Quote:Gilchrist goes gangbusters

Adam Cooper

December 16, 2006 12:00am
Article from: Sunday Herald Sun



ADAM Gilchrist scored the second-fastest century in the history of Test cricket before Australia declared, setting England 557 to win the third Test.

The Australia wicketkeeper scored 100 off just 57 balls on day three in Perth, missing West Indies' Viv Richards' 20-year-old record by one ball.

The innings is the fastest century by an Australia batsman in Test matches, beating Jack Gregory's 67-ball ton against South Africa in Johannesburg in 1921.

Coming in after the fall of Andrew Symonds, Gilchrist hit his first fifty off 40 balls, equalling the Ashes record held by England's Graham Thorpe.

He also bludgeoned the most expensive over in the history of Ashes Tests, taking 24 off one Monty Panesar over, including three sixes and a four.

Three more fours off a Steve Harmison over took Gilchrist to 97 with two balls to beat Richards' record, but it was not to be. He then took a single, before hitting two off Harmison to reach three figures.

Boasting 12 boundaries and four sixes, the innings also completed a century in the session between tea and stumps, replicating Doug Walters' famous achievement at the same ground in 1974.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting declared soon after on 5-527, leaving Gilchrist on 102 and Michael Clarke unbeaten on 135. The two shared an unbroken stand of 162 for the sixth wicket.

Earlier, Mike Hussey continued his ridiculously good form by scoring 103 - his fifth Test ton and fifth consecutive 50-plus score this series - while Ponting (75) and Matthew Hayden (92) added half-centuries.

Hussey reached his maiden Test century in his home city when his attempted pull shot raced off the toe of the bat down the ground for four, and he elatedly ran through to wave to his family and teammates watching from the southern end.

But England removed Hussey on the stroke of tea, keeper Geraint Jones and left-arm spinner Monty Panesar combining courtesy of a thin outside edge.

Australia is well on course to regain the Ashes, which it will do if England cannot produce a remarkable turnaround with the bat in the final innings by either winning or saving the match.

Australia leads the series 2-0 and victory here will give the home side an insurmountable 3-0 lead, and with it cricket's most prized trophy, 15 months after losing it in London.

England bowled with valour in its attempt to keep the series alive, but the conditions and circumstances combined to make it a heart-breaking and gruelling day for the tourists.

The recorded temperature nudged above 50 degrees in the sun, and a couple of missed half-chances made for a trying day for the likes of Panesar and Harmison, who bowled much better than their figures showed.

Matthew Hoggard summed up the torment the England players experienced when he screamed out in anguish after gaining an edge off Hussey only for Andrew Strauss to miss a difficult chance at floating slip.

The home side's lead ensured England would have to produce the highest successful run-chase in Perth to win the match, which stands as Australia's 8-342 against India in the summer of 1977-1978.

Hussey's remarkable series has now contained scores of 86, 91, 61 not out, 74 not out and 103, making him the first Australia batsman to score five consecutive scores of 50 or more in an Ashes series. His Test average is 86.33.

But he did enjoy his share of good fortune on day three in Perth.

He was lucky to survive a close bat-pad chance against Panesar when on 15, brought up his 50 with a skewed hook shot which landed just out of reach of the diving Jones, and was 78 when missed by Strauss, strangley placed where the normal gap between first and second slip would be.

Panesar (3-145), who eventually got his man, again bowled well after his five-wicket haul in the first innings, along with an admirable performance from Harmison, whose return of 1-116 contained its share of edges and near misses. His frustrations typified England's day.

Hayden fell just short of a breakthrough century before lunch when he edged a big spinner from Panesar to slip, where Paul Collingwood took a sharp chance on the rebound.

Harmison's only joy came when he had Ponting caught behind fourth over of the day.

Clarke produced another fine innings, scored off only 164 balls and including 17 boundaries and a six. His fourth-wicket stand with Hussey was worth 151 runs.

nice one

England hopes fall with Cook

December 18, 2006 12:00

ALASTAIR Cook last night declared he had played the best innings of his career but was still unfulfilled after England's brave fightback was shattered at the WACA Ground.

Despite Cook's maiden Ashes ton and resilient knocks from Ian Bell and an unbeaten Kevin Pietersen, the Poms begin today's final day of the third Test just five wickets away from handing back an Ashes urn they finally reclaimed last year after a 16-year absence.

Left-hander Cook batted for six-and-a-half hours in a disciplined 116 but fell in a dramatic third-last over of the day which changed the complexion of this tense clash.

Glenn McGrath, overlooked for the second new ball, later returned for his third spell of the day and, in his 19th over, had Cook nudging across his body and caught behind. Two balls later he speared a yorker through nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard.

That helped to reduce the Poms to 5-265 at stumps and left them facing the equally daunting and unlikely tasks of either batting for three sessions today to save the match – and the series – or go after a world record 557 to win.

With Cook at the crease, either result still seemed possible.

"I'll sit back tonight and think, yeah, I got a hundred but I wouldn't be human if I didn't have that nagging thought that I could be walking out there tomorrow to get even a bigger one, and get us closer or get us over (the line)," Cook said last night.

"It would be nice to still be three down and there is obvious disappointment with the last 16 balls."

An unusually subdued Pietersen, who exchanged words late in the day with the fieldsmen crowded around the bat, will resume today on 37. Skipper Andrew Flintoff steps out on two, and with the weight of his team and all English fans on his tired shoulders.

England's only hope of defying the Aussies today may be a weather forecast which last night predicted a "thundery shower or two" for Perth this morning.

"We are still in there fighting hard and if we can get through the first hour, the first session, like we did this morning, we'll obviously score a few runs because KP and Freddie don't hang around. Then who knows?" the bullish Cook said.

Cook was the hero of a day when the Poms were supposed to roll up, accept their fate and crumble to a 3-0 series drubbing.

He resumed on seven, notched his maiden Ashes half-century, shared in a 170-run stand with Bell and thoroughly deserved his patient ton – his fourth in just 12 Tests.

Given a reprieve on 83 when dropped at slip by Matthew Hayden off Shane Warne, he was also at the centre of a Warne flare-up as emotions boiled over on a sweltering hot day.

Warne, for most of the afternoon, had been on edge after umpire Rudi Koertzen rejected several of his appeals against Cook and the plucky Bell, who posted his third half-century of the summer.

Koertzen did not like the way Warne carried on and appeared to report him for dissent after the leg-spinner's 17th over.

Warne had appealed vigorously when Cook pushed forward to sharp-turning leggie which the bowler thought had bobbed up off the bat, onto pad, and into the hands of Andrew Symonds at short mid-wicket.

He was adamant Cook was out, but Koertzen – who had made several mistakes in the match – got this call right.

Daily Telegraph

Its a winnable game for England i thought we declared to early and England are putting on a show at the moment.

Australia 244 & 527/5d
England 215 & 298/5 (104.5 ov)
England require another 259 runs with 5 wickets remaining

Day 5 - Session 1 England RR 2.84
Last 10 ovs 37/0 RR 3.70

Min overs remaining 81.1
Full scorecard

Hours of play: 11.30 start, Lunch 13.30-14.10, Tea 16.10-16.30, Close 18.30
Current time: 12:08 local, 03:08 GMT


Test career
Batsmen Runs B 4s 6s SR This bowler Last 10 ovs Mat Runs Ave
*A Flintoff (rhb) 29 33 5 0 87.87 13 (10b) 29 (31b) 65 3225 32.57
KP Pietersen (rhb) 42 106 5 0 39.62 17 (49b) 7 (29b) 21 1977 52.02

Bowlers O M R W Econ Current spell Mat Wkts Ave
*SR Clark (rfm) 21.5 7 48 1 2.19 (0nb, 0w) 4.5-2-17-0 7 36 18.91
B Lee (rf) 20.0 3 62 1 3.10 (1nb, 0w) 1-0-13-0 57 219 32.37


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