Oz tail whacks England
Teenage debutant Ashton Agar fell agonisingly short of becoming the first Test match no. 11 to score a century but still helped give Australia the edge in their Ashes opener against England at Trent Bridge on Thursday.
England were 57/2 in 28 overs with skipper Alastai Cook (24*) and Kevin Pietersen (25*) in the middle.
Earlier, at tea, England were 11/2 with Mitchell Starc on a hat-trick after removing Joe Root and Jonathan Trott with successive deliveries.
Earlier it seemed England would have a commanding first innings lead as Australia collapsed to 117/9 in reply to the Ashes-holders' first innings 215.
But 19-year-old Agar went on to make 98 — the highest score by any Test no. 11, surpassing Tino Best’s 95 for the West Indies against England at Edgbaston last year.
Together with fellow left-hander Phil Hughes (81 not out), Agar shared a Test record 10th wicket partnership of 163.
This topped the previous last wicket record stand of 151 shared jointly by Brian Hastings and Richard Collinge for New Zealand against Pakistan at Auckland in 1972/73 and Azhar Mahmood and Mushtaq Ahmed for Pakistan against South Africa at Rawalpindi in 1997/98.
Australia resumed Thursday on 75/4, a deficit of 140 runs, after an overcast first day where seamer Peter Siddle rocked England with 5/50.
But Thursday saw sunshine and blue skies which promised better batting conditions for Steven Smith, 38 not out overnight, and Hughes.
James Anderson, who on Wednesday had gone past England fast bowling great Fred Trueman’s record of 307 Test wickets, made the breakthrough on Thursday.
Smith, driving loosely at Anderson, gaining reverse-swing, was caught behind by wicket-keeper Matt Prior for 53.
This was the start of an Australia collapse that saw five wickets lost for nine runs.
Agar did survive a desperately close stumping appeal from Prior off spinner Graeme Swann on six, with Australia then 131/9 — 84 runs adrift — as third umpire Marais Erasmus eventually ruled in his favour.
SCORECARD
England (1st Innings): 215
Australia (1st Innings): S. Watson c Root b Finn 13, C. Rogers lbw b Anderson 16, E. Cowan c Swann b Finn 0, M. Clarke b Anderson 0, S. Smith c Prior b Anderson 53, P. Hughes not out 81, B. Haddin b Swann 1, P. Siddle c Prior b Anderson 1, M. Starc c Prior b Anderson 0, J. Pattinson lbw b Swann 2, A. Agar c Swann b Broad 98. Extras (lb15) 15. Total (in 64.5 overs) 280.
FoW: 1-19, 2-19, 3-22, 4-53, 5-108, 6-113, 7-114, 8-114, 9-117.
Bowling: Anderson 24-2-85-5; Finn 15-0-80-2; Swann 19-4-60-2; Broad 6.5-0-40-1.
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