England Crash At Gabba


By Ananova
November 10 2002

England slumped to the second heaviest defeat in their history after being dismissed for 79 on the fourth day of the opening Test against Australia to lose by 384 runs at the Gabba in Brisbane.

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England Crash At Gabba

England slumped to the second heaviest defeat in their history after being dismissed for 79 on the fourth day of the opening Test against Australia to lose by 384 runs at the Gabba in Brisbane.

Starting their second innings 463 runs adrift after Australia declared mid-way through the afternoon at 296 for five, the tourists were dismissed inside 29 overs.

Knowing they had 47 overs to withstand, England's second innings began badly with Michael Vaughan falling to the third ball of their reply when he was adjudged to be leg before to Glenn McGrath by umpire Rudi Koertzen to a delivery which appeared to be bouncing over the top of the stumps.

Marcus Trescothick followed eight deliveries later after he chased a wide ball from Jason Gillespie and edged low for wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist to take a superb catch to his left to leave England struggling on three for two - a start they never recovered from.

Nasser Hussain and Mark Butcher resisted Australia's attack for a further 14 overs, taking the innings at least beyond tea, but once they were parted England's resistance crumbled.

The middle order collapse began when Hussain edged a sharply-lifting delivery from McGrath low to Ricky Ponting, who took a brilliant diving catch low down at second slip.

He was the first of seven wickets to fall for 46 runs in only 12.2 overs.

John Crawley fell three balls later in farcical circumstances when he failed to react to a call from Butcher for a quick single after a Shane Warne delivery bounced down the leg-side only to be stopped form a certain boundary by a diving Justin Langer.

He relayed the ball into wicketkeeper Gilchrist and his direct throw beat Crawley to the non-striker's end by several yards.

Two balls later Alec Stewart completed the first pair of his 123-Test career, cutting a wide long hop from Warne right at second slip Matthew Hayden, who juggled and took the catch at the second attempt to leave England reeling on 34 for five.

McGrath wrapped up the next two wickets, finishing with four for 36 and a match haul of eight wickets before Warne finished the innings when Caddick was caught by Darren Lehmann at short leg after a mis-timed sweep.

Hayden had earlier provided the impetus for Australia's pursuit of quick runs, progressing to his half century and then accelerating to score his second 50 off only 44 balls, hitting a six and 13 other boundaries in his hundred.

He become only the fourth Australian ever to hit two centuries in an Ashes Test, emulating the achievement of captain Steve Waugh at Old Trafford five years ago when he inspired a 268-runs triumph.

Hayden's 217-minute innings was ended when he drove back down the pitch and gave Giles a low return catch, while Martyn was caught at slip by captain Hussain attempting a front foot drive.

Andrew Caddick ended Steve Waugh's struggles at the crease when he was also caught at slip, but Gilchrist produced an aggressive display to finish the innings, hitting two sixes and four other boundaries to finish unbeaten on 60.


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