Ashes 2009: 3rd Test: Micheal Clarke and North Save Test for Australia!

Rain affected the result of the 3rd test match of the Ashes 2009 between host England and visitors Australia. The first day started late and had only 30 overs bowled. Australia, deciding to bat first, ended day 1 with 126 for 1.

Watson came in place of Hughes and it ended as a right decision by skipper Ponting. He scored 62 and was the top scorer. Ponting surpassed the leading run scorer in test cricket for Australia--Allan Border. He is the number one leading run scorer for Austalia in test cricket.

Except the first wicket partnership of 82 runs between Watson and Katich, no pair could make 50-run partnership. Anderson spoiled the Aussie party by picking 5 wickets while Onions picked 4. The duo destroyed the batting line up and ended the Australian first innings for 263.

England ended day 2 at 116 for 2. Skipper Strauss and Bell stayed till the end to prevent further damage. Cook gone for a duck while Bopara made 23.

Bell, playing in place of injured Kevin Pietersen, survied couple of good shouts for leg before. He managed to score 53.

Third day's play was completely washed out due to rain.

Strauss went early on Day 4 as he made 69. Collingwood could not survive as he added just 13.

Prior and Flintoff added 89 runs for the 6th wicket. This partnership brought liveness to the game as England was heading towards some good lead. Flintoff made 74 and Prior made 41.

When Flintoff fell, England were 309 for 7. Stuart Broad delayed the proceedings and irritated the Australian bowlers. He scored an useful 55. The good lofted on-drive of Johnson provided the bowler to have an argument with the batsman.

England finished their first innings at 376. Australians were in the back foot at the end of day 4 as they lost both Katich and Ponting. The well flighted and turned delivery beat Ponting and hit the middle stump. This was a pure off-spinner wicket and nice to watch. Australia were struggling at 88 for 2 needing another 25 runs to make England bat again.

Australia had to play out 90 overs or score quick runs and take all 10 wickets of England to equal the series. But, it require a strong and aggressive batting which is very difficult under these circumstances. A couple of wickets would turn the game against the bowling team.

Though Englan picked two more wickets before lunch, Michael Clarke and North played a sensible innings as Clarke went on to score another 100. He won the man of the match award for his match saving innings.

North scored 96 and missed the century by a whisk of 4 runs. The drive went through gully where Anderson picked wonderful one-handed catch on his right. It was a good catch to dismiss a batsman in the nineties.

Debutant Manou scored 13 as both the captains decided to end the match when Clarke hit a boundary off Bopara to bring his 12th test hundred.

Strauss: "We're pretty disappointed. We came to the ground this morning with pretty high hopes. All credit to Marcus North and Michael Clarke, they batted exceptionally well."

Ponting: "The North and Clarke partnership today was something pretty special. It was good for us to get through the way we have."

Michael Clarke:"The wicket played much better than I expected it to today. There was a bit of spin but it was consistent spin."

Scoreboard:

Match: Ashes 2009: Test Match 3
Date: July 30-August 3, 2009
Teams: Australia v. England
Captains: Ponting and Strauss
Toss: Australia, decided to bat
Venue: Edgbaston, Birmingham
Result: Match Drawn
Series Result: England lead 1-0 (1st test drawn)
Man of the Match: M Clarke off Australia

Australia 1st Innings:

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
S Watson	lbw b Onions	62	106	10	0
Katich	lbw b Swann	46	48	9	0
Ponting	c Prior b Onions	38	47	5	0
M Hussey	b Onions	0	1	0	0
M Clarke	lbw b Anderson	29	55	4	0
M North	c Prior b Anderson	12	49	1	0
G Manou	b Anderson	8	11	2	0
M Johnson	lbw b Anderson	0	1	0	0
N Hauritz	not out	20	50	1	0
P Siddle	c Prior b Anderson	13	26	2	0
B Hilfenhaus	c Swann b Onions	20	31	4	0
Extras	(b 5, lb 7, w 2, nb 1)	15	-	-	-
Total	all out in 70.4 overs	263	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-85 (Katich, 18.6 ov), 2-126 (Watson, 30.1 ov), 3-126 (Hussey, 30.2 ov), 4-163 (Ponting, 38.3 ov), 5-193 (Clarke, 49.4 ov), 6-202 (North, 51.4 ov), 7-202 (Johnson, 51.5 ov), 8-203 (Manou, 53.5 ov), 9-229 (Siddle, 61.5 ov), 10-263 (Hilfenhaus, 70.4 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
Anderson	24	7	80	5
Flintoff	15	2	58	0
Onions	16.4	2	58	4
Broad	13	2	51	0
Swann	2	0	4	1

England 1st Innings:

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
A Strauss	c Manou b Hilfenhaus	69	134	11	0
A Cook	c Manou b Siddle	0	4	0	0
Bopara	b Hilfenhaus	23	54	4	0
I Bell	lbw b Johnson	53	114	7	1
Collingwood	c Ponting b Hilfenhaus	13	22	3	0
M Prior	c sub (PJ Hughes) b Siddle	41	59	6	0
Flintoff	c Clarke b Hauritz	74	79	10	1
S Broad	c & b Siddle	55	64	9	0
Swann	c North b Johnson	24	20	5	0
Anderson	c Manou b Hilfenhaus	1	6	0	0
G Onions	not out	2	14	0	0
Extras	(b 2, lb 4, w 6, nb 9)	21	-	-	-
Total	all out in 93.3 overs	376	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-2 (Cook, 1.4 ov), 2-60 (Bopara, 19.2 ov), 3-141 (Strauss, 44.1 ov), 4-159 (Collingwood, 50.5 ov), 5-168 (Bell, 55.6 ov), 6-257 (Prior, 71.3 ov), 7-309 (Flintoff, 80.4 ov), 8-348 (Swann, 87.3 ov), 9-355 (Anderson, 88.6 ov), 10-376 (Broad, 93.3 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
Hilfenhaus	30	7	109	4
Siddle	21.3	3	89	3
Hauritz	18	2	57	1
Johnson	21	1	92	2
Watson	3	0	23	0

Australia 2nd Innings: (trail by 113 runs)

Batsman	How Out	Runs	Balls	4s	6s
Watson	c Prior b Anderson	53	114	9	0
Katich	c Prior b Onions	26	47	2	0
Ponting	b Swann	5	7	0	0
M Hussey	c Prior b Broad	64	130	13	0
M Clarke	not out	103	192	14	0
North	c Anderson b Broad	96	159	15	0
G Manou	not out	13	28	1	0
Extras	(b 4, lb 6, w 2, nb 3)	15	-	-	-
Total	for 5 wkts in 112.2 overs	375	-	-	-

Fall of Wickets: 1-47 (Katich, 13.2 ov), 2-52 (Ponting, 14.6 ov), 3-137 (Watson, 43.6 ov), 4-161 (Hussey, 52.6 ov), 5-346 (North, 103.1 ov)

Bowler	O	M	R	W
Anderson	21	8	47	1
Flintoff	15	0	35	0
Onions	19	3	74	1
Swann	31	4	119	1
Broad	16	2	38	2
Bopara	8.2	1	44	0
Collingwood	2	0	8	0