Shouting from the Hop

It was a real pleasure to get up this Saturday morning and find England still batting near the close of day two of the second Ashes test. England then declared on 551-6 and tore into the Aussie openers, removing Langer for just 4. The Aussies finished on 28-1 in the nine overs that they faced.

Day one had seen Engalnd win the toss, and post 266-3, courtesy of a battling 60 from Ian Bell, plus not out scores of 98 and 60 from Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pieterson. Today saw Colly move past 100 in an Ashes test for the first time, and for him to bat another two sesions before wafting tiredly when he had got to 206 (his highest first class score). He is only the third Englishman to hit a double ton in Australia after RE Foster and Wally Hammond (who did it twice).

KP also batted brilliantly - really taking the fight to Warne and McGrath - he eventually ran himself out for 158, which equalled his highest first class score (for the third time...).

It was then left to Flintoff and Giles to whack a few boundaries before the declaration came. Flintoff, by then suitably warmed up, took the new ball and had Langer (80 and hundred in the last test, and two hundred here four years ago...) caught by an ebuliant Pieterson at third slip (left) in the fourth over. Hayden and Ponting survived till the close.

In a day of numbers -

Shane Warne had his worst ever test bowling figures - 1-167!
Glenn McGrath took 0-107!
Brett Lee had 1-137!
Only Stuart Clark had respectable figures (3-75).
The partnership of 310 between Collingwood and Pieterson was the highest in an Ashes series for the fourth wicket, beating Thorpe and Hussein (Edgbaston 1997).

The third day will be a long one in the field for England. They need to bowl and field positively (as they did late today) and attack at every opportunity. Interestingly Harmison did not open the bowling in this match, but he will be required to fulfil plenty of bowling duties tomorrow, as will Anderson, and especially Giles. The King of Spain (sic) will not get as much turn as Warne did, but that may be just enough on this pitch, provided he bowls in the right areas. With plenty of runs on the board, England can attack, and I bet they now wish they had Panesar and Giles playing.

One of the ddiffferences between this test and the one at Brisbane is that the crowd can congregate on the hill here - there is no seating plan in this part of the ground. This means that the Barmy Army can get together, and as at the test here in 1994/5 (the so-called start of the "official" Barmy Army), this can effect matters on the pitch. Certainly KP was urging the crowd on, and it does give a huge boost to the players to be supported like this.

I can see plenty of runs being scored by Australia on this pitch, but the question is will they get in and do well enough to get up to or past England's total, and possibly look for a win, or will the momentum turn England's way, urged on by the pressure and the crowd, resulting in some sort of batting collapse? I can see at least one of the batters getting a ton, but if the bowlers do well, a score of 400 may be all Australia can ask for. This would leave England the chance to put thegame beyond the Aussies on Monday, and then bowl for a win, and an equaliser in the series on the final day. If the pitch deterioates, then that could be a dream come true for Andrew Flintoff.