Jan. 4: England closed to within 113 runs of an innings lead over fighting Australia on Tuesday, after an engrossing second day of the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground. The tourists, chasing their first series win Down Under in 24 years, got off to a rollicking start with a 98-run opening partnership before Australia struck back with three wickets, including the huge scalp of Kevin Pietersen.

Michael Clarke’s Australians could have been in an even better position at stumps when they had a crucial fourth wicket taken off them by an umpire’s referral. At the close, England were 167 for three in reply to Australia’s 280 with Alastair Cook unbeaten on 61 and nightwatchman James Anderson not out one.

Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott were out seven balls apart and Pietersen threw away his wicket on 36 when he was caught hooking. Debutant Michael Beer was celebrating what he thought was his first Test wicket when Cook on 45 skied to Ben Hilfenhaus at deep mid-on only for umpire Billy Bowden to ask for the third umpire to check on a suspected no-ball.

The spinner was proved to have overstepped.
Australia bounced back from the Cook reversal to remove the dangerous Pietersen, when he couldn’t keep down a hook off a Johnson bouncer and was caught by Beer at deep backward square.

Hilfenhaus got the initial breakthrough bowling Strauss for 60 with an unplayable ball that scattered his off-stump. Strauss and Cook put on 98 in 92 minutes with skipper Strauss the aggressor hammering eight fours and a six off 58 balls. Trott was out for his first Test duck in Johnson’s next over, getting a thick inside edge on to his stumps.

Earlier, Johnson and Hilfenhaus seized the initiative for the home side after lunch with some lusty hitting in a lively 76-run partnership for the ninth wicket. In three balls, Hilfenhaus smashed Tim Bresnan for six over long-on and Johnson lofted spinner Graeme Swann into the stands and followed up by coming down the wicket to clobber Swann for four.

Their batting pyrotechnics boosted Australia’s score after the home side had teetered at 189 for eight. Johnson was bowled by Bresnan for 53 off 66 balls and Hilfenhaus was caught behind off Anderson for 34 from 58 balls. Up until Hilfenhaus and Johnson’s lively cameo, England had held the upper hand with disciplined bowling claiming the wickets of Brad Haddin, Mike Hussey, Steven Smith and Peter Siddle.

SCOREBOARD
Australia I Innings (O/n 134/4)
M. Hussey b Collingwood 33, B. Haddin c Prior b Anderson 6, S. Smith c Collingwood b Anderson 18, M. Johnson b Bresnan 53, P. Siddle c Strauss b Anderson 2, B. Hilfenhaus c Prior b Anderson 34, M. Beer (not out) 2, Extras (b-5, lb-7, w-1, nb-2) 15
Total (all out, 106.1 overs) 280
FoW: 4-134, 5-143, 6-171, 7-187, 8-189, 9-265
Bowling: James Anderson 30.1-7-66-4, Chris Tremlett 26-9-71-1, Tim Bresnan 30-5-89-3, Graeme Swann 16-4-37-1, P. Collingwood 4-2-5-1
England I innings
A. Strauss b Hilfenhaus 60, A. Cook (batting) 61, J. Trott b Johnson 0, K. Pietersen c Beer b Johnson 36, J. Anderson (batting) 1, Extras (b-3, lb-2, w-2, nb-2) 9, Total (3 wkts, 48 overs) 167
FoW: 1-98,2-99, 3-165
Bowling: Ben Hilfenhaus 14-3-52-1, Mitchell Johnson 12-2-42-2, Peter Siddle 10-2-33-0, Shane Watson 3-0-9-0, Michael Beer 9-0-26-0.