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Australia seal crushing victory
27/11/2006 07:54 - (SA)
Brisbane - Australia polished off
England's lower order to wrap up a 277-run victory in the first
Ashes Test on Monday and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match
series.
England lost their last five wickets for just 77 runs to be
all out for 370 half an hour before lunch on the fifth day
after resuming on 293 for five chasing an unlikely 648 to win.
It was a crushing victory for Australia and the perfect
start to their bid to win back the Ashes they lost last year in
England for the first time since 1989.
"It's a really pleasing start for us but it was the same in
the last series, we won the first game and then things went
wrong so we won't be getting carried away," Australia captain
Ricky Ponting said in a televised interview.
Ponting paid tribute to the performances of experienced
seam bowler Glenn McGrath and opening batsman Justin Langer.
"Glenn did a fantastic job, his bowling in the first things
was superb. Justin Langer the same, he got the job done for
us."
England's slim hopes of batting through the final day to
salvage a draw effectively ended on the fourth ball of the
morning when Kevin Pietersen departed without adding to his
overnight score of 92.
Pietersen had shared a 153-run stand with Paul Collingwood
to stall Australia's march to victory but lost his partner for
96 late on Sunday. He missed out on his own hundred when he
drove Brett Lee straight to Damien Martyn at midwicket.
Wicketkeeper Geraint Jones (33) and Ashley Giles (23)
provided some resistance but the end came swiftly once they
were out.
Wide ball
Jones dragged a wide ball from McGrath back on to his
stumps with the total on 326 and Giles was caught by Shane
Warne at first slip off Stuart Clark on 346.
Matthew Hoggard was also caught by Warne off Clark for
eight and Steve Harmison was last man out, hooking Clark to
McGrath at fine leg on for 13. James Anderson was unbeaten on
four and Clark completed figures of four for 72.
"We have played well in the last 24 hours, Kevin Pietersen
and Paul Collingwood batted really well and it was important to
get some runs," England captain Andrew Flintoff said.
"Australia played some good cricket from the start and put
us under pressure.
"We had great preparation so we can't use that as an
excuse. We'll start preparing now for the next game in
Adelaide."
Ponting was named man of the match after making 196 in his
team's first-innings total of 602 for nine declared and 60 not
out in the second innings.
The second Test starts in Adelaide on Friday.
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