Ashes First Test Review

If any statements of Australia's intent were required, this First Test certainly emphasised the will and determination within this admittedly ageing squad.

When Ricky Ponting won the toss and decided, rather defintiely, his side would have a bat (Nasser Hussain take note!) in perfect conditions at the Gabba, you got the feeling it was going to be a long hard slog for the visitors at the beginning of this intruiging clash.

In selection, England had opted for batting depth, choosing to go with Geraint Jones over Chris Read, and Ashley Giles in place of the unfortunate Monty Panesar. With Marcus Trescothick back at home attempting to rebuild his mental health, England's top 6 selected itself, with Trescothick's replacement Ed Joyce the only batter to miss out.

Enough has been spoken already of what Steve Harmison delivered first ball, endangering his captain Andrew Flintoff at second slip with an exaggerated wide! Although this was obviously a far cry from an ideal start it will not have any bearing on the destination of the urn come the final day of the series, despite the effect many pundits have predicted. What will have a bearing on the final result, is the importance for England that Harmison regains his fluency and rhythm that makes him such a potent and dangerous weapon, feared the world over.

He has since spoken of the nerves that hindered his performance on that first day, and this combined with some technical glitches proved a combination too much, as he returned with unimpressive match figures of 1-177.

Australia unquestionably took the attack to England immediately, relieving all the pent up anger and frustration they have lived with for the past 14 months since losing the prestigious Ashes at The Oval.

Justin Langer certainly chanced his arm, throwing the bat at anything erring slightly in length or width. When Ponting strode out there seemed an air of inevitability surrounding him. The scoreboard at the time showed 79-1, when he was eventually dismissed on the afternoon of the second day it read a rather horrifying 467-5. Not an ideal start for the 3 Lions.

The captain had stroked his way to a faultless 196 before Hoggard trapped him LBW. It was as if Ponting had made it his personal mission to wrestle the urn back, single handed. It was he, after all, that was made to carry the can for what happened the previous summer, and became the only Aussie leader in the last 20 years to lose his grip on the most enviable of sporting trophies.

Langer, Hussey and Clarke all made important contribututions, in support of Ponting, each passing the half century mark. Then when the tail began to wag, England could not have felt more deflated.

When Australia declared on 602-9, without a single run from Gilchrist, who was victim to Englands continuing plan of going round the wicket, England had a long way to go to avoid the follow on ( the follow on target becoming irrelevant when Ponting confusingly decided to bat again).

England's bowling looked short of match action, Jimmy Anderson, Andrew Flintoff and Ashley Giles all recently recovering from lengthy lay-offs. While Harmison, the rhythm bowler that he is, failed to get enough overs in his legs throughout 2006 to enable him to hit the ground running here at Brisbane. Flintoff the only man to regularly find the right areas and trouble the hosts batsmen.

The necessary adjustments that are required to be made to Antipodean conditions seeming an awkward transisition for England'a attack. Australlia being fed many opportunites of scoring shots, as Harmison and co threw down plenty of width and short length balls that bounced comfortably to hip height that resulted in a run rate of around 4 an over for the majority of the innings.

So it came to England's turn, surely they too were about to indulge in the run bonanza ? Sadly not, as Mcgrath and Clark were not entertaining the concept of early Christmas presents, a la England's attack. By the end of day two, Cook, Strauss, and Collingwood's resistance had been broken and the visitors fell to 53-3.

Day three got no better, England subsided to a meagre 157 all out off 61.1 overs. Only Ian Bell offering any kind of defiance, battling his way to 50 off 162 balls.

Glenn Mcgrath and Stuart Clark were an example of how to bowl on this Brisbane pitch, if there was any movement extracted from this pitch,they got it. A lesson in bowling consistent lines and lengths that troubled the batsmen throughout. Any doubts people had about Mcgrath's ability to play a major part in this series following his absence from the Test scene, were well and truly dismissed. His figures read 23.1-8-50-6. Clark, making his Ashes debut, registered 3-21 off his 14 overs.

So with a lead of 445 runs, it was of immense surprise that Ponting decided to have another bat. Was he desperate to try and rub England's noses in it, completely demoralise any spirit they have built up in recent times ? Or was it simply a case of enabling their pacemen to get their feet up for a few hours, recharging their batteries before getting ready for a final assault ? Or consume more time in the middle so as to make it impossible should England have to bat on day five, with the cracks on this track getting noticeably wider by the day ?

Either way it seemed curious, England having a chance to get a few more overs under their belts, in a relatively nerve free environment. Surely England were not going to surpass the 445, and set a difficult target for Australia to chase on the final day. I am sure the bowlers would have benefited more from having the last day off!

Australia declared their second innings on 202-1, Langer notching his 23rd Test hundred. Ponting finished 60 not out, but muscle spasms in his lower back forcing him off the field for the rest of the fourth day. Should he really have batted again ?

England now had to survive 172 overs minimum, or reach an exceptionally unlikely target of 648 to win.

England had reached 29, when Strauss once again fell to the pull shot, caught down at long leg off the bowling off Clark. Bell could not reproduce his knock of the first innings, falling to a straight one from Warne, hitting him on his pads in front of all three stumps.

Alistair Cook and eventually Paul Collingwood, then played Warne and co with authority, being positive and yet solid in defence. I say eventually for Collingwood, on the basis of when he first came to the crease he looked all at sea, and Clark was desperately unlucky not to remove the Geordie fighter.

The longer Collingwood stayed the more at home he was looking. There were doubts about him before this innings as to whether he could combat the bounce on the Australian tracks with his very low backlift. This gave ammunition to the argument that he can, as he drove majestically down the ground, and punched and pulled confidently off his back foot. As we know, bowl the ball too straight to this man and he will work you through straightish mid-wicket all day. He also used his feet to great effect against Warne, making the legend bowler really think to claim his wicket.

Cook was dismissed for a sound 43, Collingwood came down the track to the wrong ball off Warne and was stumped for 96. Pietersen meanwhile, was going about his business in the way only he can. His 92 not out at the end of day four was not without incident. Amidst his array of breathtaking strokeplay, a fiery side issue with Warne was encountered. Frustration on the spinners part saw him hurl the ball in Pietersen's direction, after KP had pushed it back to Warne, fortunately he had his wits about him to hit the ball again and so ensued an exchange of views. Friends maybe off the pitch, but on it ? That's a different matter.

Glenn Mcgrath had a troublesome blister on his heel, causing him to bowl only a few overs on day four.

England resumed the final day of this Test on 293-5 with a glimmer of hope of saving this Test. Captain Flintoff had fallen the night before, with a poor pull shot off Warne, and so England's hopes rested solely on the partnership between Pietersen and Jones.

When Pietersen firmly drove one off his legs, in the air, straight to Martyn in the first over of the day, without adding to his overnight score, the writing was on the wall. Jones looked in good nick while he was there adding 33 runs, before Mcgrath got one to keep a little low.

So after 91 minutes of day five, England were all out for 370. An improvement on the first innings, but they were still beaten by a resounding 277 runs. The fourth-highest margin of defeat in terms of runs, at the Gabba.

Dad's Army maybe, but this Australian side are going to fight tooth and nail to regain what they believe are rightly theirs.

The teams will be heading South for the next Test at Adelaide, starting on Friday. England did achieve positives towards the end of this Test, Harmison got better as it wore on, Flintoff's bowling was impressive throughout and Cook, Collingwood and Pietersen all gained valuable time at the crease. So onto South Australia, and if England are to hold onto these Ashes, an improvement from the very first ball is a necessity!