Tag: The Ashes 2021-22

SYDNEY: England’s batters – Stuart Broad and James Anderson held their nerves calm; assisting the visitors to draw the fourth Ashes Test to avoid the whitewash.

Broad and Anderson batted sensibly in the final two overs of the match, preventing the touring side from their fourth loss in the ongoing Ashes series.

Broad remained not-out for his eight of 35 balls, while Anderson faced six deliveries. England, in the end, managed to finish with 270/9 on the final day of the fourth Test; chasing 388.

Resuming at an overnight score of 30/0, the touring side again fumbled as Haseeb Hameed departed after scoring only seven as the left-arm pacer – Mitchell Starc castled the batter with a brilliant inswinger. The side lost its first wicket for 46, could only add 16 runs on the final day.

Soon after the side slipped to 96/3 as their top-scorer Zak Crawley departed after a brilliant 77; including 13 boundaries. English captain – Joe Root and Ben Stokes recorded a valuable partnership for the team; adding 60 runs before Root departed after scoring 24.

Last inning centurion for the visitors – Jonny Bairstow then joined Stokes at the crease, the pair could only add 37 runs before Stokes perished. He scored a brilliant 60 off 123 balls.

The side then slumped to nine-down for 270 as the lower-order hero Jack Leach walked back to the pavilion after a valiant 26 off 34 balls. However, the duo of Broad and Anderson resisted and avoided the touring party from the defeat.

For Australia, Scott Bolland starred; picking three wickets, while Pat Cummins and Nathan Lyon claimed two wickets each. Starc and Steven Smith shared one wicket apiece.

On the fourth day, the Aussies set a massive target of 388 for England on the back of Usman Khawaja’s brilliant century in the second innings. Khawaja scored 101* as the home side declared at 265/6.

For scoring centuries in both the innings, Khawaja was adjudged as the Player of the Match.

READ: South Africa will not send contracted players for PSL 2022

SYDNEY: England’s right-handed batter – Jonny Bairstow scored a valiant century; aiding his side to fight back with 258/7 on the third day, in response to Australia’s 416.

Bairstow, who struggled to score in the third Ashes Test, recorded a magnificent century in the first innings of the fourth Test. He remained unbeaten for his 103 off just 140 balls, laced with eight boundaries and three sixes at the end of the day’s play.

At the start of the day, England resumed their innings at 13/0, halted by a poor start again as the side lost their first four wickets at a combined score of 36. The side appeared to be in trouble, but, Bairstow and Ben Stokes’ partnership pulled the side out of the suspected danger.

The pair added an astonishing 128-runs partnership before Stokes walked back to the pavilion after scoring a half-century. He scored 66 before getting trapped by Nathan Lyon. Soon after, Jos Buttler also departed after bagging an eight-ball duck. Following Buttler’s dismissal, the touring side slipped to 173/6.

Bairstow, on the other hand, kept scoring runs and went on to smash a terrific century. Mark Wood, too, played a helping knock; scoring a valuable 39 off 41 balls.

For Australia, Pat Cummins and Scott Boland bagged two wickets each, while Lyon, Cameron Green, and Mitchell Starc shared one wicket apiece.

Bairstow (103*) and Jack Leach (4*) will now resume the innings for the touring side at 258/7 on the fourth day of the ongoing Test.

READ: Aisam, Alexander reach ATP World Tennis Championship’s semi-final

SYDNEY: Australia’s left-handed batter – Usman Khawaja smashed a magnificent century after making his way into the side after 28 months; assisting his side to 416/8 (dec) in the first innings of the ongoing fourth Ashes Test.

Khawaja, who played his first match after 2019, scored a sunning Test century as Australia declared at 416/8 in the first innings.

Australia, resuming at an overnight score of 126/3, started the second day of the ongoing Test magnificently. Steven Smith and Khawaja put on a century stand; taking control for the home side. The duo batted brilliantly; both scoring half-centuries. Smith, however, fell short after scoring 67 as the batter fell short to Stuart Broad’s brilliant delivery. Following this dismissal, Broad has now dismissed Smith most number of times in Test cricket than any other bowler.

Khawaja, on the other hand, remained composed as the side was losing wickets at a consistent rate at the other end. He kept the scoreboard ticking and went on to score a magnificent century, his ninth overall in Test cricket. He scored a well-craft 137 off 260 balls, including 13 boundaries.

Khawaja then recorded an astonishing 67-runs partnership with Mitchell Starc. The batter looked to accelerate the innings but fell short to Broad, who castled the left-hander with a magnificent delivery. Starc, however, remained unbeaten with his 34 when the Australian skipper – Pat Cummins opted to declare the innings at 416/8.

For England, Broad starred; bagging his Test career’s 18th five-wickets haul, while James Anderson, Mark Wood, and Joe Root claimed one wicket apiece.

In response to Australia’s 416, English batters could only manage to play five overs before the stumps were called. England finished day two on 13/0. Haseeb Hameed (2*) and Zak Crawley (2*) will now resume the proceedings for the touring side on the third day.

READ: ‘Australia’s Test tour to Pakistan will be greatest’ Australian commentators

ADELAIDE: Aussie pacer, Jhye Richardson bagged a five-fer to push England to their second defeat in the ongoing Ashes, on Monday.

Australia completed the consolidating victory against England, in the second Test; defeating the touring party by a massive 275 runs margin. Australian pacer, Richardson, fired with the ball; taking a five-fer, leading his side to the victory.

England, resumed at an overnight score of 82/4, again halted by a poor start, losing their fifth wicket after adding just four runs to their previous day’s score.

Ollie Pope dismissed after scoring four off seven balls, the batter nicked the ball into the hands of Steven Smith; standing at the slip. After showing some resistance, Ben Stokes, too, dismissed by Nathan Lyon, as the bowler trapped him in legs.

Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes, however, tried to anchor the innings, both the batters were looking solid. The pair recorded an important 61-runs partnership, before Woakes walked back to the pavilion after scoring 44, he faced 97 deliveries, and smashed seven boundaries. He remained the top-scorer for his side in the second innings.

The touring side, then ran into yet another brief collapse, and Buttler, too, departed, after a bizarre dismissal. Buttler departed after stepping onto the stumps on Richardson’s delivery, he scored 26 and faced a mammoth 207 balls; smashing just two boundaries.

The side, then soon bundled out for a paltry 192; losing the match by 275 runs.

For his brilliant batting display in both innings, Marnus Labuschagne awarderd as the player of the match. He scored a brilliant century followed by an astonishing half-century in the two innings, respectively.

The two teams will now face off in the Boxing Day Test, which will take place from December 26 to December 30.

ADELAIDE: Australian batters, David Warner and Marnus Labuschagne, batted brilliantly and partnered strongly to help Australia to score 221/2 on the first day of second Ashes Test.

Both, Warner and Labuschagne, scored 95 each; Warner, however, dismissed after playing a loose shot straight to cover; handing an easy catch to Stuart Broad. This is the second instance when Warner missed his century in the ongoing Ashes.

Labuschagne, on the other hand, is not-out for his 95; having lucky as Jos Buttler dropped him twice on 21 and 95. The batter faced a mammoth 275 balls; for his current individual score. He smashed seven boundaries in his inning so far.

Earlier, Australia were off to a poor start; losing their opening batter, Marcus Harris at a combined score of four; Buttler took a blinder off Broad’s superb delivery to dismiss the batter on his individual score of three.

Harris’s early dismissal did not halt the Kangaroos much as their star-pair, Warner and Labuschagne recorded an astonishing 172-runs partnership before Warner’s dismissal.

The standing captain, Steven Smith, then, also showed responsibility; ensuring not to giveaway any wickets, and stood firm for his 18 not-out off 71 balls.

Labuschagne (95*) and Smith (18*) will resume the proceedings for Australia at 221/2 on the second day of the ongoing Test.

For England, Broad and Ben Stokes took a wicket each.

MELBOURNE: England have appointed Troy Cooley as a consultant pace bowling coach ahead of the upcoming Ashes series.

The England and Wales Cricket Board announced Wednesday that the 55-year-old Australian will aid the tourists’ quicks in Brisbane under the direction of elite pace bowling coach Jon Lewis.

He will then assist the seamers in England’s second-string Lions squad when they face Australia A in a four-day match that starts on December 9.

Cooley was England’s bowling coach during their 2005 Ashes series success and subsequently took up a similar role with Australia.

He joined the England and Lions players during the three-day intra-squad warm-up match that started in Brisbane on Tuesday.

ECB performance director Mo Bobat said in a statement: “It’s great to have someone with Troy’s expertise and experience supporting our Ashes prep and also working closely with our Lions pace bowlers.

“Troy’s understanding of what it takes to be successful in Australian conditions is second to none, and the players are sure to benefit hugely.”

Joe Root’s men are looking to regain the Ashes from arch-rivals Australia following a drawn 2019 series in England.

The first Test of an upcoming five-match campaign starts at Brisbane’s Gabba ground on December 8.

Persistent rain saw play abandoned without a ball being bowled on day two of England’s intra-squad tour match in Brisbane on Wednesday, delaying the much-anticipated return of star all-rounder Ben Stokes.

Only 29 overs had been possible on Tuesday, with openers Rory Burns (39 not out) and Haseeb Hameed (53 not out) unbeaten in steering an England XI to 98 without loss against the Lions.

“No play today on Day 2 of our first Ashes tour match due to this,” England Cricket tweeted with an umbrella emoji and a video clip showing a sodden outfield at Peter Burge Oval in Brisbane.

More rain is expected on Thursday, potentially scuppering Stokes’ return after almost five months out due to mental health concerns and finger surgery.

England have just one more game scheduled before the first Test — a four-day, intra-squad warm-up from November 30.

Australia have their only red-ball preparation ahead of the series on December 1, when they will play a three-day game among themselves.