Pietersen sets up Ashes glory

2005-09-12 19:36

London - Kevin Pietersen's maiden Test hundred secured England's first Ashes series win for 18 years after the fifth and final Test against Australia was drawn at The Oval here on Monday.

England, who took the series 2-1, and needed only to avoid defeat to regain the Ashes, were in dire straits at 67 for three when Pietersen came to the crease.

But the 25-year-old South Africa-born batsman responded superbly to the pressure of the situation with a dashing 158, although he was dropped three times including once on nought.

However, the Hampshire batsman - in only his fifth Test - rode his luck with seven sixes and 15 fours, batting nearly five hours and facing 187 balls before he was bowled by Glenn McGrath with the new ball.

England then though were 308 for eight, a lead of 314, after Pietersen had put on 109 for the eighth wicket with Ashley Giles (59).

Giles's score was his Test best and he completed an 87-ball fifty with his fifth four, a pull off McGrath.

Shane Warne, in his last Test in England, took the final two wickets to fall for a return of six for 124 and an impressive 40 wickets in the series - his best total in an Ashes campaign

England were dismissed for 335, leaving Australia an all but impossible 342 in 18 overs to win the match.

They'd advanced to four without loss off four balls when Australia took an offer of bad light, openers Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden both on nought.

Umpires came back out

And when the umpires came back out they took out the stumps to signal the end of the match.

The game was by no means safe at tea, with England 221 for seven and 49 overs remaining.

But Pietersen frustrated Australia and delighted the 23,000 capacity crowd with two further huge sixes off Brett Lee and Warne.

Leg-spin great Warne, Pietersen's county captain, as he'd done all series, gave everything he could in the cause.

However, not even a marathon unchanged spell Monday of 31-3-101-3 could deny England the prize they'd craved for so long.

Earlier McGrath and Warne, Australia's two champion bowlers of the past decade, who between them had taken over 1&Nbsp;100 Test wickets, ran through England's top order.

Pietersen remained true to his attacking instincts by hooking Lee, Australia's fastest bowler for six, over long leg.

He later hooked Lee, bowling at over 94mph, for another six over long leg. But next ball on 60, repeating the stroke, Shaun Tait just failed to hold what would have been a sensational diving catch on the boundary.

Instead the ball went for four and next ball a genuine leg glance sped to the boundary as Pietersen took 16 in all off the over.

First three overs cost 37 runs

Pietersen's assault continued when he drove Lee down the ground in orthodox fashion for four and next ball produced an extravagant pull-drive for another boundary.

Lee's first three overs after lunch cost 37 runs.

Australia were then convinced Pietersen was out for 78 with England on 181 for five when he swept at Warne and the ball was taken by Matthew Hayden at slip.

However, replays indicated that Pietersen had struck the ball into the ground before it hit his boot.

Collingwood fell after 71 minutes of resistance when he was well caught by Australia captain Ricky Ponting at silly mid-off for 10.

It was also the 10th time he'd taken 10 wickets in a Test and fourth against England.

Tait bowled Geraint Jones off-stump for one with a ball that kept low to leave England 199 for seven but Giles held firm.

England, after resuming on Monday on 34 for one, lost four wickets before lunch with McGrath striking twice in two balls and Warne extending his world record to 620 wickets with two more victims.

Survived a caught behind

McGrath had England captain Michael Vaughan brilliantly caught by diving wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist for 45 and next ball Ian Bell completed a pair when he was taken by Warne at first slip to leave England 67 for three.

Pietersen survived a caught behind appeal off McGrath's hat-trick delivery, the ball hitting the batsman's shoulder.

But England might have been 78 for three when Pietersen, still on nought, got an outside-edge to a Warne leg-break that deflected off Gilchrist's gloves and hit first slip Hayden on the leg.

Warne then broke former Australia fast bowler Dennis Lillee's allcomers' record for the most Test wickets against England of 167 when he had opener Marcus Trescothick lbw for 33 with a ball that turned sharply out of the rough.

Pietersen, on 15, then edged a full length delivery and Warne dropped the two-handed chest-high slip chance with England 93 for three.

- AFP