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England revival checks Australia England rocked by McGrath double
(about 3 hours later)
Australia remained in control of the first Ashes Test despite a gallant England fightback in Brisbane. England face an uphill struggle to save the first Ashes Test in Brisbane after being reduced to 53-3 at close of play on the second day.
The home side went in for tea on 528-8 after Michael Clarke was caught at slip for 56 off Jimmy Anderson. Glenn McGrath dismissed Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook with successive balls and Stuart Clark turned the screw by having Paul Collingwood caught behind.
Skipper Ricky Ponting had earlier missed out on a double century when he fell lbw to Matthew Hoggard for 196. Australia made a massive 602-9 declared in their innings, the third highest total at The Gabba.
Hoggard also picked up Adam Gilchrist for a duck four balls later and Shane Warne (17) gloved a catch to the keeper off the out of sorts Steve Harmison. It was built around Ricky Ponting's 196, which included 24 boundaries.
At the start of play, the first question was whether England would entrust a relatively new ball to Harmison after his struggles on the opening day. After a good spell in mid-afternoon when Matthew Hoggard dismissed Ponting and Adam Gilchrist in the same over, the effect of five hard sessions in the field took its toll on England.
The answer to that was no as skipper Andrew Flintoff looked to Hoggard and Anderson in the hope they would find some early swing to trouble not out batsmen Ponting and Mike Hussey. And Australia added insult to injury as Clark (39) and Brett Lee (43 not out) hit out with unfettered abandon in a ninth-wicket stand of 50 off 44 balls.
Anderson struck Hussey on the pad with his opening delivery, only for umpire Billy Bowden to turn down a confident leg-before shout. HIGHEST TEST TOTALS AT THE GABBA 645 Aus v Eng 1946607-6 dec Aus v NZ 1993602-9 dec Aus v Eng 2006601-8 dec Aus v Eng 1954585 Aus v NZ 2004
And after that it was business as usual for the two batsmen as they established a new fourth wicket record partnership for Australia at the Gabba, beating the 170 of Kim Hughes and Graeme Yallop in 1978. Clark hammered two sixes off Jimmy Anderson before he was yorked by Andrew Flintoff, who had separated the overnight pair of Ponting and Mike Hussey during the morning session by ripping one through Hussey's defence to bowl him for 86.
Ponting raises his bat to the crowd after passing 150 But by then their partnership was worth 209, a fourth wicket record for Australia at the ground, beating the 170 by Kim Hughes and Graeme Yallop in 1978.
Harmison was finally called up for the seventh over of the day but two early wides prompted ironic cheers from home supporters. Flintoff is still feeling his way back following ankle surgery but he was by far England's most threatening bowler and returned figures of 4-99.
Ponting reached 150 with three through the covers in the Durham paceman's next over and celebrated by pulling a short one away for four as he cruised past his previous best score against England of 156 at Old Trafford last year. One delivery, in particular, indicated Flintoff's strength of purpose as it leapt ferociously off a length and narrowly missed the edge of a startled Ponting's bat.
Flintoff made a belated entry into the attack and was quickly cracked away for four off the back foot by Ponting. His demeanour was in marked contrast to that of Steve Harmison (1-123), who again began his work for the day with a wide and looked almost apologetic when he claimed a solitary wicket as Shane Warne gloved a catch to the keeper.
His response was to produce a beast of a delivery which leapt ferociously off a length and narrowly missed the edge of a startled Ponting's bat. Facing Brett Lee and Glenn McGrath armed with the new ball is a daunting task at any time, and doubly so when Australia have a big total already on the board.
Keeper Geraint Jones and the slip cordon went up, unable to believe there had not been a nick, but TV replays showed they were wrong. Lee was soon hurling the ball down at around 95mph and McGrath also found some of the nip of yesteryear as they strove for a breakthrough.
With his dander up, however, Flintoff was not to be denied and ripped one through Hussey's defences from round the wicket to bowl him for 86 and end a 209-run partnership with Ponting. It was eventually handed to them on a plate when Strauss, on 12, attempted the pull shot which has led to his downfall on a number of occasions in the past year and top edged to backward square leg.
The afternoon session began with new batsman Clarke showing little respect to spinner Ashley Giles as he lofted him straight for the first six of the game and then went over wide mid-off for four. Hussey and Lee both converged on the ball at full tilt and it was Hussey who won the race and held on despite a collision between them which left Lee with a cut knee.
But Australia then lost their way as Ponting was lbw playing across the line and Adam Gilchrist followed in similar fashion for a duck as Hoggard went round the wicket. He was back in the dressing room receiving treatment when McGrath ran up for his next delivery, which was a perfect length and cut away just enough to take the edge of Cook's bat.
Harmison finally had reason to smile when he removed Warne with a delivery which hardly deserved a wicket and the final action of the session saw the demise of Clarke after reaching an 86-ball fifty. Warne made the slip catch look simple, sending the Essex youngster on his way for 11 in his first innings in an Ashes Test.
Lee's exit from the field also meant a bowling change and replacement Stuart Clark confirmed the good impression he made in taking 20 wickets in South Africa earlier this year.
Although quicker than McGrath, he followed his principles of consistent line and length to keep the pressure on the batsman.
It proved too much for Collingwood, who played slightly across the line at a superb leg-cutter and was caught behind by Gilchrist for five.
Kevin Pietersen announced his arrival in the middle by pulling McGrath authorittatively for four, but he then settled for playing out time and he was six not out at stumps with Bell on 13.