Australia roll over England to level series by CricketArchive Staff Reporter

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Ground:	Headingley, Leeds
Scorecard:	England v Australia
Player:	MG Johnson, BW Hilfenhaus, SCJ Broad, GP Swann
Event:	Australia in British Isles 2009

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DateLine: 9th August 2009

 

Australia drubbed England by an innings an 80 runs to level the Ashes series 1-1 and are in a better position to retain the legendary urn. Right from the first ball off the match England looked like playing the catch-up game and rarely looked like the side that was leading the series. The defeat would have been heavier had not Broad and Swann played their entertaining knocks thus lending some respectability to the final score.

 

Australia began the day needing just five more wickets to level the series and while the English batsmen looking to extend the day as long as they can. Hilfenhaus opened the bowling and Anderson played a ferocious cut as the ball evaded the slips to the third man fence. But of the next ball, Anderson felt for the ball just outside the off stump and the resultant action produced a healthy edge and it was taken by Ponting. Prior began to open up and he along with Broad brought up England’s 100 run mark and it was cheered aloud by the crowd.

 

Prior played some attractive shots and his driving through the off side in particular very pretty. Just when it seemed that he had got the measure of the bowlers, Hilfenhaus bowled a beautiful outswinger which forced Prior to play at it and Haddin took an amazing catch as Australia edged closer to levelling the series. Broad and Swann sensing that there is no use playing out time began to open up. The pair played out a couple of overs and then began to have a go at anything they felt could be send to the boundary ropes.

 

Some shots just evaded the fielders, while some just missed the stumps by a whisker and there were a couple of drops but this did not bother the pair as they continued to make merry. Broad tore apart Stuart Clark in one particular over as he collected four boundaries in just five balls while Swann also turned his attention to Clark and his next over too went for sixteen runs as Swann collected three boundaries in one over.

 

The fun had to end sometime and Siddle after being clattered for a boundary dug one in short prompting Broad to go for the pull. The ball went only as far as deep midwicket, where Watson took a fine diving catch to send Broad back to the pavilion for a quickfire 61 of 49 balls which included ten hits to the fence. Broad and Swann added 108 in just 12.3 overs and the pair provided a lot of entertainment to the crowd. With the dismissal of Broad and lunch approaching, Swann reined in himself for a couple of overs but and then pulled one through backward square leg which sailed all the way for six to bring up a richly deserved half-century, from only 53 balls.

 

After the lunch, Harmison too joined the fun as he flicked Clark twice in an over to midwicket fence. But in the next over Swann feathered an edge through to Haddin and that ended his entertaining knock. Onions was roughed up by a revitalised Johnson and he finally ended Onions stay when he cleaned him up with a beauty. Johnson finished with 5 for 69 in 19.3 overs while Hilfenhaus took 4 for 60 in 19 overs and Siddle finished with 1 for 50 in 12 overs. Stuart Clark who bowled with Scrooge-like precision in the first innings was taken to the cleaners in the second innings by Broad and Swann.

 

The series is beautifully set-up at 1-1 and crucially the onus has shifted to England as they have to win the final Test to regain the Ashes.