THE GABBA (first day; Australia won toss): Australia have scored 346 for three against England

Over-by-over report
Ponting sympathises with England's lax attack

After just one day of this much-hyped Ashes series, England know how difficult it is going to be to retain the treasured urn. On a true pitch that offered them precious little bar some bounce, England's largely disappointing bowlers were clinically dismantled by Ricky Ponting, who equalled Steve Waugh's Australian record of 32 Test hundreds. He could scarcely have played any better nor given a more robust retort to those that criticised his captaincy after the Ashes were lost.

If it was a bad toss for England to have lost, they bowled with a lack of precision for much of the day, allowing the Australians to bat with impunity on a surface that lacked the pace many had expected. The tone was set with the very first ball of the match, a wide from Stephen Harmison that went straight to Andrew Flintoff at second slip. Contrast that with the vicious bouncer that Harmison bowled to hit Justin Langer with the first ball of the Lord's Test last year.

Langer took four fours off Harmison's opening two overs, whereupon he was withdrawn from the attack. At the other end, Matthew Hoggard could offer neither swing nor control with the new ball as Australia raced to fifty in the eleventh over. Flintoff broke through in the 19th over when Matthew Hayden was caught at second slip but apart from the tidy Ashley Giles later in the day, no one gave him the requisite support at the other end.
Flintoff was the only member of the pace quartet both to hit the right areas and provide some penetration.

Having scored heavily square of the wicket and through third man, Langer, who charged to 68 out of 109 at lunch, blossomed to play some fine strokes through the covers. His 82 had taken him only 98 balls when, in trying to force Flintoff off the back foot, he lost control of the bat face and gave a comfortable catch to cover.

Another loose shot cost Damien Martyn his wicket shortly before tea when he tried to cut a ball that was too close to off stump. Giles, obtaining some extra bounce, had him well caught at slip. England were now back in the game, but in the final session they failed to take a wicket. Flintoff claimed the second new ball with five overs remaining, but the fact that he gave it to neither Harmison nor Hoggard underlined how indifferently they had performed earlier in the day.

Very much the highlight of Ponting's 136-ball century was his on-driving, his signature shot. Moving his feet decisively, playing with his bat close to his body and presenting the straightest bats except when unfurling his trademark pull, he batted without error. A thick edge off Ian Bell that brought him one of his 17 fours was virtually his only false shot in an apparently inevitable charge to his sixth Test hundred against England. Mike Hussey gave him solid support in an unbroken fouth wicket alliance of 148 in 42 overs, completing his own fifty in 94 balls.

Guardianonline

Oh dont give up just yet England its only day 1 of the series.

Wasnt he awesome though those first 2 shots of his were indicative he was there to play

November 24, 2006

Australia have treated England like peas on a dinner plate. In the field they were pushed around, squeezed and skewered before Ricky Ponting eventually decided to end his batsmen's meal. Then it was Glenn McGrath who picked up the fork.

Once again only Andrew Flintoff managed not to burst. The series is young but he is already in danger of carrying as much weight as Andy Flower when he was dragging Zimbabwe. The burden is a worry for his left ankle, which is still being strengthened after surgery.

As captain Flintoff is caught between using himself as the best option or waiting uncomfortably in the hope one of his team-mates eases the workload. Matthew Hoggard briefly lifted when he accounted for both Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist, but the score had already ballooned to 467. Flintoff employed himself intermittently and reliably. He waited an hour before bowling in the morning and it took a cut Ponting boundary that brought up the 400 to stir a brilliant short spell.

A frightening lifter that might have brushed Ponting's glove was immediately produced, but half a dozen replays could not prove whether Steve Bucknor called correctly. Nine's new "Hot Shot" technology was absent and conspiracy theorists remembered Ponting's contract with the station. A play and a miss and a ball moving away that twisted the bat in Ponting's hands finished the over. It was a remarkable collection to a humming batsman on 167.

Michael Hussey had also been causing problems and Flintoff decided he would copy last year's approach to Adam Gilchrist and go around the wicket. A vicious off-cutter upended the off stump and sent it spinning in the direction of fine leg. Michael Clarke, who was playing for his short-term future, narrowly escaped the rest of the five-over spell and raised a half-century.

The England fielders were as slow as the over-rate and Flintoff was forced back to try and close the innings. He had returned 4 for 99 when Ponting saved him some energy with the declaration at 602. Fortunately for England Flintoff's dressing-room rest was not disturbed by McGrath's return to the game.

For 11 months there have been questions over whether McGrath would make an Ashes impact. It took only three overs for him to let everybody know he would continue to be an England menace. Wickets 137 and 138 against the most familiar enemy came in consecutive deliveries. While the first dismissal relied on Andrew Strauss' poor swipe, the removal of Alastair Cook could have been arranged at any time over the past decade.

Two excellent bowlers were on display but only one worked with assistance. Flintoff was let down throughout the first innings while McGrath was able to combine with both Brett Lee and Stuart Clark, who took care of Paul Collingwood. Australia have stuck together and despite Flintoff's effort England appear to be falling apart. They will be mashed if they cannot muster something substantial on day three.

day two results England 3/53 at stumps