Anderson Swings England into the Ascendancy

A thrilling display of swing bowling by James Anderson and Graeme Onions has given England the upper-hand going into the third day of this 3rd Ashes test.

Andrew Strauss scored an unbeaten 64, but both Ravi Bopara and Alastair Cook failed to make an impact for the third successive test.

Cook’s 95 at Lord’s is his only significant score to date in this series, while Bopara has continually failed throughout this summer.

But Anderson, who record his best figures of the summer (5 for 80), and Onions who was called into the side for the previous test at Lord’s have performed admirably throughout the series, and today’s performance was the confirmation of the hard work the seam duo have done.

Both were on hat-tricks at some point of the Australian innings, with the latter blasting through the tourists middle order with impressive ease.

Australia rarely got into the day’s play, with wickets tumbling at regular intervals and during the England innings they failed to get hold of the England captain, with Mitch Johnson struggling again.

Johnson will see himself unlucky not to have pickup the wicket of the returning Ian Bell however, especially after his own lbw dismissal seemed to miss the stumps entirely.

Bell looked a little nervous at the crease, and he’ll be susceptible to an early dismissal tomorrow morning if he doesn’t up his game.

Strauss however will be looking to improve on his impressive century conversion rate, and help England push ahead of the poor Australia total.

Resuming on 123 for 1, Ricky Ponting’s side would have had ambitions of batting on for the rest of day two, and having a go at England for half an hour before the close.

Those aspirations were dashed shortly after lunch with a clutch of wickets, with the afore mentioned swing duo creating havoc from the first ball of the day onwards.

Onions picked up two wickets in successive balls, and then the prized scalp of Ponting for just 38, but not before the Australian captain became his countries leading test match run scorer.

As for tomorrow, if Ben Hilfenhaus, the pick of the Australia bowlers again, can find some much needed swing then England could experience the same problems they created for the Australian’s today- if there opponents can utilise it then we could be in for another thriller in Birmingham.

Watson Vindicates Opening Spot

Despite losing six hours of the day to rain and wet outfield conditions, Australia were still able to stamp their mark on the 3rd test at Edgbaston in the 30 overs permitted at the end of the first day in Birmingham.

After winning the toss the tourists finished the day on 126 for 1 with opener Shane Watson vindicating his countries decision to give him his first start at the top of the innings with a well crafted fifty.

Simon Katich went earlier on, lbw to Graeme Swann, who was the most effective bowler of the five used by captain Andrew Strauss.

Whether damp conditions on the outfield were affecting the run-up’s of the seamers or not, but none of the four including injury hindered Andrew Flintoff were able to hit top gear in the evening session.

This might be down to the ultra flat pitch we have in the midlands this week, and with the outfield bound still to be wet the ball would have been doing very little for the bowling quartet.

The omission of Phil Hughes was the main story of the day before play began, a development that was broken on his own twitter page by his management company; a curious way of announcing you’ve been dropped for a test match.

Watson in truth diminished all thought of Hughes’ tweet, with a superb innings of 62, not one of a player opening the innings for his country for the very first time.

Nor was it a performance of an England side who had taken a rare early lead in an Ashes series, very soon after the Australian batsman got set did the mood become somber in the field.

A huge 22 boundaries were thrusted through that field, and with Swann achieving the only break through, Andrew Strauss will have plenty to think about ahead of what we hope is a full Friday.

It sounds like any of the play we got today was down to the hard work of the ground staff, who I’m sure will get a slating in the press tomorrow over the time it took for play to start despite the beautiful overhead conditions.

The only worry for the Australian’s will be the injury to Brad Haddin, who has been replaced in the test side by Graham Manou, a late change after the toss had been made.

A passing thought ahead of tomorrow’s play and any more lost play in the rest of the match; why on earth did we go off when conditions overhead were perfect?

Yes, had we had 90 previous overs before the end of play then a break would have earned by both players, but we had just 30, was there not time for another half an hour’s play to make up for some of the lost time?

I know I’m effectively arguing with the rules here, with a finishing time usually arranged for 7 pm or the end of the permitted overs, whichever first, but maybe there should be some room for manoeuvre from the ICC, especially when so much time has been lost already.

The umpires can bring the players off at any time in the match, why can’t they keep them out there for a few more overs to help eek out the time we’re already lost, and as it usually goes it’s never made up fully.

Will either side be rueing this decision come Monday evening? We’ll wait and see.

The Pressure of the Ashes Comes to the Fore in Birmingham

After the loss of Kevin Pietersen through injury for the rest of the series both sides know that this 3rd test at Edgbaston could go a long way to deciding the destiny of the Ashes trophy.

An Australia win would turn the momentum in their favour, while England will be fretting about how to replace a player who has been he difference between winning and losing so many occasions.

An England win however, while guaranteeing they couldn’t lose the series outright would be a huge physiological blow with the Australian’s left scratching their heads as too how to beat this England side, without their best player at the helm.

His presence on the injury list is enough to provoke a reaction whatever the result is after these five days in Birmingham, with either side set to claim a massive physiological advantage, and possibly a decisive one if they turn out to be the winners.

A draw will keep us all guessing, but we’re sure to have more of an idea of the impact of Pietersen’s absence after these five days than ever before, with the pressure firmly on the shoulders of both sides to produce when the star batsman isn’t around.

The Australian bowlers, who have used the time between this and that last test match to find some form will be keen to strike back in a series they have been on the peripheral of for so long.

Mitchell Johnson is expected to keep his place in the side, and could well be joined in the attack by both Shane Watson and Andrew McDonald who impressed in the warm-up game at Northants over the weekend.

With the Edgbaston pitch set to play very much in the batsman’s favour, a strong, deep bowling attack might be a wise move by Ricky Ponting.

England have always had the strength in depth in their bowling attack to call upon, but the fitness of Andrew Flintoff is becoming a constant issue, with only a handful of balls bowled by the fast-bowler in practise since the 2nd test.

It seems obvious that despite the selectors being defiant that they won’t pick a less-than 100% fit player, that both Pietersen, and now Flintoff have played through the pain barrier to attempt to play a part in this Ashes series; as yet it’s hasn’t been a detriment to Flintoff’s form like it was for Pietersen’s, but time will tell.

Ian Bell, who himself has an injury concern, is set to fill Pietersen’s shoes at number 4, but with issues surrounding his previous form against the Australians shadowing the Warwickshire man’s belated comeback the pressure is truly on for him to perform.

And that is the word of the day tomorrow; pressure.

Whichever team deals with it for the entire test is sure to hold the key to the remainder of this Ashes series.

Australia Warm Up Well as Watson Stakes Claim

Australia have warmed up for the third Ashes test at Edgbaston with a comfortable win over Northamptonshire at the County Ground.

Setting the Division Two side an unlikely 352 to win inside two sessions on day three the home side fell 135 runs short with Andrew McDonald taking 4 for 15.

The medium pacer has certainly showed Ricky Ponting that he has a role on this Ashes tour but the real impression was made by Shane Watson, who made a half-century in each of the Australian’s innings.

However with the Aussies bowling attack the main concern over the side, Watson’s match figures of 3 for 54 might not be quiet the impact with the ball that the tourists need.

Watson could replace either the misfiring Mitchell Johnson, seamer Peter Siddle or opener Phil Hughes in the side, with McDonald also waiting in the wings for a call up.

Marcus North’s place could also be under threat, as the middle order batsman struggled in both this match and the previous test at Lord’s.

The consistency of the rest of line-up could mean North is left out at the expense of another bowler along with Siddle and Johnson.

Given that Edgbaston is meant to provide a slow batting friendly pitch this may be a smart move for Australia, given the huge workload both sets of bowlers are likely to encounter.

Hughes had some time at the crease against Northants, but it may not be enough to keep him in the side with Watson looking the favourite to replace him.

It’s a good selection headache for Ponting, and speculation as to the side to start the third test will grow and grow before Thursday’s first day.

Bell is Perfectly Placed to Step In

No one may want to believe it, but Kevin Pietersen has been officially ruled out for the rest of the Ashes series due to a troublesome Achilles injury.

The talented batsman has played through both the Twenty20 World Cup and the opening two test matches in this year Ashes series with the injury but after an operation on Wednesday Pietersen has been ruled out for a six-week period, thereby destroying his chances of appearing for his country in the remainder of this series.

His loss to the team is obviously a huge blow as his unique ability with the bat has made him one of the most feared batsman in world cricket, and as his average would suggest he thrives on playing against the men from down under.

His form in this series hasn’t helped his reputation however, with his injury clearly a distraction from his expansive batting technique.

Despite him playing on with the injury it was hurting the side’s batting line-up and run rate, not something the side should justify just so an injured player can play.

If England are now to go on to lose the series maybe the petulant journalists in the press who were asking for his head after his dismissal in Cardiff might think again before slating England’s world class batsman, his loss to the side is that huge that the series is now in real doubt.

His replacement is sure to be Ian Bell, a man in the form of his life with his county after two first class centuries already this season.

The Warwickshire batsman has really gone about his business well trying to reclaim his England place and he looks set to be rewarded after Pietersen’s injury scare.

Bell could even have been drafted in to replace Ravi Bopara who has seemed overwhelmed by the Ashes experience, but now it seems like the two will line up together at Edgbaston and beyond.

Bell doesn’t just bring a solid batting approach to the side, but in the field he is electric at short leg, and although Alastair Cook has taken up the position as late I wouldn’t be surprised to see Bell inserted their the next time Graeme Swann lines up to bowl.

His exuberant batting style is very much in keeping with Pietersen’s, so in terms of ticking the runs along he certainly has the ability; the only reservation might be over his pedigree against the Australians.

In his twenty innings against the Aussies he has six fifty’s but four ducks at an average of 25, not particularly impressive for a man whose set to lead England’s Ashes quest.

Bell’s average really is poor against the greater nations Australia and India while he excels against the likes of Pakistan whom he has four centuries against.

But Bell is a greater player than he was when he met the Aussies last in 2007, and now he’s been given a second chance in international cricket he is sure to grasp it with both hands.

So even with Pietersen’s departure from the series, and the Aussies delight at his absence there’s a player who more than ready to step into his boots, and with the third test due to be played at Bell’s home ground of Edgbaston the stage is set perfectly for his international renaissance.

First Blood To England as Australia Are Left To Ponder

Well it might have taken 75 years but England have finally beaten Australia again in an Ashes test match at Lords, and after this particular 115 run victory the momentum is firmly with the hosts.

In terms of the margin of victory it doesn’t do justice to the performance of both sides.

England were dominant from start to finish, only allowing Australia to occasionally dictate proceedings.

In 2005 many people believed the series swung England's way with their aggressive nature in the second test match at Edgbaston, and the way Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook started up on Thursday morning mirrored the effort of Strauss and Marcus Trescothick just four years ago.

Of course the endeavour of Andrew Flintoff will be the everlasting memory of this test match, but whether his 5 for 92 in the final innings warranted a man of the match award ahead of Strauss’ 161 is slightly debatable-but the effort of the Lancashire man certainly isn’t.

The contribution of James Anderson and Graeme Swann who took four wickets in the first and second innings respectably shouldn’t be forgotten, neither should the excellent knock of 61 by Matt Prior in the England second innings a score that helped push England beyond a lead of 500.

Australia have some serious re-building to do, with the biggest problem being the form of their seamers.

Mitchell Johnson, despite his score 63 on Monday will do well to keep his place in the side, with Brett Lee and Stuart Clark waiting in the wings for a call up.

The form of the batsman, apart from Phil Hughes-who has been well and truly found out, is pretty good but for me maybe an extra bowler in the side could help the team push closer to those elusive 20 wickets.

It’s the second time they’ve failed to reach that target, and with the inclusion of Lee or Clark instead of maybe Marcus North could give the team that added firepower.

With nine days before the next test there’s time for some rest and relaxation, particularly for Kevin Pietersen who will be a doubt for Edgbaston already, and for some time to think about possible changes to the Australian side that need to re-group ahead of the cauldron of Birmingham.

England Fail to Stamp Authority as Australia Chase Unlikely Win

In any form of sport tightening the screw upon your opponents when they’re on their knees is essential if you’re to achieve a positive result, and Andrew Strauss will be rueing this evening how his side wilted in the field when their Ashes opponents Australia looked all but beaten.

Chasing an unlikely 522 to win England allowed the tourists back into a contest they had no right to even partake in-as Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin’s unbeaten 185-run partnership left Australia just 209 runs short of their target, with five wickets remaining.

The failure of Strauss’ side to twist the knife, even when Australia were 128-5 is in stark contrast to the way they punished any Australian slacking in the corresponding series in 2005.

The hosts declared early this morning, refusing to build upon the seemingly unassailable lead they had built on the previous day.

The decision seemed vindicated with the early removal of openers Simon Katich and Phil Hughes, and with a hint of movement in the air England did seem keen to rid of the remainder of the Australian batting line-up, hoping to leave Monday’s fifth day superfluous.

After the terrific dismissal of Marcus North by Graeme Swann the Ashes holders looked forlorn in their mammoth run-chase.

But Clarke scored his first ever Ashes century in this country, and wicket-keeper Brad Haddin continued his awesome form with the bat with an unbeaten 80.

Haddin came into the series with big boots to fill, and while questions will be forever be raised about his ability to fully replace Adam Gilchrist maybe the 31-year old should start to be appreciated as a player in his own right, rather than live in the shadow of the former great.

Gilchrist infamously struggled on tour in 2005, but the Cowra born keeper has thrived on these batting friendly wickets while Clarke, who had had a similar fate to that of Gilchrist four years ago, played an innings of class and panache; one that could turn out to be a match winning one.

England’s bowlers, albeit toiling on a perfect surface for batting seemed to lose heart mid-way through the evening session, and it will be up to Andy Flower and Ottis Gibson to lift the side ahead of a series defining day tomorrow.

Not that the team need to motivation for tomorrows climax, but maybe they need to the belief that these two can be prized from the crease, and with that the match will swung back their way.

Given the skipper’s decision not to enforce the follow-on yesterday the England team will be ardent on not letting this opportunity slip through their fingers, but breaking the hold of Haddin and Clarke will be first on the agenda before there’s any thought of ducking and diving the media’s painful words.

Strauss Saves Middle-Order's Blushes

Andrew Strauss produced a captain’s knock on the first day of the second npower Ashes test at Lords with a brilliant 161 not out as England finished on 364-6.

After winning the toss Strauss and his partner Alastair Cook put on 196 for the first wicket, but the Essex man fell five short of his century as he was caught lbw by Mitchell Johnson.

At 222-1 England looked in a strong position but the next five wickets fell for just 111 runs, to leave the spoils equal going into day two.

England’s five man middle order will again be asked questions about their shot selection as tame dismissals yet again dominated an England innings on a flat deck.

The hosts suffered the same problems in the first test at Cardiff, with Ravi Bopara especially set to come under pressure as he failed again, scoring just 18.

He was a victim of a superb spell by Ben Hilfenhaus, the pick of the Australia bowlers who did for Andrew Flintoff as well, who began his final four test matches with a disappointing four.

Australia had to deal with the out of form Johnson, who went for over 100 runs on the first day, and an injury to Nathan Hauritz who dislocated finger on his bowling hand which left him unable to bowl for the remainder of the day.

England will be disappointed how they let their early domination slip away, as they let Australia back into a match that looked far from their grasp.

The day belonged fully to Andrew Strauss, who hit 20 boundaries on his way to a huge century, and he’ll be looking to complete his double century early on day two as the England tail began to be exposed.

Strauss’s record at his home ground for his country is one of the best around as he averages 60 in tests, and now has recorded his best score at the ground with today’s 161.

His opening partner Cook was unlucky not to record his tenth test match century, but his expansive drives has shown that he has replaced the void left by Marcus Trescothick.

Cook’s average, number of runs scored and centuries made are higher than Trescothick after 45 test matches played, and proves how Cook has taken to the task of replacing the Somerset man with consulate ease.

England perceived weakest area, that being their middle order, has come to fruition for the second match in a row and could yet again be behind an under par England total.

England will aim to bat for as much of tomorrow as possible, and with Strauss still at the crease a total over 500 is still possible, something that has to be achieved if England are too hit the front in this second test.

Why the Pace of Lords Could be the Australian's Undoing

So after England dug in on the final day Cardiff, in a match where only two sessions were lost to rain, we move to Lords where a result with or without rain is almost certain to crop up.

In 2005 we saw 17 wickets fall on the opening day at the home of cricket, and with another bowler friendly pitch predicted for this test match we could see much of the same this year.

The pitch is sure to be a far cry from the one we saw in Cardiff last year, which saw a deluge of runs and plenty of anguish for the England bowlers.

Recent history has told us England rarely take 20 wickets on a batting friendly pitch, the tour to the West Indies showed us that, so the pitch they should be confronted with on Thursday they should thrive upon.

The loss of Andrew Flintoff on a pitch such as this will be a big one, and if the Lancashire allrounder is ruled out the onus on Steve Harmison will be even greater, not the sort of pressure the seamer would have wanted on his return to the test side.

The Durham bowler infamously gave the Aussies a hostile reception in the first test at Lords in 2005, cutting Ricky Ponting early on before taking eight wickets in the match.

For selection in this match he jumps ahead of Graeme Onions, given his track record on this surface and his ability to rough up the Australian batsman, who had an easy time of it at Cardiff.

Onions however doesn’t deserve this shun as he’s the leading wicket taker in county cricket and given his performance on his debut against the West Indies on this same ground it’s disappointing to see him miss out, but does he provide the same fear factor as Harmison?

I’m of the opinion he doesn’t but given Flintoff’s injury we might see both of them included, which would probably be the fairest compromise and give the selectors an easy decision to make, something they wouldn’t have had if Flintoff had been fit.

Australia’s seamer don’t have the same bounce and immense pace at their disposal, assuming of course that Brett Lee will miss out due to the form of the side from Cardiff.

Mitchell Johnson does provide a certain amount of bounce, but Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus will reply on similar swing and seam movement they received at Sophia Gardens, something that is not always on offer at Lords.

Ricky Ponting’s selection headache is just as painful as England’s and it will be fascinating to see the two sides at the toss on Thursday morning, but as with Cardiff we might be in for a few surprises both in the teams and in the result.

England Thwart Australian Dominance

A monumental batting display by England’s tail enders gave Andrew’s Strauss’s men an unlikely draw on the final day of the first npower Ashes test against Australia

James Anderson and Monty Panesar were left not out at the end of the day, as England were reduced to 233-9 with over 40 minutes of play still remaining.

Paul Collingwood top scored with a resilient 74, but when he departed for the ninth wicket England looked as good as beaten.

Ricky Ponting’s men threw everything they could at England’s batsman, but they fell just a single wicket short in a agonising climax of the match.

The finale brought back memories of the Old Trafford test match between the two in 2005, where the tourists tail enders defied England’s bowlers to salvage a final day draw.

Both sides are sure to take positives from the end result, with Australia outplaying England for four days, while the hosts will be glad they go to Lords unscathed after a disappointing start to the series.

It’s debatable that Australia couldn’t have done much more to win this most recent test match, with the wicket doing very little for the bowlers in the five days, and only England’s inept batting display being the reason behind Australia’s success with the ball.

For England plenty of ‘soul searching’ as Ricky Ponting put it will need to be done as well as some questions over selection for the second test starting on Thursday.

Stuart Broad and Monty Panesar could well miss out, with Steve Harmison and Graeme Onions looking set to replace the duo.

The fifth day did show that England have some grit in their side, and in Collingwood have a batsman that proved to be near invincible in Cardiff.

The Durham man has constantly been under pressure for his place in the side, with his defensive batting style always under scrutiny as the likes of Ian Bell continue to press their claim.

But it’s occasions likes yesterday that shows Collingwood’s worth to the side, and his world class ability to dig in was the difference in winning and drawing the test match.

No matter what you say about Anderson and Panesar at the back end of the innings with Collingwood’s five-hour knock the tail enders wouldn’t have stood a chance at saving the match.

Maybe now after this match-saving performance Collingwood will be appreciated as a significant member of this England test team, and all the ridiculous talk of him being dropped might finally be extinguished.

Ponting’s Brilliance Puts Australia On the Brink

Australia will go into day five of the first Ashes test with a real chance of taking a 1-0 lead in the series after leaving England 22-2 as rain halted play on the penultimate day in Cardiff.

After declaring on 674-6 and with a lead of 231 England lost both Alistair Cook and Ravi Bopara in the final seven overs before rain saved the blushes of the rest of the England batting line-up.

Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus found much needed swing in those closing overs, something that was lacking from the England attack as a third successive day in the field produced scant reward.

Brad Haddin scored a superb century along with Marucs North whose showed England’s batsman that even a restrained innings could produce decent results in an innings that fashioned four Australian centurions.

The hosts will now have to bat out the entire of day five in hope of saving a match that from day two onwards had been dominated by the tourists.

A day after eulogising over Ricky Ponting’s batting display, it was the Aussies captaincy that came to the fore after an astute declaration gave his seamers half an hour before tea to work over the England openers, with instant success.

Bopara can however consider himself unfortunate to be dismissed after being caught high on the pad above the knee role by Hilfenhaus, but not so Cook who got no-where near a swing delivery from Mitchell Johnson,

The England bowlers will be particularly baffled by the amount of swing both Johnson and Hilfenhaus were able to create in the seven over spell before tea, an attribute that did for both Cook and Bopara.

The two who will be opening up for England tomorrow morning both have points to prove, and for Andrew Strauss in particular an opportunity to draw an equal with his Australian counterpart.

Ponting’s innings was not only a classy batting display, its was the driving force behind Australia’s huge total as he set an example of how to take an Ashes test by the scruff of the neck.

Strauss needs to make the same impression tomorrow, and as for Kevin Pietersen he needs to shun all the criticism he’s received since his first day dismissal and take the game to the Australians.

Personally I felt the criticism that came his way was slightly unfair, as like any other batsman it was a lapse in concentration.

Maybe if some of England’s other middle order came to the party more often we wouldn’t complain about our only world class players’ lack of judgement.

England do have an uphill struggle tomorrow, and Pietersen and Strauss are key to any chance of them saving the game.

On the fifth day of any test match you would assume that the pitch would give enough to the bowlers to all but right off any chance of the batting team protecting eight wickets, but not on this pitch.

With swing hard to come by, until this evening’s play under the lights, wickets will be difficult to find as England’s bowlers will tell you.

If swing comes the way of the Australian seamers and Nathan Haurtiz bowls a best ever spell then Australia have more than a chance of winning this match, if not, then we’ll be heading to Lords on Thursday all square with England having lived for another day.

England Bowlers Short of Fire-Power as Australia Pull Away

Australia pressed home their advantage on this third day of the first ashes test as they took a 44 run lead over England, who toiled on a pitch still not doing much for the bowlers.

Ricky Ponting continued his batting master class reaching 150 before succumbing to Monty Panesar who was the better of the two spinners, as Graeme Swann continued to fail to reach his best.

James Anderson did pick up two wickets in the morning session, a period that the hosts dominated just like the previous day, only to wilt to the Aussie batsman who again dug in at Cardiff.

Simon Katich was first out in the morning for 122, along with Ponting and Michael Hussey who was Anderson’s second victim.

Michael Clarke and Marcus North put on a 142 run partnership on day three to all but take the game away from England.

Clarke was eventually out 17 short of his first test century in England, while North was left unbeaten on 54 with Brad Haddin.

Despite Australia’s minor lead England will worry that today was the chance to turn the match in their favour, and with chances in the field few and far between it’s clear we haven’t seen the best of this bowling attack.

It also seems that the criticism that came the way of Nathan Hauritz after his display earlier in this match was totally unwarranted, and that his performance on a first day wicket was quiet brilliant.

England will have to hope that rain dominates tomorrows play, as predicted, as Australia look to eradicate the chances of an England victory.

The late wicket of Clarke has given the side a glimmer of hope, but it seemed that all day wickets were coming more through attritional bowling rather than after a concerted amount of pressure.

Even Andrew Flintoff seemed slightly off colour as he struggled to gleam much pace or dangerous bounce off this pitch.

In truth things look bleak for the English team, a pitch not doing much, a bowling attack out of form, and a captain who looks clueless and unimaginative with his field settings.

Strauss seems more worried about keeping the run rate down, rather than taking game changing wickets.

His un-attacking field, even this morning after the new ball was taken showed that Strauss was almost uninterested in squeezing the pressure on the tourists, something captains of yesteryear including Michael Vaughan was famous for.

Both Strauss and his bowling attack need to find that added vest if they are to succeed in this test match, or have any chance of retaining the prized Ashes urn in the coming weeks.

Katich and Ponting Put England to the Sword

If there was any debate as to which of these two Ashes rivals were on-top after the first day, there’s no doubt who is after the second day of this first Ashes test in Cardiff as Australia cruised to 249-1.

Both Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting made unbeaten hundreds in a partnership worth 187 at the end of the day.

Katich’s opening partner Phil Hughes went cheaply for just 36, the single breakthrough England could muster after a frustrating day in the field.

The brilliance of both Katich and Ponting though was difficult to ignore, and despite England’s at times inept bowling the duo were superb in the middle.

Ponting surpassed 11,000 test runs as well, becoming just the forth to do so, surely confirming his status as one of the best players of the modern era.

Even with the burden of captaincy Ponting seems to still deliver the goods in the middle, and with 38 hundreds to his name he can be held in high-regard in International cricket history.

However this day will belong to the centurions alone, and be remembered as the day Australia firmed stamped their mark on this test series.

A further 99 runs were added to England’s overnight score of 336-7, to give Andrew Strauss’ side a excellent score to bowl at, but after this one-sided day those late runs from the tail seem vital for the England cause.

England will worry about how easily Ponting and Katich exposed the weaknesses in their bowling attack, which could well lose Stuart Broad for the rest of the match with a calf injury.

James Anderson found little swing in his 13 overs, while Flintoff provided plenty of energy with just the single wicket as a reward.

Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar did turn the ball even on this second day, but were stifled by the Aussie pair.

Despite what has been a brilliant day for the tourists, they aren’t as far ahead they could have been at the end of day two, mostly down to what is a wearing pitch at Cardiff.

England’s run rate for their 435 was over four runs an over, while Australia just topped 3.50 an over, a clear sign that even the stroke making of Ponting couldn’t bring a strong flow of runs.

So there is evidence that the pitch is slowing down, and with Australia still another 186 runs behind they still have work to do.

But they have an excellent pair at the crease still, and with Michael Hussey and Michael Clarke they have all the tools to even up the scores.

England will worry about the lack of swing already, and will look towards the new ball in nine overs time, as Australia will look to bat just the once in this game.

The hosts have a dreadful record in the opening match of any test series in the Ashes, and after day two things yet again look like going Australia’s way.

Australia's Late Show Turns Things Their Way

In the lead up to this years Ashes Series, plenty of the talk was about how closely contested these two sides would be, and after day one of the first test at Cardiff things seem to be going to the script.

England won the all-important toss and rightly chose to bat, a decision that despite today’s developments that should make them firm favourites going into the closing days in this opening test match.

The early wickets of Alistair Cook, Andrew Strauss and then Ravi Bopara put the hosts on the back foot, but a stunning partnership between Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood set England back on their way.

However both departed in the 60’s, leaving the batting side five down for 241.

Matt Prior and Andrew Flintoff then upped the rate for England with some super hitting, with Prior reaching his half-century at almost a run-a-ball.

Flintoff, who was looking back to his best played on off Peter Siddle for 37, and with nine balls in the day remaining Siddle did for the wicket-keeper as well.

Night-watchman James Anderson and Stuart Broad closed the day out with England on 336-7.

Both sides will be happy with their days work, but two late wickets for the workmanlike Siddle may have swung the momentum back in the tourists direction.

Ironically enough swing was not the dominant force that captain Ricky Ponting would have hoped after losing the toss, but Mitchell Johnson showed that he was no one-trick pony as his variation of pace did for both Strauss and Bopara.

However after bowling just 18 overs in the day, question marks have to be raised about his overall fitness.

Ben Hilfenhaus was the impressive seamer with the ball today, finishing with 2 for 61 from his 23 overs.

Nathan Hauritz struggled overall, but seduced Pietersen into a wide-sweep that pitched far too wide for the number four to even contemplate, or so it seemed, as the ball skewed up to Simon Katich at short leg.

Is was a poor way for Pietersen to get out, but with the nature of the talented batsman's game dismissals like this are bound to occur.

Australia did look a little still and quiet in the field during when Pietersen and Collingwood were at the crease, and looked clueless when trying to dismiss the middle-order batsman who contributed to their own downfall when they were eventually sent back to the pavilion.

England will certainly take plenty of positives from the day however, with over 300 on the board and consistent if not spectacular scores right through the order, and of course two spinners in the locker.

But you have to say that Australia will be the happier of the two sides after day one, with seven wickets falling and England’s tail fully exposed.

Harmison and Bell Waiting in the Wings

Steve Harmison has been left out of the First Ashes Test at Cardiff due to start on Wednesday, after being overlooked for Durham team-mate Graeme Onions.

Both players played for the England Lions against Australia last week, with Harmison finishing with match figure of 6 for 125, including the dismissal of Phil Hughes in both innings, but Onions has been preferred in this first Ashes squad.

Onions has taken over 50 wickets in County Cricket this season, and after a 5-wicket haul on debut against the West Indies the 26 year-old has been the front runner for a test start.

It’s yet to be seen whether Onions will be preferred to second spinner Monty Panesar, on a pitch that is expected to spin early on.

Harmison however should not be too downhearted about the first test snub, with the second test taking place at Lords, a ground famous for its vicious pace and bounce.

The Durham man took five wickets on the first day of the first test at Lords in 2005, and caused the Australian batsman plenty of problems despite England’s crushing defeat.

His performance there, and last week at Worcester proved he still has the weapons to disturb the Aussies and his chances of being chosen for that second test is highly likely.

Elsewhere in the squad Ian Bell is the back-up batsman in the squad, with Paul Collingwood’s place set to be under scrutiny yet again.

With England’s middle order looking like one of their main weaknesses, Collingwood’s role at number five is crucial and with Bell in pretty good touch every move by the Durham man will be watched keenly by the selectors.

For the Australian’s they look set to chose four strike bowlers as oppose to a single spinner for the opening test, with Brett Lee set to complete the quartet.

However a rib injury to the 32-year old means he is now a doubt for the Cardiff match, meaning Nathan Hauritz or Ben Hilfenhaus could take his place.

Lee and Panesar stake their test claim

Bowlers Brett Lee and Monty Panesar today started their campaign for selection in next weeks opening test in Cardiff.

Lee’s superb spell of swing bowling resulted in him taking 5 for 53, while Panesar overshadowed Adil Rashid’s wicket-less display at Edgebaston as he took 3 for 10 in a 7.4 over spell.

Panesar’s display could well have secured his place his the side for next weeks test match at Cardiff as Rashid toiled for the Lions on a pitch doing nothing for the bowlers.

Lee however showed that even during his time on the sidelines he’s learnt the art of swing bowling-the main attribute of the Australian’s downfall in 2005.

The tourists had little to smile about elsewhere however, as their bowling attack was hit every which way during the Lions potent batting display, headed by local boy Stephen Moore, whose hundred alongside Joe Denly’s 66 showed huge potential for the future of England’s top order.

Denly in-particular showed why is one of the most potent opening batsman in the County Championship, and why he ousted team-mate Rob Key from the original squad.

The Lions finished the day just 56 runs behind the Australians on 302 for 6, but the only blotch on the copybook was the first ball duck of Ian Bell, whose prospects of being selected for the upcoming test series took a serious blow.

The Warwickshire man was a victim of Lee’s superb swing bowling display, a showing that might have confirmed his presence in Cardiff next week, seven days after I had all but written off his chances of success during this tour; think he took it personally?

For the full test team James Anderson was the star of the day taking his own five-wicket haul in a blitz of the home teams middle order.

Kevin Pietersen however will fret over his form in this match, with just seven runs flowing from the bat of the talented batsman in the two innings against Warwickshire.

Australia’s batsmen have a similar mountain to climb to find any form before the first test match, with Marcus North consistently struggling in the middle order.

Maybe the youngsters decision to play a one-day series with Australia instead of playing the longer form of the game with Hampshire this summer might come back to hurt the chances of a call up for the Victorian.

North did play a role in the Aussies spin attack however, which looks like the main concern going into next weeks Ashes curtain raiser as Nathan Hauritz continues to struggle.

North and Michael Clark bowled nine overs between them without success today, while Hauritz finished with 0 for 80 from his 18 overs.

It will surely give captain Ricky Ponting plenty to ponder for the next week on whether Haurtiz is worth the gamble in Cardiff, as England look certain to field a second spinner alongside Graeme Swann.