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England regain Ashes with a crushing win
by CricketArchive Staff Reporter


Ground:Kennington Oval, Kennington
Scorecard:England v Australia
Player:MEK Hussey, RT Ponting, A Flintoff, SJ Harmison, GP Swann
Event:Australia in British Isles 2009

DateLine: 23rd August 2009

 

A series which twisted and turned at every possible opportunity finally turned into England's favour as they regained the Ashes. England beat Australia by a distance, 197 runs, to set off some unbridled celebration in the English camp.

 

Australia began the day with the score reading 80 for no loss and soon the Australian camp began to feel the tension as Katich padded to an arm ball from Swann to be trapped leg before. In the very next over an off-cutter from Broad trapped a Watson leg before to reduce 90 for 2 and at the crease were Ponting and an out off form Hussey with a huge task before them. It was evident that the pitch was deteriorating fast and batting is going to be a tough task.

 

But Ponting and Hussey got into the groove as they began to ward off the English threat admirably. Hussey was patience and determination while Ponting began to unravel his aggressive strokes. Some off the deliveries bowled by the faster men took off a large chunk off the pitch and it resembled the surface off the moon, but the pair held on admirably till lunch was called. The score read 171 for 2 and it seemed that the pair would hold on for some more time.

 

Ponting continued with his free scoring ways after the lunch break and it seemed that he was in for a long haul. Ponting even survived a drop chance off Swann when Collingwood was slow in responding to a low sharp chance. Hussey meanwhile compiled a workmanlike half-century and he was playing a perfect foil to his aggressive skipper. Just when Ponting's stay was causing frowned foreheads, Andrew Flintoff produced a stunning bit of fielding to get rid off Ponting.

 

Hussey nudged a ball from Harmison to the leg-side and called for a sharp single. Ponting, who was ball watching, hesitated slightly but then carried on with the run. Flintoff collected the ball and in one motion flattened the off stump and Ponting found himself short off the crease by a foot. Five balls later it got worse for the visitors when Clarke clipped a ball to fine leg and sauntered out off the crease. The shot was be intercepted by Strauss at fine-leg who flicked the ball back quickly to run-out Clarke who left the field with a stunned look on his face.

 

Sharp work from Prior behind the stumps got rid off North as Australia slipped further. Brad Haddin signaled his intent with two fours in his first nine balls. Anderson could have dismissed him three times in a single over, including a regulation clip to short midwicket that was spilled by the substitute, Graham Onions. Haddin and Hussey took their seventh-wicket stand to 91, when he picked out Strauss with a lofted flick to deep midwicket.

 

Steve Harmison extracted enough bounce for Mitchell Johnson to fence to second slip and then, when Peter Siddle played around his front pad to lob a simple chance to mid-off, Harmison had his second scalp. Stuart Clark fenced nervily to Cook at short leg, and though Hilfenhaus averted the hat-trick it was not too soon when a bat-pad from Hussey off Swann set off some wild celebrations on and off the field with a dejected Australian dressing room looking on.

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