Cardiff, July 10: Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting each scored centuries as Australia reached 249 for one at stumps to take the upper hand on the second day of the first Ashes test on Thursday.
Responding to England’s first innings total of 435, opener Katich was on 104 at the close while captain Ponting brought up his 100 with his last ball of the day.
It took Ponting’s haul of test centuries to 38, the second-highest total in history behind India’s Sachin Tendulkar, while Katich notched his eighth and first Ashes century in a stand of 189 with his skipper. The man out was Phillip Hughes for 36.
Australia, seeking to retain the Ashes they won back in 2006-07, trail England by 186 runs, with the pitch encouraging the spin bowlers but being slow-paced and still good to bat on.
Katich, who managed just 248 runs at a lowly average of 27.55 in the entire 2005 Ashes series, made three figures when he pulled Andrew Flintoff to fine leg for one. It would have been satisfying after his 2005 failures cost him his test place for three years. He has since reinvented himself as an opener.
The post-tea session was generally uneventful and was more about Australia consolidating. The loudest cheer came when an English supporter dressed in cricket whites and a blue helmet body-surfed over a group of fans all wearing Australian gold shirts.
Katich, though, was fortunate to survive an lbw appeal from off-spinner Graeme Swann when the ball pitched in line with the stumps and turned sharply. Umpire Billy Doctrove ruled him ‘not out’.
Before tea, Ponting scored his 11,000th test run in his 132nd match when he pulled Stuart Broad for two and he acknowledged generous applause with his bat.
Australia scored at five runs per over before lunch, but Andrew Flintoff’s introduction immediately after the break slowed the momentum. Australia managed just seven runs in the five overs directly after lunch, compared to its 39 from eight overs at lunch.
Flintoff bowled a hostile maiden over to Hughes first up and achieved the fastest ball of the match in his next over at 93 miles per hour and later even touched 94mph.
Katich was dropped when on 10 by Flintoff off his own bowling, though it was a difficult chance at ankle height. But Flintoff’s effort was rewarded next over when Hughes got an inside edge to wicketkeeper Matt Prior from another ball short of a length. That was 60 for one.
At the start of play, England’s bowlers added 99 as Swann crashed 47 not out from 40 balls and night-watchman James Anderson struck 26. Only last man Monty Panesar failed to reach double figures.
Swann, who scored 63 against West Indies in May, came in after Broad was bowled around his legs by Mitchell Johnson via his pad for 19.
–Agencies