ENGLAND EYES UPSET
ASHES THRILLER
AUSTRALIA A pushed one of England’s E greatest players further towards to the end last night, as Alastair Cook Coo failed to deliver the innings his country coun was craving. Cook Co was given a stunning life on 1 when he should have been lbw to Josh Hazlewood, only for the umpire and Australia to sit on their hands.
Australia had collapsed to be all out for just 138 batting second with no batsman able to top 20, and suddenly the mood had changed and England had climbed off the canvas, albeit chasing an Adelaide Oval record 354 to win.
But just as bookmakers had shifted England to as narrow as $3.30 to win the game, Cook was trapped in front by nemesis Nathan Lyon for 16 and Australia’s nightmare eased.
Cook has scores of 2, 7, 37 and 16 this series and at age 32 , England’s 11,000-run, 149-Test hero is under the pump like never before.
Soon after, Mitchell Starc fought back from an erratic start to undo fellow opener Mark Stoneman for 36 and at the dinner break England were 2-68 and still trailing by 285.
It wasn’t game over yet by any means, and the stubborn resistance continued in the night session, led by captain Joe Root, with England reaching 4-176 at stumps and requiring another 178 runs to level the five-Test series.
Earlier, it was the stuff of legends as pace bowler Jimmy Anderson gave England a crazy sniff at cricket’s great escape with his maiden, fivewicket Ashes haul in Australia.
Having been confronted with its Ashes mortality, 35year-old Anderson (5-43) delivered life’s prime motivator, hope, to an England side on the canvas this series.
The sight of Anderson tearing his strides at the knee attempting to take a return chance from Mitchell Starc underlined the pride at stake for England’s spearhead.
Anderson was lumped with a bowling average of 37 in Australia and accused of lacking intent by former adversary Michael Clarke after the Brisbane Test.
The Burnley “bully’ responded in inspirational fashion with the swing, velocity and control synonymous with exploits on home soil. Anderson’s 25th five-wicket haul in Tests left England with an unlikely but possible shot at a record 354 for victory in the second Test.
Conceding a 215 run first innings lead meant there was no margin for error and there wasn’t from Anderson and Chris Woakes (4-36).