Ashes 2009 First Test, Day 2 from Sophia Gardens in Cardiff. England 435 (Pietersen 69, Hauritz 3-95) Australia 1 for 249 (Katich 104no, Ponting 100no)
While the current Australian Prime-Minister visited the head of the Catholic Church yesterday, a former Prime-Minister was in the audience for a sermon from Australian cricket’s current Holy See.
And what a sermon it was as the Pontiff, Australian Captain Ricky Ponting, with his trusted Camerlengo Simon Katich in tow, sent a message to England with his 38th test century.
Like the late Pope John Paul II there have been questions about the ailing nature of the Australian leader. His form over the last eight months has been as poor as any period of his Pontificate. Prior to today he had averaged just 39.13 since the first Border-Gavaskar test in October 2008. A more pertinent statistic concerns his two hundreds in that time. His 123 on day one in Bangalore led to a draw, and his 101 and 99 on Boxing Day could not allay a loss. Before that the last time Ponting made a test century in a losing side was his 242 in Adelaide against India six years and 17 test centuries ago.
Not only that, his tactical leadership and man management is much maligned and his performance over the first four sessions in Cardiff did little to detract his doubters.
But the Pontiff’s leadership by example can never be questioned, and his sustained success is virtually unparalleled. He became the fourth player in test history to conquer 11,000 test runs, his average higher than the three others who have tasted that rarified air. A footnote on this innings was that it was the fifth time as captain he posted a century with his first innings of a series.
He needed it though.
After Australia had fought back late on day one their start on day two was nothing short of insipid. The England tail did what Australia’s has done so often. The tail frustrated Australia in 2005 and today it was a sense of déjà vu.
The Australians handled the situation poorly and paid a price. Ponting ignored his best bowler from day one in Ben Hilfenhaus in preference for Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle. There was none of the fire and brimstone that had removed Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara the previous morning; instead they bowled very poorly to Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad. Despite the pudding-like surface, why the English tail was not sniffing leather beggared belief. Equally why Ponting positioned a protective cover rather than a third slip also baffled onlookers.
To make matters worse after Broad departed when his strides redirected the ball onto the stumps, Ponting turned to Nathan Hauritz to bowl at Graeme Swann and Anderson. The pair swatted and swiped their way to a 68-run stand off just 53 balls. In no more than half an hour the test match could well have slipped through Australia’s grasp. Hauritz was also guilty of a most heinous crime. He claimed Swann’s scalp off a no-ball and while the legitimacy of the call could be debated endlessly the fact that as an off-spinner he even came close to overstepping is a cardinal sin. Australia delivered 12 no-balls, the most no-balls they have delivered since Boxing Day, and Hauritz’s mistake conjured memories of Edgbaston and Old Trafford four years ago when Australia claimed Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan with over-strides. Fortunately the cost in Cardiff was just one run as opposed to the 189 between the English pair four years ago.
England’s additional 99 sent the total past 400. It is just the fifth time in four home summers an England line-up has achieved a total they conquered three times in 2005.
It would be a long climb for Australia but they began aggressively. Phillip Hughes only knows one way. The absence of Steve Harmison who tormented the 20-year-old at Worcester was noticeable early. Anderson and Broad either missed the memo or chose to ignore it as they fed Hughes’ cut short. Hughes impressed further with some wonderful back-foot drives through cover. But where Anderson and Broad failed to execute Andrew Flintoff succeeded. He first came around the wicket to Hughes to unsettle him, and then moved back over as he nudged 150km/h. Hughes tried to cut one that started across him and seamed back. A bottom edge was neatly claimed by Prior and England’s talisman was up and firing.
It was a superb spell from Flintoff. He nearly claimed Katich. A return catch offered did not quite wedge in the fingers, but for the most part the Australian pair dealt with him well.
Ponting looked sharp from his arrival. His balance was a feature, his footwork emphatic and decisive, and his first boundary, a crushing pull shot through square leg sent shudders down English spines. The supposed ailing Pontiff looked as impenetrable and indefatigable as ever.
Katich was the Pontiff’s Camerlengo. His work has been the most valuable for Australia in the last 12 months. He is a born again test cricketer, his failures in 2005 led to his dismissal from the side. But his reinvention as an opener has been a revelation if not unsurprising. He is one of the most experienced heads in the Australian XI, and although he does not covet the Australian cricket papacy, nor is he the papabile, in the Pontiff’s absence he could conceivably lead, yet in his company his worth is even more valuable.
Despite Flintoff’s drop, and a couple of close lbw shouts, Katich played beautifully in his own unfashionable style. Anything wide was placed with ease either side of point. Anything straight was tucked into the leg-side. Anything full was driven effectively and without flourish.
Katich absorbed deliveries and pressure like the veteran professional that he is. His eighth test century was not his best, but it will be one of his most cherished. He slayed some demons from 2005, and capped a dominant 14 months where he has averaged 57 with six centuries. He is the bedrock of this new Australian side.
Katich was the perfect foil for Ponting. Their 189-run stand looks set to continue on a Cardiff surface that has perplexed all pundits. It is a Cardiff-con job. All of the pre-match centred on spin. The Australian’s were told to expect an examination equal of Mendis and Muralitharan in Kandy, or Harbhajan and Karthik in Mumbai. Instead Panesar and Swann in Cardiff were no more frightening than Eddie Hemmings and Nick Cook in Nottingham 1989.
On that occasion Australia made 6 for 602. They will need a similar number here to set up a positive result. If the Pontiff continues his sermon for two more hours on day three it will become a distinct possibility.
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