Early Christmas Presents for England

Anderson is mobbed after dismissing Ricky Ponting

Someone, somewhere, in the back room of an Australian newspaper sports desk, at least one hack will be writing about the death of Australian cricket as we know it. Had this been in England, it would probably have already been written, as the Daily Mirror seems to have stock pieces ready for times of ritual sporting humiliation.

But the end of those Halcyon Days of Australian cricket seems to have its journalist foaming at the mouth, as if they cannot believe a period of complete dominance in test matches has in fact, come to an end. For those English watching the action at midnight, the bevy of gifts they were given, one after another, in such quick succession, that they could have been forgiven for asking to slow them down a bit. It was almost impossible to savour such early wickets raining down on them, as cricket presents popped in their laps before they had fully unwrapped the first one. Christmas had indeed come early for those not enjoying thirty-five degree heat.

Apart from great containing bowling by Graeme Swann and delightful incision by Anderson, the Australian performance was un-characteristically abject, with wickets thrown away carelessly. There was Simon Katich's run-out, where both batsmen failed to look at each other while running between the wickets, Ricky Ponting's dismissal, as his bat clanged against his pad first ball, opening up the blade of the bat, lobbing an easy catch to second slip Swann, Marcus North's waft outside of his off-stump, and Shane Watson getting caught between cutting and driving the ball, hoiking the ball to Pietersen in the gully. Rarely has an English bowling attack had it so good down-under.

But the man in the hot seat, now that the Australian cricket selectors have given Johnson and Hilfenhaus the push, is vice-captain Michael Clarke, who looks out at sea in the middle. Still troubled by back issues, he had issues with the short ball in the first innings, and hung around for six deliveries before obliging Anderson to complete a cataclysmic start for his team. 2-3 was the worst start by an Australian team since 1950, when, on a web Brisbane pitch Jack Moroney, Ian Johnson and Sam Loxton were all dismissed without scoring by Alec Bedser and Trevor Bailey, with the pair eventually getting the Aussies to 32-7, when they declared, leaving England 192 to win. They were bowled all out for 122, with Len Hutton stranded at 62 not out.

England had to settle for 245 all out this time, and it might have been even less, had Hussey's early edge carried to Swann in the slips, or Jimmy Anderson had held on to a hard caught and bowled chance, with 'Mr. Cricket' only on three. Anderson's performance must be all the sweeter for him, given his nightmare of a tour four years ago, and given he was so unlucky early on Day 3 at the Gabba, bowling without reward against Hussey and Haddin.

And after the day's play, it was not just the Aussie press who worked themselves into a lather, as Ponting rounded off a miserable day by barracking Andrew Strauss as he left the field over alleged sledging by Anderson on Brad Haddin. "Get off the pitch," Michael Vaughan told the Australian skipper.

But at Adelaide the English demons are still there. Needing to bat out to draw the game after two big first inning scores four years ago, and sitting comfortably on 69-1, they collapsed to 129 all out, with Shane Warne tearing through the order, and a calamitous run out between Bell and Collingwood. Considering they made 551-6 in their first innings, a loss was a terrible result.

Still, without Hussey and Haddin over the last two matches, the Aussies would be looking extremely foolish. The pair saved another innings, scoring the majority of the runs on Day 1, but the real question is what Katich and Watson were doing in the first over. There was a single there easily if the man at the non-strikers end would have actually glanced at his partner instead of staring at the ball. It was Katich's call, but he never once looked Watson's way. Not even when he eventually set off. This failure in communication was ultimately, both batsmen's fault.

Still, as good as Day 1's performance was, England need to follow it up with a rounded batting display, in order to put a good first innings lead on the board, before attacking the Aussies for a second time.