The Ashes Highlights : Australia V England - 1St Test (Day 04) - 7/11/2009 8:43:11 PM

Part I

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Part II

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Australia have England on the ropes in the first Ashes Test but rain may rescue the home side from defeat. After Australia declared their first innings at 6-674 -a lead of 239 - Mitchell Johnson and Ben HIlfenhaus claimed a wicket each as England slumped to 2-20 by tea in their second innings. Rain then rain washed out the final session and with more rain forecast for the final day, it seems the weather may yet foil Australia. Johnson (1-11) trapped England opener Alastair Cook (6) plumb lbw with the ground floodlit under overcast Welsh skies. Then swing bowler Ben Hilfenhaus (1-9) struck with Ravi Bopara (1) being given lbw to a controversial decision from West Indian umpire Billy Doctrove. Bopara shook his head as he left the crease and replays showed he may have hit the delivery which would have sailed over the stumps anyway.

When Australia batted, England's Ashes Ashes campaign become a rabble as their five frontline Test bowlers were all plundered for more than 100 runs. Marcus North (125 not out) and Brad Haddin (121) hit tons in their debut Ashes innings and became the third and fourth Australian centurymakers in the first Test. Australia's four individual centuries in Cardiff is their most ever in an innings of an Ashes Test. There was no England bowler spared the batting assault as Andy Flintoff (1-128), James Anderson (2-110), Stuart Broad (1-129), Monty Panesar (1-115) and Graeme Swann (0-131) had all had centuries in their bowling columns. While North's century was a controlled affair, Haddin toyed with the bowlers by smashing three consecutive fours off James Anderson and belting spinners Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar for sixes.

Haddin celebrated his second Test century by waving his bat with joy when he turned Paul Collingwood to fine leg for a single. England was having a total meltdown and looked disinterested and disconsolate with wayward bowling and shoddy fielding. Some of the scenes bordered on high farce with opening bowler Stuart Broad called for consecutive wides after bowling deliveries that were so short they ballooned well over Haddin's head. Fellow opening bowler Anderson tried to bowl a slower ball but botched it so badly that the full delivery barely made it onto the cut surface of the pitch. England's fielding was also shabby with Kevin Pietersen hurling in a terrible return and Anderson fumbling an outfield throw which would have run out Haddin. The Poms were clueless in their hunt for wickets and there were several long committee meetings between captain Andrew Strauss and other players in between overs. At one stage umpire Aleem Dar was forced to intervene and order England to hurry up.