Monday, November 29, 2010

England gain confidence in Ashes first Test

England gain some confidence after dominating Australia over the final two days of the Ashes opener which ended in a draw at the Gabba today.

England ensured they would not be beaten in the first match of their Ashes defence after conceding a 221-run innings deficit when Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott shared in England's highest partnership in Australia of 329 runs.

England's skipper Andrew Strauss declared at 517 for one, 40 minutes before tea. In the end Australia manage 107 for one in 26 overs, chasing 297.

Some Salient features of the Match:

  • Cook became only the fourth Englishman to score a Test double-century in Australia with his unconquered 235, he joined Wally Hammond (3), Reg Foster and Paul Collingwood as double centurions with his 625-minute epic off 428 balls in the highest score by either team in 19 Ashes Tests at the Gabba.
  • Cook & Trott unbroken partnership surpassed the previous highest stand by England in this country of 323 held by Jack Hobbs and Wilfred Rhodes at Melbourne in 1911-1912.
  • When Trott's 100 came up it was the first time three English players have scored a century in an innings of a Test match since 1924, on other occasion the top three batsmen -- Jack Hobbs (211), Herbert Sutcliffe (122) and Frank Woolley (134 no) -- all scored hundreds against South Africa at Lord's.
  • It was also only the second match in Test match history to feature two 300-plus partnerships following Mike Hussey-Brad Haddin's 307-run stand in Australia's first innings 481, the other was the drawn Pakistan v India first Test in Lahore in 2006.

                                    Man of the Match: A Cook

                                             The Gift

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