England removes Ponting and Katich
England struck two hammer blows straight after lunch, removing Australian captain Ricky Ponting and opener Simon Katich in quick succession to hit back on day two of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba.
Ponting tried to glance a Jimmy Anderson leg-side delivery but only succeeded in feathering the ball through to wicketkeeper Matt Prior, who took the most comfortable of catches to send the Tasmanian on his way for 10.
Katich brought up his half-century with a superb fine-leg boundary but followed his captain back to the pavilion soon after, brilliantly caught and bowled by beanpole paceman Steven Finn as Australia went from 0 for 78 to 3 for 100.
Opener Shane Watson was out in the first session, caught by England captain Andrew Strauss at slip for 36 off the impressive Anderson (2 for 36 off 16 overs with six maidens).
The dismissal came one delivery after the tourists spent one of their video referrals on an lbw shout against the all-rounder.
Watson faced 76 deliveries, hitting six boundaries and combining with Katich to give the home side a solid platform to build on.
Australia resumed on 0 for 25 this morning and both batsmen survived some close calls.
On 16, Katich survived a caught-behind appeal from Anderson with replays revealing the ball flicked his pad, and on 22 he should have been run out after a mix-up with Watson.
Watson turned down a certain run to point, sending Katich back, and Alastair Cook's shy at the stumps from in close went just wide.
Katich also won a reprieve after an appeal when he was given out lbw on 27.
Watson meanwhile survived an lbw shout on 17 after getting an inside edge and also just avoided playing a Stuart Broad bounced onto his stumps when he was on 21.
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