Advantage Australia in Perth test
Print Edition
Ian Bell (9) and Ben Stokes (14) defied the Australian bowling attack for the last hour after England lost two key wickets late yesterday, lifting the total to 180-4 at the end of a stifling second day in the third Ashes test.
Skipper Alastair Cook (72) and Kevin Pietersen (19) dug in during a sustained period of pressure from the Australian bowlers to get the total to 136-2 but were both out within 10 runs as England’s first innings wobbled in pursuit of Australia’s 385.
After six wickets fell for 326 on the opening day, eight tumbled for 239 — including the last four Australian wickets in the morning session — as the bounce and cracks on the pitch and temperatures topping 40 degrees Celsius made it difficult for the batsmen.
With Australia desperate to reclaim the Ashes in Perth and England needing at least a draw to prolong its defense, the match at the WACA was delicately poised with three days remaining.
Cook played a captain’s knock in his 100th test, putting on 85 runs with Michael Carberry (43) — the best opening stand of the series — and then continuing with Pietersen, but then fell to the spin of Nathan Lyon, caught by David Warner at point.
Pietersen lost patience after an uncharacteristically cautious start, taking 15 balls to get off the mark and 44 before hitting his first boundary. After becoming just the fifth England batsman to pass 8,000 career test runs, he impulsively flat-batted a short ball from Peter Siddle to mid-on and Mitchell Johnson took a leaping catch to complete the dismissal.
It was the 10th time Siddle has taken Pietersen’s wicket in test cricket.
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