Katich and Ponting score tons to put Aussies on top
By Tom Wald, 10 Jul 2009
- Tagged:
- Australian Cricket, Cricket, english cricket, James Anderson, Monty Panesar, Phillip Hughes, Ricky Ponting, Sachin Tendulkar, Simon Katich, The Ashes
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.
© AAP 2012Snapshot 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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July 10th 2009 @ 11:47am
SouthernWaratah said | July 10th 2009 @ 11:47am | Report comment
I loved Michael Holding as the 3rd Man last night, he gave a very non bias English view of events, Athers and Nasser kept going on and on about Hughes V Harmisson. Katich in 2005, Bowling ninety miles an hour (As if thats the most important thing when bowling).
MH just came on and said, here’s a fairly handy batting attack….. fast forward one wicket down at stumps!
July 10th 2009 @ 12:44pm
Benjamin Conkey said | July 10th 2009 @ 12:44pm | Report comment
Southern Waratah, that was funny when Holding did that. And it’s a point that gets overlooked. Yes Australia has lost Warne and McGrath, but the batting is as strong as ever. It’s hard to see Australian getting bowled out for under 450..although the English are already talking about what happened in 05 when AUS were 1 for 264..and crumbled to be all out for 370. Lightning surely won’t stike twice.
July 10th 2009 @ 1:07pm
onside said | July 10th 2009 @ 1:07pm | Report comment
looks like a draw to me
July 10th 2009 @ 1:12pm
Jameswm said | July 10th 2009 @ 1:12pm | Report comment
Brett – yes, that was me having a go at Ponting for not building an innings. Maybe it was just because it was a tour match and he didn’t have the same patience, but then he did it in South Africa as well.
Benny – actually Anderson and Broad were a lot faster than I expected them to be.
Guys maybe stumps came at a good time for the Aussies. They can re-group, have a chat, and say we have to bat out the next day. We have to be max 2 wickets down at lunch etc. We need to knuckle down. Haddin seems to sing to a different tune, but Hussey and North will patiently build their innings. Hopefully Clarke will too. We can bat till half way through the fourth day as far as I’m concerned, and declare at 8 for 720. Wishful thinking I know…
I would love little more than to see Mitch Johnson come in for the last hour of the day at 6 for 500 and get going. Even better if Haddin is also on song at the other end.
July 10th 2009 @ 1:23pm
RickG said | July 10th 2009 @ 1:23pm | Report comment
Seriously guys – Test cricket, how bloody good is it? Give me the twists and turns, trials and tribulations any day over the farce that is 2020.
July 10th 2009 @ 1:30pm
Benjamin Conkey said | July 10th 2009 @ 1:30pm | Report comment
Rick G..it sure is. That one over by Flintoff to Hughes after lunch was better than a whole match of Twenty20.
Brilliant.
July 10th 2009 @ 2:00pm
Worlds Biggest said | July 10th 2009 @ 2:00pm | Report comment
Watching Phillip Hughes was a little frustrating, he is unorthodox so to the viewer it looks like he could get out or score a boundary on every ball. Great day for the Aussies, hopefully they can go on and make a big score. I am bewildered England didn’t pick Harmison and Sidebottom as both are in form, this didn’t look the case for Anderson and Broad.
July 10th 2009 @ 2:02pm
Finno said | July 10th 2009 @ 2:02pm | Report comment
RickG
agreed
test Cricket is brillant stuff
July 10th 2009 @ 2:22pm
SouthernWaratah said | July 10th 2009 @ 2:22pm | Report comment
I think Holding calls it as it is as he’s been there and done it, England rise to the top in 2005 (& ’81 for that matter) for 5 minutes and live off it. If Athers and Nasser had have performed at any consistent level other than 1 Test Century each against Australia they would realise that the big noting of Swann and Co means nothing until you perform each test, that’s why Ian Bell is off still trying to figure out why he’s not in the side, You can drive an Aston, live in Chelsea & generally strut around like a peacock but it means nothing if you don’t back your ability with consistent performance.
I’m happy for England to live off 2005 for the next 20 years because what happened then isn’t going to help them in the morning….. Harmisson’s off in Durham somewhere having lunch with his Mum, Haggard is on the shelf, Jones is using a walking frame and Freddie churned out 6 over’s of value….
July 10th 2009 @ 2:46pm
JohnB said | July 10th 2009 @ 2:46pm | Report comment
Jameswm – after the second morning, I’ll bet Johnson would like to come out in the last hour tomorrow morning our time at 6-550 odd AND with Swann bowling about his 45th wicketless over!
While obviously you have to concentrate on this test first and foremost, remembering the next game is only 3 days after this one, and that some of England’s bowlers are fragile or carrying niggles, grinding them into the dust for another day and a bit would be no bad thing.