Daily Cricket News

Aussies on defensive as England build

Australia were quickly placed on the defensive as England rolled to 1-90 in reply to the home side's inadequate 245 at lunch on day two of the second Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval.

Recalled paceman Doug Bollinger (1-25) provided the best possible start for the Australians by removing England captain Andrew Strauss with the third ball of the morning, but this served only to reunite Alastair Cook (35no) and Jonathan Trott (39no) for a reprise of their monumental partnership in Brisbane.

Trott was dropped on 10 by Mike Hussey in the gully, and the reprieve was looked upon with ever more regret by the Australians as each extra run accrued on a scorching day.

Aside from Bollinger, who sprayed one of his deliveries for five wides, Ryan Harris was fast but unrewarded (0-17), Peter Siddle (0-25) wayward and Shane Watson (0-12) responsible for trying to stem a run-flow that touched five per over at one point of the morning.

The left-arm spinner Xavier Doherty, off the field for some of the session, bowled one over before the interval.

Early wickets were desired urgently by Australia in order to make their first innings appear substantial, and Bollinger waited until only his third ball of the series to oblige.

As in the second innings in Brisbane, Strauss raised his bat high to leave a ball tailing into him, but instead of striking pad and eluding a frenzied appeal, this one plucked the off bail.

Bollinger's celebration was understandably raucous after missing the Brisbane Test through no fault of his own, and for the next few overs he and Harris hinted at real danger.

However the spell was broken when a driving Trott was grassed by Hussey, and the introduction of Peter Siddle brought an additional spike to the scoring rate.

Trott prospered from a steady supply of straight deliveries that he continually tucked through midwicket, while Cook's slow accumulation was helped by an occasional edge through slips.

Watson brought a little more control to the bowling crease by pursuing a line wide of off stump, and Cook had more success against Siddle, arrowing one crisp square drive to the fence in front of the new members stand.