Flintoff sets up victory chance at Edgbaston

Published on Monday 3 August 2009 00:05

ANDREW Flintoff marked his return to Edgbaston with another influential display as England pushed for victory in the third Ashes Test.

The 31-year-old all-rounder, poised to retire from Test cricket at the end of the npower series, has always saved his most eye-catching performances for Birmingham.

Four years ago he claimed a half-century in both innings and delivered the over of his life, which included the wickets of Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting, to help secure England's nail-biting two-run victory over Australia.

He also hit 167, his highest Test score, against West Indies the previous year when he picked out his father Colin in the Calthorpe Stand with one of the seven sixes he hit during the innings.

Flintoff revived those memories yesterday and became the catalyst for a stunning England fight-back with a superb 74 off 79 balls, which left Australia facing the prospect of successive defeats after reaching the close of the fourth day struggling on 88 for two – still trailing by 25 runs.

Frustrated by the complete washout of the third day, England knew they would need an exceptional performance to force a positive result after resuming 147 runs adrift on 116 for two.

Australia had looked the more likely to seize control and bounce back from their defeat at Lord's, Ben Hilfenhaus utilising swing-friendly conditions to dismiss Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood before lunch with edges behind.

When Ian Bell, who had already received the benefit of the doubt over strong lbw appeals, was caught in front again five overs after lunch, left-arm seamer Mitchell Johnson won the verdict this time to leave England trailing by 95 runs with five wickets down.

It was the key passage of the game – and it was seized by England, Flintoff teaming up with wicketkeeper Matt Prior to aggressively take the momentum from Australia.

Aware of the dangers Flintoff posed if he remained at the crease for long, Australia attempted to unsettle him – Johnson coming down the wicket in his follow-through to have words, while substitute fielder Phillip Hughes provided constant chatter during a stint at short-leg.

It only served to inspire Flintoff's best innings on English soil since his last Test century against Australia at Trent Bridge four years ago, and helped England move from 200 to 300 in just 90 balls.

All-rounder Shane Watson was hit out of the attack after conceding 23 runs in three overs – and even the loss of Prior for 41, when he mistimed an attempted pull to mid-on off seamer Peter Siddle, failed to stall Flintoff.

He took England into the lead by marching down the pitch and launching off-spinner Nathan Hauritz over long-on for six and then sweeping him for four to also bring up his first half-century since the pre-Christmas tour to India.

Stuart Broad, under pressure for his place after struggling to make an impact with the ball so far in the series, demonstrated his potential to perhaps replace Flintoff as the side's all-rounder in the future by helping to forge another half-century stand at almost a run a ball.

Just as tea approached, however, Hauritz finally found some turn and bounce – and Flintoff, who hit ten fours and a six during his two-hour innings, gloved to slip as he attempted to leave, having guided England into a priceless 46-run lead.

Broad's ability with the bat, coupled with his knack of provoking the Australian seamers into outbursts of temper, helped England extend that first innings advantage to 113 runs and leave Australia with a tense last couple of hours and a potentially awkward final day.

Johnson became particularly upset by Broad's determined 55 and even tried eye-balling him after one of his nine boundaries, an attempt at intimidation which had little effect as he helped add 67 for the final three wickets.

Given 28 overs to make an impression on Australia's reply, it was not until Durham seamer Graham Onions was brought into the attack as Flintoff's replacement from the pavilion end that England made their breakthrough.

Onions was hit out of the attack during the first innings, conceding 21 runs from his first three overs, and makeshift opener Watson attempted a similar tactic again this time – taking three boundaries off his first over.

But in his next, Onions delivered a superb outswinger which had left-hander Simon Katich edging behind to end a promising 47-run opening stand.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann struck in the next over to claim England's second wicket in 11 balls, bowling Ricky Ponting as he pushed forward defensively to a ball which spun back sharply between bat and pad on to the stumps.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA first innings

S Watson lbw b Onions 62

Katich lbw b Swann 46

Ponting c Prior b Onions 38

M Hussey b Onions 0

M Clarke lbw b Anderson 29

North c Prior b Anderson 12

Manou b Anderson 8

M Johnson lbw b Anderson 0

Hauritz not out 20

Siddle c Prior b Anderson 13

Hilfenhaus c Swann b Onions 20

Extras (1nb 2w 5b 7lb) 15

Total (70.4 overs) 263

Fall: 1-85 2-126 3-126 4-163 5-193 6-202 North 7-202 8-203 Manou 9-229 10-263

Bowling (O-M-R-W): Anderson 24.0 7 80 5; Flintoff 15.0 2 58 0; Onions 16.4 2 58 4; Broad 13.0 2 51 0; Swann 2.0 0 4 1

ENGLAND first innings

Strauss c Manou b Hilfenhaus 69

Cook c Manou b Siddle 0

Bopara b Hilfenhaus 23

Bell lbw b M Johnson 53

Collingwood c Ponting b Hilfenhaus 13

Prior c Sub b Siddle 41

Flintoff c M Clarke b Hauritz 74

Broad c and b Siddle 55

Swann c North b M Johnson 24

Anderson c Manou b Hilfenhaus 1

Onions not out 2

Extras (9nb 6w 2b 4lb) 21

Total (93.3 overs) 376

Fall: 1-2 2-60 3-141 4-159 5-168 6-257 7-309 8-348 9-355 10-376

Bowling (O-M-R-W): Hilfenhaus 30.0 7 109 4; Siddle 21.3 3 89 3; Hauritz 18.0 2 57 1; M Johnson 21.0 1 92 2; S Watson 3.0 0 23 0

AUSTRALIA second innings

S Watson not out 34

Katich c Prior b Onions 26

Ponting b Swann 5

M Hussey not out 18

Extras (1nb 4b) 5

Total (for 2 wickets, 28 overs) 88

To bat: M Clarke, North, Manou, M Johnson, Hauritz, Hilfenhaus, Siddle.

Fall: 1-47 2-52

Bowling (O-M-R-W): Anderson 8.0 4 19 0; Flintoff 4.0 0 11 0; Onions 7.0 2 30 1; Swann 9.0 2 24 1

England lead by 25 runs.