Aussies garner huge lead, in sight of win v Eng

Australia piled on the misery on England as they moved into a position from where they can dictate terms on the final day of the game and even attempt a victory over the hosts. Australia garnered a huge lead of 239 runs and then came back to reduce the hosts to 20/2 before rain curtailed the play on the fourth day of the test match.

Australia resumed at the overnight total of 479/5 with their overnight batsmen, Marcus North and Brad Haddin, and with their opposition expecting to limit the damage to a minimum bit. However, the pair did nothing to allow the hosts to get back into the game, helped in no small terms by English captain, Andrew Strauss’ captaincy.

Strauss failed to get on Andrew Flintoff immediately on start of play, instead starting play with the rather out-of-form Stuart Broad and James Anderson. By the time Flintoff was into the attack, the duo had got away to a rousing start and with a ball that was neither swinging nor seaming around, the task became increasingly difficult for the bowlers.

The spinners were steady at best, but Graeme Swann did not find his length, as North brought up his 100. This was immediately followed by Haddin’s fifty in the last over before lunch as Aussies went into the break on 577/5. > Post-lunch, the Aussies went on to drill home the advantage, with Haddin been particularly severe on the spinners. Such was the wicket-keeper’s domination over the bowling, that his next fifty runs came off only 45 balls, and very soon he overtook North as well.

He finally lost his wicket for 121(151 balls), but by then the Aussies had raked up 674 runs and North was on 115 before the visitors declared for the loss of six wickets. An almost fruitless day for the England had conceded 195 runs in the day for the loss of the Haddin wicket only.

With half hour of play remaining before the tea interval, England would have expected to negotiate that much time, but the Aussie bowlers came out firing all cylinders. Mitchell Johnson got rid of Alistair Cook, caught plumb in front of the wicket, while Ravindra Bopara lasted all of three deliveries before being scalped by Ben Hilfenhaus. England went into tea on 20/2 and in deep mire.

Unfortunately for Australia, not a ball of play was possible after that as rain engulfed the ground which meant that the play was called off quarter of hour before the scheduled close of play.

With one day of play remaining, it will be require a lot from England to survive the day, while the Aussies will probably miss the presence of a good quality spinner.