November 08 Friday 2002
Hayden, Ponting lead Aussie run spree against England

BRISBANE: Australia's Ricky Ponting celebrates his century during the first day's play in the first Ashes Test on Thursday

BRISBANE: England captain Nasser Hussain's bold decision to send Australia into bat after winning the toss backfired as Steve Waugh's team got away to a strong start in the first Ashes Test here on Thursday.  Australia lost only Justin Langer's wicket on the way to lunch at 125 for one off 25 overs with Matthew Hayden unbeaten on 61 and Ricky Ponting not out 24. It was an eventful morning for Welsh firebrand bowler Simon Jones, who removed Langer and was at the centre of controversy when he made a spectacular overhead catch of Hayden only to have it ruled out by the umpires.

Hayden was on 40 when umpires Rudi Koertzen and Steve Bucknor conferred with the video umpire Simon Taufel before ruling that Jones had not controlled the ball before he flung it away as he stumbled over the boundary rope at fine leg.

Hayden, who scored 1,391 runs last calendar year, was again leading the assault and at lunch had hit seven boundaries off 76 balls. 

Jones got Langer with the third ball of his second over just after first hour drinks.

The West Australian left-hander on 32 was beaten by the Welshman's pace and length to edge to wicketkeeper Alec Stewart. He put on 67 for the first wicket with Hayden with the two threatening to punish Hussain's bold decision to send Australia into bat after winning the toss.

The half-century stand continued the excellent form of the Australian openers at home following their four double-century stands during against New Zealand and South Africa last summer.

Hussain was defying history in electing to send the Australians into bat. Len Hutton was the last English captain to send Australia into bat in Brisbane in the 1954-55 series only for it to rebound spectacularly as the home side amassed 601 runs before declaring their first innings.

Australia went on to win that Test match by an innings and 154 runs. England went into the opening match of the series without Lancashire allrounder Andy Flintoff, who failed to convince team medical staff that he had sufficiently recovered from a hernia operation last August. 

Allrounder Craig White, who was playing club cricket in Adelaide, was summoned to Brisbane to play in the Test in Flintoff's place. 

Youngster Robert Key was named 12th man for England, with Australia deciding on Wednesday to drop pace bowler Brett Lee preferring to give home-town seamer Andy Bichel his ninth Test appearance.