The Ashes 3rd Test, day 1, Old Trafford

The Ashes 3rd Test, day 1, Old Trafford:

Australia 1st innings: 3/303 from 90 overs
Michael Clarke 125*, Chris Rogers 84, Steven Smith 70*
Graeme Swann 2-82
A day of Test cricket that finally went our way, well, nearly. It was inevitable that Michael Clarke would find the ability to dig in and score a century. No surprise really he is our first centurion of the series. It was just as an inevitable that questionable umpiring decisions would be highlighted by technology and made out to be disgraceful through DRS. A frustrating day in many ways for both teams but we have come out on top and finally won the toss!

Michael Clarke had things go his way as we finally won the toss and elected to bat, while he battled on to get our first Test century of the series. In my Ashes venue preview article I stated "History in the most recent Test matches shows an opportunity to get a good first innings total is there for the taking, so it's a bat first wicket in my mind. Visiting teams have struggled to "hold the fort" in their second innings, which England have then handled with home turf expertise to secure victory." This seemed true, the first part at least.

Chris Rogers scored 84 runs and it is fair to say there was a touch of masterclass to his performance. I have continued to back Rogers for his spot and believe he was the right selection for this campaign. His performance was top class and it was special to see him change his temperament. Instead of being the cautious batsman while Shane Watson (19) played the attacking role, it was a reversal and may have caught England off guard.

Rogers raced to his half-century at just below a run-a-ball, while Watson worked hard for his runs and tried to place immense value upon his wicket. Rogers' stroke selection was either cheeky or elite. He played the ball late, used his wrists excellently to angle the ball into the gaps or craft the late swing on offer by English bowlers with finesse. He resumed with as much confidence after the break and it took a break in concentration from behind the bowlers arm to see him on his way. He missed a straight one from Graeme Swann on 84 and he had to leave 16 runs short of a maiden Test century. He'd put us on the board and had secured some momentum.

Rogers also brought up his 20,000th first-class run. One massive achievement! Still a way behind Sir Jack Hobbs' 61,760.

The worry is that when Rogers departed we were 3/129 and we know the pattern that happens from there. Not for this day though!

Watson wasn't dismissed LBW this time but played at a straighter delivery from Tim Bresnan to find a generous edge to Alastair Cook at first slip. It was a straight forward dismissal and Watson will really be feeling the pressure come his second dig.

Usman Khawaja will have a restless night after his questionable decision. It has brought the DRS into question, not as to what it presents but how it is being executed and utilised by the third umpire.

A delivery which seemed to clearly miss the edge (even though there was a slight sound present) and had no hot spot or live video footage (zoomed in) to suggest the ball hit the bat was given out by Tony Hill as standing umpire in live time. With the above mentioned evidence Kumar Dharmasena seemed to make a massive, massive blunder and Khawaja was given out, the umpire's decision remaining. This would suggest there was "not enough evidence" to overturn the decision, but I disagree and it needs to be looked into. The whole system does as far as how the umpires are using it, or lack thereof.

Brydon Coverdale of ESPN Cricinfo listed the various scenarios this series. Worth a read for a recap.

Steven Smith found fortune in the system as well when he was as good as LBW when on 24. However, England got to taste the fault of perception as we had to suffer. They'd used all their reviews and when they needed it to overturn an on-field error there was no review on offer. Smith survived and has pushed onto 70*. A bit of karma I guess.

Michael Clarke's innings was a subtle one. He had to graft hard with the back issue, some tough bowling early on and find support in a fellow batsman. Once Clarke found some rhythm and got his timing right, which was bound to take a bit of time - as pointed out by Andrew Strauss in commentary - he was on his way. The confidence of Clarke was a mirrored effort of his sublime run dating back to late 2011. He now has a stand of 174 runs with Smith and we're in a fine position for day 2.

Best of all is that we've finally made it beyond 300 runs in an innings and England's bowlers have been forced to work hard for the wickets. Some sore bowlers on their part gave indication that it's been far too easy for them up until this point. Still four days of cricket ahead but this performance has changed the tone since Lord's as we fight to stay in the contest.

Well done Michael Clarke on reaching his 24th Test century!

Verdict: Day one of the Old Trafford Test belongs to us.

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The 2015 World Cup build up begins!

The 2015 World Cup build up has begun!

If you're in Melbourne, you'll be stoked to know the sporting capital of our country will be hosting the 2015 World Cup final at the MCG. Hopefully the trophy will be lifted by Australia - taken back from India. 

Here's the pools (7 teams per pool):

Pool A: England, Australia, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Qualifier 2 and Qualifier 3
Pool B: South Africa, India, Pakistan, West Indies Zimbabwe, Ireland and Qualifier 4

Venues by country:

Australia: Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Melbourne, Perth, Sydney.
 
New Zealand: Auckland, Christchurch, Dunedin, Napier, Nelson, Hamilton, Wellington.

Australia will play matches at the MCG, Gabba, Eden Park, WACA, SCG and Bellerive Oval.

The fixtures have been announced too, while we wait upon confirmation as to which teams will make the qualifiers for the World Cup. Three positions up for grabs regarding the associate teams.

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Time to help: The greatest backyard cricket game committed to film...

Here at The Baggy Green Blog, while our readership isn't massive and we haven't changed the face of the world (or Australian cricket), we do what we can to raise awareness for organisations and projects that are related to the great game.

Recently I was contacted by Dan Pollard, the writer for an upcoming Australian film called The Streak. The film was selected by QPIX to be filmed, along with a few other productions. However, implications came about with State Government funding cuts and QPIX pulled out of the project.

The Streak plot outline: "The Streak tells the story of a young man who attempts to honour the memory of his dead father – and get the upper hand in an inter-generational family grudge - by ending his obnoxious uncle’s streak of backyard cricket games without being dismissed. It's a darkly funny look at a quintessentially Australian family seen through a very Aussie tradition - a Christmas Day game of backyard cricket."

This brings me to the point where you could potentially help. Awareness, awareness, awareness. If you are passionate about the Australian film industry, all the crew involved with The Streak still wish to film this movie but require donations in order to get the camera rolling.

Here's some of the online places you can find out more information about The Streak:

Website: http://thestreak.net/site/ (all the film information you need to find out about)
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheStreakQPIXFilm (get sharing!)
Donations site: http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/the-streak

Hopefully with the awareness being raised through online media channels this film can see the light of day and be another title to add to Australia's collection of modern day classics. Good luck to the crew at The Streak!

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David Warner showcases a return for Australia A

Australia A versus South Africa A at LC de Villiers Oval, Pretoria.

Australia A 1st innings: 5/399 (89.4 ov)
 
After an average perform in Zimbabwe, Australia A hit back hard down in South Africa to give Australia's younger players a boost in the wake of a thumping for our national team at Lord's and serious yet justifiable questions surrounding our talent pools. 

David Warner has finally come back out of his shell as he slammed 193 runs against a good South African A bowling attack. He hit 29 fours and a six during his innings, falling 7 runs short of a double ton. Sixty-three percent of his runs came from boundaries.

Support was provided from debut first-class centurion Glenn Maxwell. Maxwell has struck 103* runs and has been joined at the crease by Tim Paine. 

Maxwell hit just 13 fours in his innings, which reflects how hard he must have worked with his running between the wickets. It indicates a steady, patient innings from a man being associated far too closely with Twenty20 cricket. Fifty percent of his innings has come from boundaries, a perfect balance.

The partnership between Warner and Maxwell brought 204 runs after the side was 4-195. 

Skipper Aaron Finch has needed to up his first-class game for a while and now is the time the supporters need these guys to really man up and play with unquestionable tenacity and hunger for Australia. We need them to sweat blood and tears, to strive for success and ambition towards First-class cricket in order to ensure they all want to compete for the Baggy Green cap - the tradition.

Finch scored 51 runs facing against the new ball. There was a top order collapse early on (we all know about these) but it was refreshing to see a strong recovery. Shaun Marsh (5) and Alex Doolan (6) unfortunately didn't get on the board. 

For some reason the Warner/ Maxwell partnership brought back a memory for me of the Steve Waugh/ Greg Blewett 309 run partnership at the Wanderers back in 1997. That is what that team steadily worked towards. Sticking with a squad, allowing them to go through the trials and tribulations and graft for a winning formula. Eventually when the team was in doubt a duo would emerge from somewhere. 

This scenario will raise questions about Warner being sent away from England. It was a decision I wasn't over the moon about and I couldn't see the logic at the time, but in doing so he has struck a brutal century and after being out of form (no denying it) for a while this was what was needed. This boost may have not come in England just yet. He drove himself to it, the good and the bad. 

Great to see something positive with on field performances and all I can hope is that this will be a ripple effect of sorts as the boys gear up to take on Sussex tomorrow in a tour match before the third Test. 

Hoping for a great game for the side as they search for the survival instinct, especially Nathan Lyon and Jackson Bird who may come into consideration for Old Trafford.

As incredible as it is how things went from a fight for hope after the first Test to a horrifying concern of our future prospects following the second Test, fortune could turn around yet again for us. This side of ours (Australia and Australia A) doesn't boast any comparison to the past, but each guy is capable of something at the elite level. Maybe Warner has sent something over to England all the way from South Africa?

David Warner image is © Getty Images
 
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The Ashes 2nd Test, day 4, Lord’s

The Ashes 2nd Test, day 4, Lord’s:

England 1st innings: 361 all out from 100.1 overs
Ryan Harris 5-72, Steven Smith 3-18 , Shane Watson 1- 45
Ian Bell 109, Jonny Bairstow 67, Jonathan Trott 58
 
Australia 1st innings: 128 all out from 53.3 overs
Shane Watson 30
Graeme Swann 5-44, Tim Bresnan 2-28 

England 2nd innings: 7/349 from 114.1 overs
Peter Siddle 3-65, Ryan Harris 2-31
Joe Root 180, Ian Bell 74

Australia 2nd innings: 235 all out from 90.3 overs, chasing a target of 583 runs to win.
Usman Khawaja 54, Michael Clarke 51
Graeme Swann 4-78, Joe Root 2-9

Result: England won by 347 runs (Lead 2-0)

After Trent Bridge there was fight shown by our boys and it looked they were shedding skin to crawl back into the series. I am sure when the team got to Lord's there was a flashback (or a friendly reminder) that in 2009 we got convincingly beaten by England at a venue we once dominated. This time around we have been slaughtered and a comeback from this point is going to take something special. This doesn't only apply to our batsmen but the bowlers as well.

While our batting has been the obvious weakness in our performances, it will be a big ask for our bowlers to stay fired up and ambitious when it seems our batsmen are destined to fail in stringing together top order stands. Having really paid attention to Ryan Harris on day 3, one has to wonder how long they will be able to keep themselves going given their efforts repeatedly seem in vain.

The umpiring inconsistencies have bluntly made it seem to hurt so much more and will be spoken of for a long time to come. It's actually been a comedy of errors, now on the border line of just being plain unfair and pathetic. Tony Hill was awful in his third umpire seat. Some of these decisions have turned luck against us and as a result really ruined our chances to win various passages of play. Those 14 runs we needed at Trent Bridge will be highlighted now!

Poor umpiring cannot be solely attributed to a scoreline of 2-0 and the disturbing fact we have lost 6 Test matches in a row, 7 being the worst.

Our batting has been the weak point and in my article written yesterday, which was a very difficult one to write, I pointed out the frustrations and patterns in a nut shell regarding our batting woes. We've also put down catches, not taken certain opportunities (not attempting the catches), bowling pressure has been released and we've shown a fatal incorrect usage of reviews.

We have not lost the first three Tests of an Ashes series since the period of 1977-81, so there is some more history for this English side to chase after. We will need to seriously regroup and seek synergy come our three day warm-up against Sussex before the sides meet at Old Trafford.

The day's play yesterday was forgettable, but certain factors must be pointed out to have some hope going forward.

England were pushing hard to have Joe Root secure a double-century but Ryan Harris dampened the mood early on in the day by taking two wickets to finally force Alastair Cook to call for the declaration. The damage was done already as the total to chase down was unreachable and to survive for two days was a task this current batting line-up is not mentally prepared for, at this point in time.

Ryan Harris walked away from his return Test with match figures of 7-103. A splendid performance from our best fast bowler.

England declared on 7/349.

Our top three were dismissed with just 36 runs on the board. It was a familiar sight. Michael Clarke (51) and Usman Khawaja (54) were able to scrap together for us to give a specialist batting partnership to speak of. Khawaja managed to settle into the number three duty and plugged hard against the spinners in particular. Clarke has found his stride and while it wasn't a big score, he registered a half-century and if I were to find some optimism, in the warm-up games he peaked gradually to finally clock in a century.

After Clarke was dismissed trying to run one down fine on leg side and was caught by Cook at leg slip, Khawaja was out soon after. The deflating factor regarding their dismissals was that they were removed by part-timer Joe Root. It was the end of the match when they were removed in quick succession and Root just had one of those outstanding matches on a personal level.

James Pattinson (35) and Ryan Harris (16*) did the expected by sticking around for the last wicket. Once again the tail wagged. They put together 43 runs for the final partnership until Pattinson was out LBW.

Statistically here's a look at where the difference rests:

- England have put together 1,300 runs, while we have put together 939 runs. Not once have we made it passed 300 runs, while England's done it three times.

- England have 3 centuries and 6 half-centuries registered. We have zero centuries and 7 half-centuries going to individual batsmen.

- Ashton Agar is our top scorer with 130 runs, while Ian Bell has 317 runs at 79.25. Shane Watson is our first specialist batsman at sixth on the list with 109 runs at 27.25.

That is quite simply what is separating the teams with the scoreline at 2-0 in favour of England. Sadly, I don't see too many Australian cricket supporters staying up late at night until more runs are being put on the scorecard. I honestly didn't expect it to play out like this, but reality is we need to do something miraculous to pull it back.

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The Ashes 2nd Test, day 3, Lord’s

The Ashes 2nd Test, day 3, Lord’s:

England 1st innings: 361 all out from 100.1 overs
Ryan Harris 5-72, Steven Smith 3-18 , Shane Watson 1- 45
Ian Bell 109, Jonny Bairstow 67, Jonathan Trott 58
 
Australia 1st innings: 128 all out from 53.3 overs
Shane Watson 30
Graeme Swann 5-44, Tim Bresnan 2-28 

England 2nd innings: 5/333 from 110.0 overs
Peter Siddle 3-65
Joe Root 178, Ian Bell 74

In yesterday's match report I made mention of our only best possible solution to win this match.

After Peter Siddle's vicious spell to have 3-4 at stumps on day 2, we needed to grab England's final 7 wickets for less than 87 runs to ensure they did not get a lead beyond 350. Our batting issues aside, and the fact we disturbingly struggle to make 200 runs without a batting collapse, on a flat Lord's track this would have been a realistic and achievable total. England now lead by 566 runs so it's tickets for us. 2-0 seems inevitable.

The biggest drawback besides our batting woes has been some pathetic umpiring to say the least. Steven Smith has the right to feel cheated and hurt by showing honesty in claiming a catch when Ian Bell was on 3 runs and sliced a ball to him off the bowling of Ryan Harris. God only knows how Tony Hill came to the decision to keep Ian Bell at the wicket. It was a bitter moment to see England's stand out batsman remain. It summed up the embarrassment of inconsistent umpiring, a poor use of the technology at their disposal, a lack of initiative and also just the way the series has gone for us.

The umpires faults get magnified now due to this technology and there still seems to be a huge deal of pride behind an umpire striving for a high accuracy rate in game, which is understandable as it is their job and at the end of the day the ICC uses this as a KPI system.

However, when a series such as The Ashes gives you an opportunity to ensure the right decisions get made it needs to be utilised to the full potential. Umpires need to be aware that viewers at home have become far better educated with the decisions and laws of the game and with better screening and technology we are closer than ever to these moments. It truly is magnified. The umpires seem oblivious to this and the resources aren't being used. Tony Hill just added another shocking decision to the list of umpire stuff ups this series. England have been fortunate, but it still can't detract anything from their dominance this match.

We have been our own worst enemies and this pain has been self inflicted. Joe Root for example has managed to go on from a serious stroke of good fortune when Brad Haddin and Michael Clarke had a short circuit and neither went for a regulation catch behind when Root was on 8 runs. He now has 178 match winning runs.

This is the same regarding Peter Siddle's no ball. It could have meant having Jonny Bairstow out sooner on 21 runs and therefore would have restricted Ian Bell of batting partners, theoretically. Momentum could have been gained. There's no point in examining all of these moments of self inflicted drama. What's done is done and right now England have this in the bag.

The English way is to grind the opposition down, slowly. We're accustomed to our ways when a lead of 400 would more often than not seem adequate and allow for aggressive, competitive cricket. England have not changed their ways and have advanced their lead to a point where our batsmen will look at the scoreboard and shrug. Survival is their only option and with the current mind set it is an option that will not compute, most likely.

Our bowlers tried. There is no doubt about that but Ryan Harris' body language was both sad and real. He worked bloody hard to grab a five wicket haul upon his return to the team. He made the Lord's bowling honours board and showed how proud he was to be back in the team. It was all in vain though as the batsmen burnt his efforts and you could sense his despair and sheer heartache. He was just going through the motions. That is the true frustration of the series thus far. We haven't secured vital passages of play, England has. Our batsmen haven't backed the decent performances of our bowlers, England has even if luck has been a major player in their fortunes.

Ashton Agar is a young man. I will defend him. He was due to play at Lord's after his debut show at Trent Bridge even if Nathan Lyon would have fared better. Lyon will, in my opinion, be a definite selection for The Oval as our best spinner on tour but perhaps he may come into the side sooner than expected. This cannot result in criticism of Ashton. His body is not in top shape as he carries a few niggles but more so than anything he is trying to learn in a hostile cricket series and he's in a side operating in an unhealthy state, although new coach Darren Lehmann has managed to restore something in this side, even if it is only a positive presence right now.

Our mistakes will haunt us but when will we learn? These mistakes and small moments of play not being secured can be documented right back to the end of the 2009 Ashes where on paper we were better statistically than England in an individual capacity, but as a team they won those moments of play and the results show. It is synergy. Systematically we broke down with the sobering reality that while our team is good, the winning edge has gone and only winning can restore this.

I still have to believe we can claw our way back into the series as I am a supporter after all. This is my team. I firmly believed we could give England a good run for their money prior to this series. This match is all but over now and England still have 5 wickets and two days to play away. However, three Tests remain and this game has many twists and turns. However, it is also a harsh game and it can take a while to learn the appropriate lessons.

Maybe something miraculous will happen and our batting will click? Maybe it will take a numbing defeat at Lord's, a ground where up until 2009 we had a sensational record, to see our batsmen play to their potential and value their wickets. We will know soon enough but after judging Ryan Harris' body language out there it was a hurtful sight to see a man who charged in with pride and passion on Friday, seem to be so disconnected a day later.

This side will need to go through the motions. No point in making panic changes now as this side must find a way to make a comeback. It will be their greatest challenge that will end in success or failure.

There is a three day tour match against Sussex from July 26-28 so it will be a chance to find some sort of new direction before the third Test, which will ultimately be a must win to have a chance of getting back the urn.

 
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The Ashes 2nd Test, day 2, Lord’s

The Ashes 2nd Test, day 2, Lord’s:

England 1st innings: 361 all out from 100.1 overs
Ryan Harris 5-72, Steven Smith 3-18 , Shane Watson 1- 45
Ian Bell 109, Jonny Bairstow 67, Jonathan Trott 58
 
Australia 1st innings: 128 all out from 53.3 overs
Shane Watson 30
Graeme Swann 5-44, Tim Bresnan 2-28 

England 2nd innings: 3/31 from 30 overs
Peter Siddle 3-4
Joe Root 18*, Tim Bresnan 0*


First off I would like to congratulate Shane Warne on being inducted into the ICC's Hall Of Fame. His parents and fiancee, Liz Hurley, where there to stand along side him. A controversial cricketer but he got the job done with the ball in hand and we are fortunate that he can share his knowledge of the game with us via commentary. Well done Warnie!

Now, where to go with this report. The roller-coaster action we have seen was pretty much a ride enjoyed by England alone. There was a late twist before the ride pulled in for the day as Peter Siddle tapped into his emotions to pull off one almighty spell which sees him with 3 wickets for just 4 runs. That's a sensational effort but in order for this side to have any confidence, with the lead already at 264 with 6 wickets in hand, we will need to grab those final 7 wickets for less than 86 runs to keep that lead below 350. Given our batsmens confidence - or lack thereof - it would seem we're staring down the barrel of a gun well used.

England won the first session. Ryan Harris charged in with a beautiful delivery first up and had Tim Bresnan caught behind. He then had James Anderson as well which have him a five-wicket haul upon his return to The Baggy Green squad. It also means "RJ Harris" will be penciled onto the Lord's visitors bowling board.

Unfortunately the tail wagged as James Pattinson continued his struggles and England capitalised on the pressure valve being released, even taking on Harris. The partnership of Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann brought 48 invaluable runs. They had momentum and the session. Broad did review a caught behind though despite being out.

Our run chase got off to a healthy start but then disaster struck. Shane Watson (30) top scored for us and was hitting the ball crisply as ever and played with confidence. Nothing unusual but then the other usual incident happened. He was out leaving question marks over a start that could have been. He was also out LBW, a dismissal now accounting for 30% of his downfalls, 18 of his 21 dismissals ]coming from right arm pace bowlers.

Apparently Chris Rogers encouraged Watson to review a plumb LBW call and it proved to be a tactical error as Rogers would discover. After Watson went Rogers received probably the most bizarre and shocking dismissal I have seen in recent years. Swann lost control and sent down a juicy full toss which Rogers half heartedly pulled. The ball was dragging down leg, he missed it, the ball hit his box, he was in line and the players appealed. What should have been tossed aside was the opposite as umpire Marais Erasmus gave it. Rogers should have reviewed that but with one left there was doubt so he walked. Tactical fail even though it was a shocker dismissal. Ball of the modern era? 

The rest of our horrid display was self-inflicted chaos. Phillip Hughes had a tough call for his referral believing he didn't edge it behind. Irrespective of the outcome it was a horrid shot. This then led to a collapse. Australian supporters should be used to these collapses by now, but it doesn't take away the frustration and disappointment.

Changing the side any further won't help. This is what we have and we need to support the guys, but I understand this is hard to do when we have an inability with the batsmen to put together a convincing start. Even when this happens the middle order then implodes, as it was in our run chase at Trent Bridge. Their is a serious lack of value the boys are showing on their wickets.

Watson continues to make starts and not go on. I have always identified his talent and skill. He must play on this series but he does face the risk of becoming a limited overs specialist.

Rogers has immense experience at First-class level and after losing Ricky Ponting and Michael Hussey, we needed his experience given Brad Hodge walked away from the game. He had a shocking call which is upsetting as he was following on from a well played half-century in the 1st Test.

Khawaja has been on the sidelines for too long and deserves his chance. He imposed himself better than Ed Cowan did so in the number three role but was clearly unbelievably nervous and this likely lead to some moments of concern for a guy whose waited so long to get back in. He can only improve if he plays more so he must stay in the side a while longer and hopefully he will deliver.

Michael Clarke scored a century before the 1st Test and gradually built his form. He has come off a long layoff which was following a sublime run for him. He has experience, plenty of centuries at the elite level against good teams. You feel he will score big runs soon but he carried this side a long time.

Hughes has centuries against top teams and has shown some good application this series. Steven Smith has turned his game around well. He's no fixed starter but he's no walkover either. Brad Haddin lacks discipline at the best of times and he was sleeping when Ashton Agar pushed for more quick singles. Haddin though has all the strokes in the text book and showcased his determination at Trent Bridge.

Along with this our tail can bat. This side can bat but the lack of centuries in our first-class setup shows that there's not many others raising their hand for selection. Therefore, I see no need to talk about panic changes. This match is technically not over even though it is in the heart of many passionate supporters.

Peter Siddle charged in as a man believing this game is still alive and showed why he is hard to leave out of a side. If a miracle were to occur it would mean we'd roll England for less than a lead of 350. Sadly this seems a long shot given the reality this side is struggling to pull together 250 runs. We lost the toss on day and had a few moments of play secured, notably day 1, but even then we lost vital passages of play. It's been a pattern for a long time now and we'll have to do something extraordinary to take this Test.

As Ryan Harris wrote on his Twitter page: "Thankyou everyone for all the tweets! not the best day today but boys will fight tomorrow! This one not done yet!!"

Verdict: Day two firmly goes to England who have set themselves up well for the remainder.

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The Ashes 2nd Test, day 1, Lord’s

The Ashes 2nd Test, day 1, Lord’s:

England 1st innings: 7/289 from 89.0 overs
Steven Smith 3-18 , Ryan Harris 3-43 , Shane Watson 1- 41
Ian Bell 109, Jonny Bairstow 67, Jonathan Trott 58

The first Test brought us a roller-coaster ride of ultimate Test cricket, with many twists and turns, blood pressure levels rising and heart rates pulsating along with it. It gave us all an idea that the Australian fighting spirit was back, and while England still stand as the firm favourites for obvious reason, we knew this game could prove to be another thrilling contest. Day one of the second Test was by no means as intense as Trent Bridge, but it was still a hard fought day for both sides.

Ryan Harris back in Test cricket gear © Getty Images

The return of Ryan Harris was most welcome – a bowler I have tipped as our best since he made a return to our side a few years back to avoid being an ODI one-hit wonder. Harris claimed two quick wickets with the new ball in hand to have England skittled to 3-28. He even made the Queen make an early exit from Lord's after his early morning show.

I have had nothing but positive things to write about Harris over the last few years and injury has mostly been his only downfall. As pointed out by Michael Vaughn, he would put Harris right up there with James Anderson and Dale Steyn (South Africa) but his 13 Tests could have been so much more had his body been better equipped for Test cricket. I am proud his performance was noticeable at Lord’s.

His dismissal of Joe Root was a classic Harris delivery; pitched at a fuller length with the slightest movement and then sharp skid off the track, backed by healthy pace. The LBW decision was a tight one though as Root appeared to get bat on the ball at the same time as the ball rocketed into his front pad, but an examination revealed the umpire’s decision was set to stand as there was enough to suggest pad first.

Harris also removed Kevin Pietersen with a classic new ball delivery to the right hand batsman. Pietersen poked at a fuller ball just outside of off stump, found the faintest of edges and Brad Haddin claimed the catch. It was a huge scalp for Harris.

Harris’ third wicket for the day was a well executed tactical move, as Michael Clarke himself showed greater analysis of the game in comparison to a poor tactical game at Trent Bridge. Jonathan Trott looked solid as ever coming in at number three. He was imposing, as a number three should be. With ease and grace he found the boundary and the scoreboard didn’t seem to hassle him. When Ian Bell (who scored a second century of the series) joined him high on confidence, they looked set to pull the game right back into England’s favour as they appeared to show the type of application on a good batting track the other batsmen failed to showcase.

However, Harris has troubled Trott before lunch with shorter deliveries and with the partnership on 99, Harris dug another one in short. Trott did pick it up but seemed to play it half-heatedly, top edging a pull shot lacking control. Usman Khawaja (in for Ed Cowan) took the catch at deep mid-wicket.

As refreshing as it is to see Harris, I get the strong feeling each and every one of our bowlers will be in and out of the side. Darren Lehmann will strive to select the best XI for each game, but conditions and player fitness will play a role. Harris has to be managed so carefully that Jackson Bird is more than likely to have a crack at the English batsmen. It’s just good to have Harris out there right now.

Shane Watson had been another tactical move from Clarke. Amusingly it could have been seen as a way to dismiss Mickey Arthur’s “confidential” claims leaked from his lawsuit against Cricket Australia that Watson is a “cancer” in the side. However, Clarke's gamble to use his "internal nemesis" (as the media would love to make it out as) paid off as Shane Watson pitched a delivery on off stump, had it swing back into Alastair Cook and the LBW was given after a long scream for the wicket. The typical dismissal every right arm bowler wants to secure against the left handed top order batsman.

Along with Watson’s early promotion, Harris’ tactical execution, and a wiser usage of the DRS (we still have our two reviews in tact), Clarke had another moment later in the day but I’ll address that shortly.

Ian Bell looked as if he was resuming on the same day he scored his century at Trent Bridge. Still strong square of the wicket, he was a bit more versatile with his shot selection and he brought up a back-to-back century, his third now against Australia. He had taken advantage of the Lord’s batting surface on a very hot day in London.

There was fortune for Bell though that his partner hung around as long as he did. Peter Siddle bowled alright but his blunder came when he bowled Jonny Bairstow, a player who hasn’t looked to be too dominant this series. Despite bowling Bairstow early in his innings (21 runs), the no-ball review was called for by the umpires and it showed that Peter Siddle had overstepped the crease and the decision was reversed. It was a huge blow and not the first time Siddle has had this fate brought upon him. Most modern day fast bowlers push that front line way too much and Siddle has paid the price far too often now and hopefully it won't be too heavy a penalty against us. It was a pity as he had earned that wicket. Bairstow has looked an easy victim for getting bowled in either lacking balance or not playing the ball in the right position, as clearly seen in previous innings against New Zealand.

Steven Smith celebrates © Getty Images

The partnership settled and the game was swaying into England’s favour. Then Steven Smith came onto bowl after Ashton Agar hadn’t proven to shake up the English batsmen too much - further suggestion Nathan Lyon may return for The Oval Test as the front line spinner. On 4/271 it was Smith’s time as Clarke felt the change was needed and it was a role of the dice.

It may have come a bit late and Clarke may be criticised for it, but the move brought us three wickets and there was no certainty Smith would have had the impact he did.

Smith ended up with 3-18, claiming the huge wicket of Bell, then Bairstow and lastly Matt Prior. The result is that England’s tail is at the crease, although Tim Bresnan is no walkover with the willow. It was a dramatic passage of play and the type of events England played out like clockwork at Trent Bridge.

Leg breaks and flippers saw Smith cause chaos and it will be a huge confidence booster for him. Michael Clarke was active in the slips off his bowling to grab a catch, while Haddin gave Smith his third.  

Smith’s performance has given us momentum and even though England have runs on the board, the morning session is going to be massive for us. Three wickets remain before our batsmen have another challenge to face. England will eye 350 as the safety zone for them given our batting history over the last couple of years. They will always fancy their chances until our top order steps up. Our plan will be simple. Get those three wickets for as few runs as possible.

On a side note, James Pattinson could have easily been substituted by Jackson Bird for this Test but was given a fair go after putting in some good work at Trent Bridge – his batting aside in the second dig.

However, it was a tough initiation for Pattinson as he struggled to build pressure and was far too often wayward down leg-side to the right hand batsmen in particular. This definitely makes the omission of Mitchell Starc valid, who has less control than that of Pattinson and finds much more natural swing. It would have been a rough day at the office for Brad Haddin had both played. Hopefully Pattinson absorbed everything he experienced so he can fire alongside his bowling mates soon enough.

Which bowlers will Clarke gamble on tomorrow for those wickets? It will be another big day of cricket ahead and England will be livid with their performance. 

Verdict: Day one goes to Australia after clinching it away from England courtesy of Steven Smith’s 3-18.

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Michael Clarke versus James Anderson

The second Test of the 2013 Ashes clash approaches. The battle will take place at Lord's, the home of cricket. In 2009 we were given a royal hiding which set up the momentum for England after we were unable to squeeze out a victory in Cardiff.

Had DRS existed back then, Ben Hilfenhaus would have had Andrew Strauss LBW for a golden duck, but Strauss went on to score a match winning 161. Rudi Koertzen was still arriving at the ground in that first over.

I have a strong feeling our side will be; Shane Watson, Chris Rogers, Usman Khawaja (in for Cowan), Michael Clarke, Steven Smith, Phillip Hughes, Brad Haddin, Ashton Agar, Peter Siddle, James Pattinson, Jackson Bird (in for Starc).

Pulled out some stats. The clash between Michael Clarke and James Anderson will be the one to watch this match and is already a huge talking point. Fair to say Anderson convincingly won the contest at Trent Bridge.

Michael Clarke at Lord's (one neutral match versus Pakistan):
3 matches, 298 runs, HS 136 (2009 2nd innings vs England), Avg 49.66.

James Anderson at Lord's (all games):
13 matches, 58 wickets, Avg 26.06, BBI 5/42, 4 five wicket hauls.

James Anderson versus Australia at Lord's:
1 match, 4 wickets, Avg 35.25, BBI 4/55

James Anderson versus Michael Clarke:
14 matches and Anderson has dismissed Clarke 7 times from Anderson's 51 Test wickets versus Australia. he has dismissed Jacques Kallis (South Africa) as many times, while Sachin Tendulkar is his prized scalp with 9 dismissals.

From 21 matches against England, Clarke has scored 1,388 runs at 43.27. That is 19% of his Test match runs coming against the old enemy.

Anderson took Clarke's wicket in the first innings of the 2009 Ashes Test, but Clarke's epic second innings performance in that Test stands out as one of my fondest memories of his batting in intense circumstances. Given his form in recent times I believe it will give him a strong foundation to outplay Anderson in this match.

Our side does have a struggle to pull back from an early loss in a Test series, but there's plenty of cricket to come and although there has to be massive improvement from the first Test, there was a fight shown from our boys that has been absent for a long time.

Play hard boys, play smart!

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