McGrath looks for the kill by CricketArchive staff reporter

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Scorecard:	Australia v England
Player:	GD McGrath
Event:	England in Australia 2006/07

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DateLine: 26th November 2006

 

The cracks are widening both on the dry Gabba pitch and in the stressed England team as Australia close in on an expected huge victory in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba. Glenn McGrath bowled the Australians into contention with 6-50 off 23.1 overs as England were rolled over for 157, leaving them a massive 445 runs in arrears.

 

Australian skipper Ricky Ponting continued the mental torture on the beleaguered Ashes holders by not enforcing the follow-on and instead looked for more runs to put the tourists firmly up against the wall with two days to play. The Australians swelled their advantage to 626 runs cruising to 181 for one by stumps on the third day Saturday with Justin Langer unbeaten on 88 and Ponting not out 51, the pair putting on an unbroken 113-run partnership.

 

McGrath, who turns 37 in February and has taken his Test career tally to 548 wickets, sees little way out for Andrew Flintoff's shattered team. "Each day the wicket is getting worse. The cracks are opening up more and you saw today it hit the cracks a few times so that'll be something that's definitely be playing on their minds," McGrath said. "When you get 600-plus it takes them well and truly out of the game and out of the equation. It's a funny thing cricket, when you're going well your confidence is up and everything seems to be going your way, but when your confidence is down it seems a pretty big hill in front of you and you really have to work hard to get out of it."

 

McGrath captured his 29th five-wicket haul in Tests and 10th against England to as the tourists folded in their first innings. "I'm obviously very happy, to get a five-for at any time is great," he said. "To get that five-for after having so much time out of the game, I couldn't ask for a better comeback in respect to Test cricket." Test cricket's greatest wicket-taking paceman spent eight months this year caring for his ill wife.

 

Wise cracking McGrath poked fun of pre-Test claims that he was past his best by imitating a geriatric hobbling off the field to the amusement of the crowd. McGrath followed up the wickets of England openers Andrew Strauss (12) and Alastair Cook (11) late Friday, to dismiss Kevin Pietersen (16), Geraint Jones (19), Steve Harmison (0) and Ashley Giles (24).

 

"There's still a long way to go in this Test match," McGrath said. "I think there's a bit of turn in the wicket. The cracks are going to get bigger and bigger and we'll just try to remain patient, get in the right areas and build pressure."