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Australia's captain Ricky Ponting celebrates after reaching 100 on the second day of the first cricket test match between England and Australia in Cardiff, Wales, Thursday July 9, 2009. AP Photo/Jon Super
Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting have started burying their demons from the 2005 Ashes series by scoring centuries and grinding England into the Cardiff turf.
Katich (104no) and Ponting (100no) knuckled down to put on 189 and completed a great day for Australia by scoring their hundreds just before stumps on day two of the first Test.
The unbeaten second wicket stand lifted Australia to 1-249 in reply to England’s 435.
Katich reached his maiden Ashes hundred in the third last over of the day by hooking Andrew Flintoff to fine leg and raised one hand as he strode down the pitch.
The skipper had some nervous moments in the 90s in the final over of the day before finally pushing Flintoff (1-48) for a quick single off the second-last ball to bring up his 38th Test ton.
He kept on going after completing the run, sweeping around to acknowledge his teammates in the stands.
The pair’s dogged performances came as England’s personnel problems mounted in the field at Sophia Gardens with concerns over the fitness of seamers Flintoff and Stuart Broad.
The injury-plagued Flintoff moved gingerly in the field late in the day while Broad needed treatment on a calf muscle.
Ponting reached a major milestone during his innings in becoming the fourth batsman in Test history to score 11,000 runs by pulling Broad for a couple to move to 41.
He joined India’s Sachin Tendulkar (12,773), West Indian Brian Lara (11,953) and is now 114 runs behind Australia’s top runscorer Allan Border (11,174).
After Flintoff took care of Phillip Hughes (36) in an inspired opening spell, Katich and Ponting dug in on a slow pitch with the left-hander enjoying a life on 10 and having a confident lbw shout turned down on 56.
Flintoff had precious little support with questions remaining about the temperament of James Anderson (0-57) while spinners Graeme Swann (0-49) and Monty Panesar (0-31) rarely threatened despite a turning deck.
Flintoff claimed first blood against Hughes in a rousing post-lunch spell, the big Lancashire lad steaming up and unleashing a barrage of short balls – four in all – at the 170cm opener in his first over and directed a few words at him.
The right-armer has been a shadow of the player of the 2005 series in the past two years but he was spoiling for a fight on Thursday.
He almost claimed Katich’s wicket but failed to cling onto a low return catch. That really hurt the home side.
Flintoff then directed that anger into his assault on Hughes by continuing to try to square him up as Australia’s opening stand passed 50.
The all-rounder blunted one of Australia’s main left-handed weapons in Adam Gilchrist by bowling around the wicket four years ago.
This time around he went the other way, coming over the wicket to cramp up Hughes in his unorthodox open stance with Australia at 0-60.
Just the third ball after making the switch, he squeezed Hughes for space and had him inside-edging the ball behind with gloveman Matt Prior taking a fine diving catch to his right.
Flintoff theatrically stood to the side of the pitch with his arms out-stretched to soak up the applause but, by the end of the day, England needed more from his teammates.
Swann (47no) earlier tormented Australia’s inexperienced Ashes attack as England’s tail added 99 runs in 16.5 overs in the morning session.
Snapshot of day two of the first Ashes Test at Sophia Gardens:
SCORE – In reply to England’s 435, Australia are 1-249 at stumps.
MEN OF THE MOMENT – Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting. The surviving members of the 2005 series loss both posted hundreds just before the close to bat Australia back into the contest.
KEY MOMENT – During an inspired spell of fast bowling, Andrew Flintoff tries to bend his creaking body to collect a low return catch off Katich on 10. He just fails to drag it in and Katich goes on to add another 94 runs for the day.
STAT OF THE DAY – 11,060. The number of Test runs that Ricky Ponting has scored after becoming the fourth batsman to break the 11,000-run barrier.
QUOTE OF THE DAY – “Those of us who went through what happened four years ago, it hurt and you can’t forget that hurt. From that point of view there are a few of us that are really keen to make amends.” – KATICH.
SUMMARY – Australia regain momentum after England won the morning session with Graeme Swann (47no) and the rest of the tail peeling off 99 runs in 16.5 overs. After Flintoff accounted for Phillip Hughes, the old heads of Katich and Ponting dug in to produce an unbeaten second wicket stand of 189.
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