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Trying To Avoid The Whitewash!

Bell Gets 71
By BarmyArmyEngland January 2 2007
England have made a decent start in the first day at Sydney on the fifth and final test. Freddie won the toss and chose to bat despite all the signs showing it would be a good pitch for bowlers.

 

Ian Bell got the highest score for England by getting 71 runs however he later said he was disappointed not to get 100 in this ashes series. Bell and Pieterson both put on a solid front with a partnership of 108.

 

The weather was being difficult in the morning but started to improve making England and Australia starting late.

 

The day started with Andrew Strauss and Alistair Cook at the crease however Strauss looked nervous. To start with, Justin Langer, who has stated he will be retiring very soon, dropped him on 21, then later he was out with 29, however him and Cook put on the highest opening runs in the Ashes series.

 

Alistair Cook was soon out after lunch with just 20 however Ian Bell and Kevin Pieterson tried to salvage everything they could for England to avoid the embarrassing 5 – 0 whitewash.

 

Before tea Pieterson tried a more calm and patient approach however after tea he tried to be more attacking and aggressive. Not surprisingly then, Pieterson got caught out getting just 9 short of 50. A couple of deliveries later and McGrath proved why he is deemed a great bowler, by bowling a beauty of a ball to Bell which hit the stumps and sent Bell back to the Pavilion with 71.

 

Flintoff (42) and Collingwood (25) will resume play at Midnight. A lot of questions have been flying around with the captain playing at no.6 in the batting order. Many think he looks uneasy and is under a lot of pressure. However lets hope he proves us wrong and that Collingwood and Flintoff will produce the goods, if not for their sake, then for the England’s.

 

England will resume on 243-4.

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