November 23 Saturday 2002
Aussies make hay as England collapse again

ADELAIDE: Ricky Ponting led Australia's charge towards a big total in the second Ashes Test here Friday as England surrendered their opening day initiative with another spectacular batting collapse.

Coming into the second day at 295 for four, the tourists, needing to avoid defeat here after losing heavily in Brisbane, undid all their good work of Thursday to unravel and be all out for 342, their last six wickets tumbling for 47 in 26.2 overs.

Australia made it look easy in reply as their top order hummed along at four runs an over to chip away at England's first innings total with every batsman getting a start and silencing the boisterous Barmy Army England following. At the close, Australia were 247 for two -- 95 runs behind England's total -- with Ponting unbeaten on 83 and Damien Martyn, dropped twice by Alec Stewart, not out 48.

Front-line bowler Andy Caddick, needing to lift and lead an inexperienced attack, was toothless with his 10 overs conceding 61 runs. Ponting raised his 17th Test half-century following up his sweetly-struck 123 in Brisbane with another exhibition of crisp strokeplay. His partnership with Martyn steadily put Australia in command, their 133-run stand came up in 159 minutes.

England had few successes along the way. They removed in-form opener Matthew Hayden for a relatively cheap 46 and his partner Justin Langer for 48. Yet up to then the two left-handers had bounded along to their seventh century partnership in 15 months.

Their stand of 101 came up off just 72 balls in 99 minutes. Hayden was man-of-the-match in Australia's comprehensive 384-run victory in Brisbane scoring 197 and 103, so getting him out for 46 on Friday was something of an achievement for the English.

Hayden threw his wicket away going after Craig White only to spiral a catch to Caddick at deep mid-off. Langer fell 16 minutes later when he went to cut and appeared to bottom edge to 'keeper Alec Stewart giving off-spinner Richard Dawson his first wicket of the series.

Hayden was dropped twice in his typically-belligerent stay at the crease, offering Mark Butcher a difficult high chance at cover point when on 22 off Steve Harmison and two runs later he was dropped by Caddick on his follow-through one-handed.

Stewart badly missed two chances to dismiss Martyn. The right-hander was on 18 when the 39-year-old Stewart spilled a regulation catch off Dawson and he had another life on 39 when the keeper was slow to snap up a chance to his right.

England's miserable day began when they failed to capitalise on opener Michael Vaughan's blazing knock of 177 on Thursday. Legspin tormentor Shane Warne and home-town hero Jason Gillespie took four wickets each to have England all out just before lunch.

Gillespie triggered the collapse with an inspired spell of 4-10 off 6.5 overs, while legspinner Warne claimed 2-10 off seven overs in the morning session. Gillespie finished the innings with 4-78 and Warne took 4-93.

Warne, who now has 485 career Test wickets, leapfrogged Indian Harbhajan Singh as the leading wicket-taker in Test cricket this year. The 33-year-old champion legspinner has with 61 wickets in nine matches this year, ahead of fellow spinners, Singh (58 in 11) and Sri Lankan Muttiah Muralitharan (55 in eight).

Gillespie, bowling beautifully off the seam, unhinged England when he dislodged Butcher and White in the first half-hour. Gillespie, who had two catches put down off his bowling on the opening day, got Butcher to edge to Adam Gilchrist for 22 and then enticed White to hook to Andy Bichel positioned at long leg for one and leave the 
tourists at 308 for six.

Warne chipped in mesmerising Dawson (6) and Caddick (0) before Gillespie polished things off with the wickets of Alec Stewart (29) and Matthew Hoggard (6).

Stewart, who had a pair of ducks in the first Brisbane Test, was England's big hope to shepherd the tailend but when his 109-minute knock ended, lbw to Gillespie, it was all over for England. Vaughan's wicket just three balls before stumps on Thursday proved crucial as Australia seized the advantage of bowling at the lower order at the 
outset of Friday.