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Agar puts Australia back in the 1st Test
by Andy Jalil


Scorecard:England v Australia
Event:Australia in British Isles 2013

DateLine: 11th July 2013

 

By Andy Jalil at Trent Bridge.
In association with INVESTEC.

 


Andy Jalil - Cricket Writer and Commentator
Andy Jalil at Trent Bridge
In Association with INVESTEC
© Pakistan Cricket Website

 

Nottingham – Regardless of the outcome of this opening Ashes Test match, the centrepiece of its story must surely be the extraordinary batting effort of the 19-year-old debutant Ashton Agar who came to the crease in a batting debacle and became the highest scoring No.11 batsman in Test history. In the process he turned the match around with a performance that any specialist batsman would be proud of. If the first day’s play had shown nervy batting by the two sides with both sets of pace bowlers dominating, the second day belonged to Agar.

 

The teenager exuded confidence from the moment he joined Phil Hughes, on 7, with Australia on the verge of conceding almost a hundred-run first innings lead on 117 for nine. By the time the incredible last wicket stand had ended with Agar pulling his shot into the hands of mid-wicket for 98 from 101 balls and departing to a standing ovation from a full house; he had played the leading role in the partnership of 163. It was the highest for the tenth wicket by any team and had placed Australia in front with a first innings lead of 65.

 

Agar seemed totally unperturbed – despite surviving a close stumping decision on 6 – by the pressure that England had applied having taken five wickets within the first hour after the tourists had resumed on 75 for four and trailing by 140. James Anderson had taken three wickets as Australia astonishingly lost five for nine in 32 balls before Agar and Hughes frustrated the England attack with their marvellous display.

 

Anderson had started the Australia collapse just after Steve Smith had brought up his fourth Test half century from 72 balls with his seventh boundary, driven powerfully to extra cover off Graeme Swann’s first ball of the day. He fell to a catch behind edging Anderson from his drive to the off. The fifth wicket stand of 55 with Hughes was the highest of the innings until the unexpected last wicket performance.

 

In the following over, Swann accounted for Brad Haddin who was beaten by the off break, playing outside the line of the ball. Anderson then removed the next two on the score of 114 with the help of Matt Prior behind the stumps. A reverse swing was the undoing of Peter Siddle and a big out swinger brought the end of Mitchell Starc. Swann trapped James Pattinson for his second victim before Agar and Hughes took command.

 

With the fall of Agar’s wicket Hughes was left unbeaten on a brilliant 81- his seventh Test fifty- as he battled for three and three quarter hours, facing 131 balls in helping Australia to reach an unlikely 280 and getting a psychological boost. Hughes had scored steadily while Agar played aggressive shots. On reaching fifty at a run-a-ball he went down the pitch to lift Swann for his second six over mid-on. He had hit the first six, also off Swann, over extra cover to take is score to 25. His innings also contained 12 fours.

 

The pressure had emphatically shifted to the home side in the second innings as by the seventh over they were reduced to 11 for two with Starc claiming both. Joe Root fell to a leg side catch behind the stumps for five in the eighth over and the next ball had Jonathan Trott lbw. Clearly unhappy with their appeal being turned down by umpire Aleem Dar, Australians asked for a review and that was in their favour. Trott felt he had snicked the ball but the replay did not prove it. There was no hot spot shown on television.

 

It was left to Alistair Cook and Kevin Pietersen to keep wickets intact and they did so for nearly two and a half hours of defensive batting. They faced just under 36 overs scoring 69 and seeing England to 80 for two and in an overall lead of fifteen at close of play. Cook was unbeaten on 37 from 130 balls and Pietersen was 35 not out from 98 balls in a most cautious batting session. They will need to continue with watchful batting on the third day to build a substantial lead to put pressure on Australia in the fourth innings.

 

(Article: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author only.
Copyright © 2013 Andy Jalil)

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