Watch Out

Pietersen had enjoyed another three-figure collaboration with Paul Collingwood, their eighth together in now the most successful fourth-wicket partnership that England have produced. Collingwood is the artisan to Pietersen’s aristocracy and always happy to sail along in his slipstream, a fact acknowledged by Ponting, who was happy to allow the Durham man the lion’s share of the strike.

It needed a top-class snare by Brad Haddin, moving more sharply to his right than he had in the warm-up matches, to end Collingwood’s stay once Hilfenhaus had located the outside edge.

At 241 for five, with the new ball ten overs away, it was the second time in the day that Australia had sniffed an opportunity and, at times, it needed thrilling stokeplay from Prior and Flintoff to give England renewed momentum. Prior’s cockiness was impressive given that this is his first Ashes Test and he was severe on anything with the merest hint of width. His confidence seemed to rub off on Flintoff, who played in the manner of a man with a point to prove. Both were bowled courtesy of inside edges and the persevering Siddle.

Prior and Flintoff finished the day as Bopara had started it, once Alastair Cook had departed to Mike Hussey’s spring-heeled catch in the gully. But whereas Prior and Flintoff’s aggression was a deliberate counter-attack to neuter a dangerous situation, the suspicion remains that Bopara’s curious innings reflected the nerves in the team generally.

He was given a typically Antipodean greeting by Siddle, who thundered a second-ball bouncer into his neck: welcome to Ashes cricket, cobber. Clearly unsettled, he got off the mark eight balls later with a streaky inside-edged four to fine leg before driving airily on a number of occasions. It was noticeable how much of the stumps the bowlers could see and how far away from his body Bopara was defending, technical blemishes that will keep Australia’s bowlers interested. Was it nerves or an iffy technique? England will hope the former.

England: First Innings
*A J Strauss c Clarke b Johnson 30
A N Cook c Hussey b Hilfenhaus 10
R S Bopara c Hughes b Johnson 35
K P Pietersen c Katich b Hauritz 69
P D Collingwood c Haddin b Hilfenhaus 64
†M J Prior b Siddle 56
A Flintoff b Siddle 37
J M Anderson not out 2
S C J Broad not out 4
Extras (b 9, lb 7, w 2, nb 11) 29
Total (7 wkts, 90 overs) 336

G P Swann and M S Panesar to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-67, 3-90, 4-228, 5-241, 6-327, 7-329.

Bowling: Johnson 18-2-68-2; Hilfenhaus 23-5-61-2; Siddle 23-3-93-2; Hauritz 19-1-67-1; Clarke 5-0-20-0; Katich 2-0-11-0.

Australia: P J Hughes, S M Katich, *R T Ponting, M E K Hussey, M J Clarke, M J North, †B J Haddin, M G Johnson, N M Hauritz, B W Hilfenhaus, P M Siddle.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and B R Doctrove (West Indies).
TV umpire: R A Kettleborough.
Match referee: J J Crowe (New Zealand).
Reserve umpire: R K Illingworth.

Series detail
Second Test match: July 16 (Lord’s).
Third: July 30 (Edgbaston).
Fourth: August 7 (Headingley Carnegie).
Fifth: August 20 (Brit Oval).