Aussies still in there fighting.. Howzat? 2ND BRING HOME THE ASHES TEST: AUSSIES OFFER BRAVE RESISTANCE.Byline: Oliver Holt SO how in the name of heaven and earth did that happen? How the hell did the Aussies manage to spoil our day? How did they manage to sow horrible seeds of doubt in our minds that are now sprouting like triffids? It shouldn't have been possible. Not when they were set 522 to win. Not when they were 128-5 and heading for the rocks. But somehow they have staved off history. Somehow, they have delayed by at least one more day England ending the hoodoo that has seen them fail to beat Australia at Lord''s since 1934. If they don't beat them today, they'll play for another 75 years and never do it. This is England's shot. They will never have a better chance. "It is not about the history of Lord's any more," Aussie coach Tim Nielsen Timothy John Nielsen (born May 5 1968 in London, England) is a former South Australian state cricketer and is currently the head coach of the Australian cricket team. Neilsen played 101 first-class matches for his state between 1990-91 and 1998-99. said at the end of play. "It's about the history of the Australian cricket team The History of the Australian cricket team began when eleven cricketers from the colonies of New South Wales (NSW) and Victoria formed an eleven to play a touring team of professional English cricketers at Melbourne in March 1877. now. "It's about us backing ourselves in a situation where nobody else believed we could win and playing for each other." The thing is, the Aussies weren't supposed to be capable of this kind of defiance. Not this team that is a shadow of some of the great Aussie sides of the past. But they did it anyway. When all seemed lost, they hung in there and refused to give in. And now they're creeping towards a total that seemed outlandishly unreal yesterday lunchtime. They would have to beat the world record for a fourth innings total by more than 100 runs to do it, but a mighty unbeaten sixth-wicket stand between Michael Clarke Michael Clarke may refer to:
In fact, Nielsen said he now believed it was a lot better than just a chance. "There is a feeling of excitement in our dressing room now," Nielsen said after bad light had stopped play for the day yesterday evening. "If we keep applying ourselves, we have got a real chance tomorrow. At the moment, it is a fairly even contest. The game is very much in the balance." In the balance? That Australia are even in with a sniff of winning this Second Test is a stinging rebuke to Andrew Strauss Andrew John Strauss MBE, (born 2 March 1977 in Johannesburg, South Africa) is an English cricketer who plays county cricket for Middlesex County Cricket Club and Test matches and One-Day Internationals for England. and England. Most of the explanation for why the Aussies are still alive is in the brilliant batting of Clarke, in particular, but England are also to blame. Australia have taken great encouragement from seeing a rattled Strauss convene a football-style huddle of his players on the pitch as England were about to take the new ball. That was a move that smacked of desperation, as his team grew ragged in the face of Clarke and Haddin's steady accumulation of runs. They will also have noted the caution that started to afflict af·flict tr.v. af·flict·ed, af·flict·ing, af·flicts To inflict grievous physical or mental suffering on. [Middle English afflighten, from afflight, the fields set by Strauss when his strike bowlers took the new ball. There were, for instance, only two slips and a gully for James Anderson James Anderson can refer to these persons: In arts:
There were three slips and a gully for Andrew Flintoff''s first over with it but Clarke duly carved a shot through the gap where fourth slip should have been. At stumps, with England fast running out of ideas and the bright sheen on the new ball dulling a little, Clarke was 125 not out and Haddin alongside him on 80. It is already the fourthhighest fourth innings score at Lord's and Australia still have five wickets in hand. If they were gunning merely for the world-record fourth innings winning total held by the West Indies West Indies, archipelago, between North and South America, curving c.2,500 mi (4,020 km) from Florida to the coast of Venezuela and separating the Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico from the Atlantic Ocean. against Australia, then they would be hot favourites. The fact they are aiming for more than 100 runs past that total complicates things a little for them. But if they do it, it will be like Usain Bolt knocking a second off the 100m world record. It would be a stunning achievement and a shattering blow for England. The Ashes is at stake this morning because if Australia snatch victory from this match, it is hard to see England recovering. Hedley Verity, Wally Hammond and the rest of England's victorious Boys of 1934 have been given one extra day of immortality courtesy of Australia's resistance. But if Australia reach their target today, a different kind of history will be made at Lord's. If they make 522, it may take a lot longer than 75 years to erase that from the record books at the Home of Cricket. SECOND TEST: 1-3 England, 5-2 Australia, 16-1 draw Freephone: 0800 444040 The Australia balcony applaud as Haddin, congratulated by Clarke (right) reaches his 50 CAPTION(S): MR TON-DERFUL Clarke celebrates after reaching his century as Australia fought back well WE CAN DO IT Aussie coach Nielsen |
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