Ponting digs in to rescue crucial draw

Published on Tuesday 16 August 2005 01:46

RICKY Ponting hit a heroic 156 to frustrate England's hopes of going 2-1 up in the series as his team narrowly escaped with a draw in another nail-biting finish. After the hosts won a tense encounter at Edgbaston last week, Michael Vaughan's men were unable to take the final wicket here yesterday as Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee survived the last four overs. England had dominated proceedings from day one.

So far this compelling Ashes series has produced more drama than is currently on offer in Edinburgh this month and health warnings may need to be issued to protect shredded nerves with the series poised at 1-1 for the last two Tests left.

The Australian captain was voted man of the match for his near seven hours of lone defiance and said afterwards he was playing in the toughest series of his career.

He said: "I feel pleased that we worked so hard today and it's satisfying to put your hand up for the team when it matters. I went through a range of emotions today and when I was out I thought the game would slip away from us as I didn't have a lot of faith in Glenn and Lee but they got us through. This is as hard a tussle of Test match cricket as you'll ever get involved in."

Michael Vaughan said: "It was a fantastic game of cricket and we came within a wicket of going 2-1 up. I'm very pleased with the team and the way we dominated the whole match against a tough Australian side. Three weeks ago we were written off and 5-0 we kept hearing. There are a few tired bodies and minds on both teams but it's great the way this series has got the nation talking about it."

Supporters began queuing from 2am yesterday morning in the hope of securing tickets priced at 10 for the final day of the Third Test. When play began eight-and-a-half hours later over 10,000 fans had been turned away from the gates who could be seen trudging disconsolately away from Old Trafford. For the lucky 23,000 a tense day beckoned and rarely can the English bowlers have received standing ovations for their warm-up exercises.

With Australia resuming on 24-0 England struck in the second over of the day with Matthew Hoggard inducing Justin Langer to feather an edge behind for 14 off his first delivery of the morning.

Coming round the wicket to Matthew Hayden Flintoff shaped a number of deliveries away from the left-hander before changing his line of attack to come over the wicket. It paid instant dividends as Hayden was bowled round his legs and he still has yet to register a half century this series.

Australia took lunch at 121-2 having lost both openers before England made further inroads when Stephen Harmison took his first wicket of the game trapping Damien Martyn leg before on his crease for 19 who departed shaking his head at Steve Bucknor's decision.

Ashley Giles produced a quality catch as the ball flew to his upturned hands at third slip off Flintoff to send Simon Katich on his way for 12.

Adam Gilchrist arrived on these shores having topped a poll of the world's most dangerous batsmen but he is another of Australia's top order who has yet to post a 50. Here he looked so out of sorts it took him 30 balls to limp to four before Flintoff again put him out of his misery with a static drive to the diminutive Bell at gully who was duly scooped up by the tall Pietersen in celebration.

At tea Australia were 216-5 with a further 42 overs left to make 207 runs at a rate of 4.9 per over meaning all three results still remained a possibility for the final session of the match.

Leading from the front Ponting reached his first century of the series, his fifth against England, by easing Harmison through extra cover for four raising his bat and helmet to his dressing room in triumph.

Looking far less troubled by his back Michael Clarke kept his captain company for 72 minutes driving attractively for 39 until he shouldered arms to Simon Jones who uprooted his off stump. Jason Gillespie was rapidly leg before groping forward to Hoggard without troubling the scorers.

The two quick wickets in succession gave the home side hope as Australia had slumped from looking comfortable at 263-5 to 264-7 with the immovable Ponting standing alone. But an hour later England were still striving desperately to part Warne and his captain with the second new ball as the afternoon sunshine gave way to gloomy conditions. Pietersen dropped Warne on 30 diving at short mid-wicket on a day England needed to take everything that came their way with the pitch holding up well for batsmen.

The Australians might even have harboured ambitions of pulling off an unlikely win as the runs flowed freely with 86 needed off the last 72 balls and Ponting passing 150 for the tenth time in his career.

Then just after 6pm and with a draw looking a virtual certainty Warne edged Flintoff to Strauss at second slip who completely failed to pick it up only for the ball to rebound off his knee where Geraint Jones pulled off an outrageous diving catch. Nine overs left; two wickets required and once again English cricket fans were being put through a medieval rack of tense torture with their side agonisingly close to victory as each over ticked by.

Ponting had carried his side single-handedly to the brink of safety when he finally gloved Harmison down the leg side to Geraint Jones with umpire Billy Bowden slowly raising his finger having made 156 in six hours and 50 minutes.

England had four overs to prize out the last wicket and Flintoff and Harmison were roared in by the crowd but Lee and McGrath held out for a valiant draw.

SCOREBOARD

England 444 (M Vaughan 166, M Trescothick 63, I Bell 59, S Warne 4-99, B Lee 4-100) & 280-6 dec (A Strauss 106, I Bell 65, G McGrath 5-115)

Australia 302 (S Warne 90, S Jones 6-53) & 371-9 (R Ponting 156, A Flintoff 4-71)

AUSTRALIA second innings

J Langer c G Jones b Hoggard 14

M Hayden b Flintoff 36

R Ponting c G Jones b Harmison 156

D Martyn lbw b Harmison 19

S Katich c Giles b Flintoff 12

A Gilchrist c Bell b Flintoff 4

M Clarke b S Jones 39

J Gillespie lbw b Hoggard 0

S Warne c G Jones b Flintoff 34

B Lee not out 18

G McGrath not out 5

Extras (b5 lb8 w2 nb19) 34

Total (for 9 wkts, 108 overs) 371

Fall: 1-25 2-96 3-129 4-165 5-182 6-263 7-264 8-340 9-354

Bowling: Harmison 22 4 67 2; Hoggard 13 0 49 2; Giles 26 4 93 0; Vaughan 5 0 21 0; Flintoff 25 6 71 4; S Jones 17 3 57 1

England drew with Australia

(Fourth Ashes Test, 25-29 August, Trent Bridge)