desperately wanted another wicket, but it was not to be, and the amazingly consistent Hussey (37 not out) was beginning to look threatening. | England desperately wanted another wicket, but it was not to be, and the amazingly consistent Hussey (37 not out) was beginning to look threatening. |
| Symonds took two massive risks in the final over of the day, bowled by Panesar, but lived to fight another day on 22. | Symonds took two massive risks in the final over of the day, bowled by Panesar, but lived to fight another day on 22. |