Fifth ODI - England v Sri Lanka (Birmingham) 2014

Sri Lanka win Series after edging 5th ODI

Sri Lanka 222-4 (48.2) beat England 219 all out (48.1) by 6 wickets (Sri Lanka win Series 3-2)

Sri Lanka defeated England by six wickets in the fifth one day international to win the Series 3-2. England were bowled out for 219 whilst Lasith Malinga took three wickets. Thirimanne (64*) and Jayawardene (53) both hit fifties whilst Mathews struck an unbeaten 42* at the end of the innings to help Sri Lanka seal victory in the penultimate over of the innings.  



My Opinion:

England started their innings well, passing fifty without the loss of a wicket. However, from then on wickets just kept falling which eventually led to the team being bowled out. Bell and Ballance were the first two wickets to go but Cook managed to pass fifty. Root, Cook and Morgan were all dismissed in the space of seven overs, leaving England struggling on 142-5. Things only got worse as Bopara, Buttler and Tredwell failed to provide a key innings between them whilst a spirited 30 from Jordan wasn't enough at the end of the innings to save a poor England batting display. It just wasn't good enough and it gave the bowlers too low a target to aim for in the end.

Sri Lanka, similarly to England, made a great start to their innings. Dilshan and Perera put on an opening fifty partnership but England fought back with three quick wickets. Tredwell struck twice as Sri Lanka were reduced from 55-0 to 62-3 in the space of 3 overs. However, Jayawardene and Thirimanne put the visitors back in control with a fifty partnership. Jordan dismissed Jayawardene (53) but Thirimanne and and Mathews comfortably saw Sri Lanka over the winning line with ten balls to go. A disappointing way to lose the Series for England but delight for Sri Lanka who turned it around in the last the two games. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England won the toss and elected to bat.

England Innings:
(11) 55-0, Fifty Partnership between Cook 25* and Bell 28*.
(15) 76-1, Bell 37 (42), 3 fours, caught and bowled by Mendis.
(20.1) 98-2, Ballance 10 (15), caught and bowled by Malinga.
(21) 102-2, Cook 48*, Root 2*
(22) 106-2, Fifty for Cook off 69 balls.
(23.2) 116-3, Root 10 (11), 1 four, caught Sangakkara, Priyanjan.
(29.2) 136-4, Cook 56 (85), 3 fours, caught Sangakkara, Senanayake.
(30.5) 142-5, Morgan 17 (27), 1 six, caught Jayawardene, Mathews.
(33) 152-5, Bopara 7*, Buttler 6*.
(37.2) 170-6, Bopara 17 (30), bowled by Mendis.
(43.3) 199-7, Buttler 21 (24), 1 four, run out by Senanayake.
(45) 201-8, Tredwell 0 (5), bowled by Malinga.
(47.3) 218-9, Jordan 30 (42), 3 fours, run out by Perera.
(48.1) 219 all out, Anderson 5 (7), bowled by Malinga. Gurney 0*(2).

Batsman of the Innings: Cook 56 (85)
Bowler of the Innings: Malinga 3-50 from 9.1 overs.

Sri Lanka Innings:
(7) 51-0, Fifty partnership between Dilshan 24* and Perera 15*.
(7.2) 55-1, Dilshan 28 (23), 5 fours, caught Root, Tredwell.
(10) 59-2, Sangakkara 2 (13), caught Jordan, Tredwell.
(10.5) 62-3, Perera 19 (29), 2 fours, lbw Anderson.
(26) 106-3, Jayawardene 20*, Thirimanne 22*.
(30) 119-3, Fifty partnership between Jayawardene 28* and Thirimanne 27*.
(37) 155-3, Jayawardene 49*, Thirimanne 41*.
(38) 156-3, Fifty for Jayawardene off 87 balls.
(38.4) 160-4, Jayawardene 53 (90), 4 fours, caught Anderson, Jordan.
(44) 181-4, Fifty for Thirimanne from 89 balls.
(46) 201-4, Thirimanne 54*, Mathews 27*.
(48) 214-4, Fifty partnership between Thirimanne 60* and Mathews 34*.
(48.2) 222-4, Thirimanne 60*(101), 2 fours, 1 six and Mathews 42*(34), 6 fours.
Sri Lanka win by 6 wickets and win the Series 3-2.

Batsman of the Innings: Thirimanne 60*(101)
Bowler of the Innings: Tredwell 2-30 from 10 overs.

England Player of the Series - L. Plunkett
England Batsman of the Series - J. Buttler scored 172 runs from 124 balls faced.
England Bowler of the Series - L. Plunkett took 11 wickets with an average of 29.09 runs.

Sri Lanka Player of the Series - T. Dilshan
Sri Lanka Batsman of the Series - T. Dilshan scored 222 runs from 284 balls.
Sri Lanka Bowler of the Series - R. Eranga took 10 wickets with an average of 31.90 runs.

Fourth ODI - England v Sri Lanka (Lords) 2014

Sri Lanka edge England in tense thriller

Sri Lanka 300-9 (50 overs) beat England 293-8 (50 overs) by 7 runs (Series level at 2-2)

Sri Lanka beat England by 7 runs in the fourth one day international to level the Series at 2-2. A century from Sangakkara (112) helped the visitors reach 300-9 from their fifty overs before Malinga claimed four wickets to deny England victory despite a spirited century from Buttler (121).



My Opinion:

Gurney dismissed K. Perera (19) in the sixth over but a 150 run partnership between Dilshan and Sangakkara boosted Sri Lanka's total up to 198-1. Anderson bowled Dilshan (71) before Sangakkara went on to make a century from 95 balls. Two wickets fell in quick succession as Jayawardene (7) and Sangakkara (112) were both dismissed, leaving SL 233-4 with just under eight overs left. During the last eight overs, SL managed to put on a further 67 runs but lost five wickets along the way. The partnership between Dilshan and Sangakkara put SL in a strong position and ended up being a major factor in the result of the game. Gurney was the pick of the bowlers, taking four wickets but Sangakkara was the star of the innings. 

England started their innings poorly, losing two wickets inside the first four overs as Cook (1) and Bell (7) were both dismissed cheaply. Ballance and Root put on a fifty partnership before both were dismissed, leaving England 107-4 in the 28th over. Morgan was stumped an over later but a century stand between Buttler and Bopara brought England back into the game at 220-5 with nine overs to go. Shortly, after passing fifty, Bopara (51) was sent back to the pavilion but Buttler continued to fight, eventually sealing a century off just 61 balls. England needed just 15 runs from the last 20 balls but were unable to deliver the win. Two overs passed and England were still nowhere nearer the finish line which left them with plenty to do in the last over. However, it was Malinga to bowl the last over and that's never good for the batsmen. Jordan (5) went off the second ball before Buttler was run out on the fourth. In the end, it came to a really disappointing loss which England should have seen through. Buttler was mightily impressive and deserved to be on the winning side. However, it was an old foe who denied England once again as Malinga proved once more why he's so strong at the end of an innings. Cook, Bell and Morgan all failed to deliver but with the Series level at 2-2, it just takes one spark of magic from one player to take home the victory in the final match of the Series. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England won the toss and elected to bowl.

Sri Lanka Innings:
(5.1) 26-1, K. Perera 19 (15), 2 fours, 1 six, caught Jordan, Gurney.
(11) 50-1, Dilshan 25*, Sangakkara 2*.
(16) 77-1, Fifty partnership between Dilshan 38* and Sangakkara 14*.
(20) 103-1, Dilshan 42*, Sangakkara 36*.
(23.1) 124-1, Fifty for Sangakkara off 53 balls.
(23.2) 125-1, Fiffy for Dilshan off 72 balls.
(24) 131-1, Hundred Partnership between Dilshan 50* and Sangakkara 55*.
(29) 155-1, Dilshan 57*, Sangakkara 72*.
(33) 179-1, 150 partnership between Dilshan 63* and Sangakkara 85*.
(35.4) 198-2, Dilshan 71 (109), 5 fours, bowled by Anderson.
(37) 201-2, Sangakkara 97*, Jayawardene 2*.
(38.1) 204-2, Century for Sangakkara off 95 balls.
(39.3) 217-3, Jayawardene 7 (14), 1 four, caught Anderson, Gurney.
(42.1) 233-4, Sangakkara 112 (104), 14 fours, stumped by Buttler, Tredwell.
(46) 260-4, Mathews 18*, Thirimanne 16*.
(46.2) 261-5, Thirimanne 16 (14), 2 fours, caught Ballance, Anderson.
(48.1) 279-6, Mathews 30 (30), 4 fours, caught Anderson, Jordan.
(48.4) 280-7, Kulasekara 0 (2), bowled by Jordan.
(49.3) 292-8, Priyanjan 9 (7), caught Morgan, Gurney.
(49.5) 296-9, Senanayake 12 (5), 1 four, 1 six, caught Cook, Gurney.
(50) 300-9, Mendis 4*(1), 1 four and Malinga 0*(0).

Batsman of the Innings: Sangakkara 112 (104)
Bowler of the Innings: Gurney 4-55 from 10 overs

England Innings:
(1.1) 3-1, Cook 1 (6), lbw Malinga.
(3.2) 10-2, Bell 7 (8), 1 four, caught Jayawardene, Malinga.
(14) 52-2, Ballance 21*, Root 18*.
(16) 62-2, Fifty partnership between Ballance 28* and Root 21* off 75 balls.
(23.2) 94-3, Ballance 42 (69), 2 fours, caught Sangakkara, Mendis.
(25) 101-3, Root 40*, Morgan 6*.
(27.2) 107-4, Root 43 (68), 1 four, caught Mendis, Mathews.
(28.2) 111-5, Morgan 12 (17), stumped by Sangakkara, Senanayake.
(34) 153-5, Bopara 16*, Buttler 25*.
(36) 166-5, Fifty partnership between Bopara 16* and Buttler 36*.
(37) 181-5, Fifty for Buttler off 34 balls.
(40) 209-5, Buttler 67*, Bopara 28*.
(41) 220-5, Century partnership between Buttler 68* and Bopara 38*.
(44) 239-5, Fifty for Bopara off 44 balls.
(44.4) 244-6, Bopara 51 (47), 1 four, caught Thirimanne, Mendis.
(46) 265-6, Buttler 98*, Jordan 1*.
(46.4) 286-6, Century for Buttler off 61 balls.
(49.2) 290-7, Jordan 5 (10), caught Dilshan, Malinga.
(49.4) 292-8, Buttler 121 (74), 11 fours, 4 sixes, run out by Malinga.
(50) 293-8, Tredwell 1*(1) and Anderson 0*(0).
Sri Lanka win by 7 runs and level the Series 2-2.

Batsman of the Innings: Buttler 121 (74)
Bowler of the Innings: Malinga 3-52 from 10 overs.

Third ODI - England v Sri Lanka (Old Trafford) 2014

England bowlers obliterate Sri Lanka

England 73-0 (12.1) beat Sri Lanka 67 (24) by 10 wickets (England lead Series 2-1)

England bowled Sri Lanka out for just 67 in what was an incredible bowling display before Alistair Cook (30*) and Ian Bell (41*) comfortably guided England across the winning line as they thrashed Sri Lanka by ten wickets.

My Opinion:

That was a shocker for Sri Lanka who had an absolute nightmare with the bat. Anderson took two wickets inside the first five overs, dismissing both Dilshan and Thirimanne to reduce Sri Lanka down to 13-2. Jordan struck three times during the next fifteen overs to send Sangakkara, Chandimal and Mathews back to the pavilion whilst Tredwell managed to dismiss Jayawardene lbw. This left Sri Lanka 60-6 in what was a truly terrible batting collapse. Their innings only lasted five more overs as they could only produce a further seven runs for their last four wickets. It really was a batting disaster. Four players moved into double figures but that really is the only positive that Sri Lanka could take from their performance.

On the other hand, England’s bowlers were brilliant whilst Chris Jordan took an impressive fifer. Tredwell contributed three wickets to the cause whilst Jimmy Anderson claimed the two openers. A very strong performance was capped by Cook and Bell, who comfortably and majestically saw England across the finish line without the loss of a single wicket. Great to watch and a really convincing victory has restored my belief in this England side. Hopefully, with two games to go, England can wrap up this Series with another victory which would be a welcome turn of fortunes for the England cricket team. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England won the toss and elected to bowl.

Sri Lanka Innings:
(3) 4-1, Dilshan 2 (11), caught Buttler, Anderson.
(4.5) 13-2, Thirimanne 7 (16), 1 four, caught Buttler, Anderson.
(11.2) 32-3, Sangakkara 13 (23), 2 fours, caught Buttler, Jordan.
(15.4) 45-4, Chandimal 6 (15), caught Bell, Jordan.
(18) 58-4, Jayawardene 12*, Mathews 11*.
(18.1) 58-5, Jayawardene 12 (33), 1 four, lbw Tredwell.
(19.2) 60-6, Mathews 11 (12), 2 fours, caught Buttler, Jordan.
(21.4) 65-7, Priyanjan 2 (9), run out by Bopara.
(22) 65-8, Kulasekara 5 (13), caught Tredwell, Jordan.
(22.1) 65-9, Senanayake 0 (1), caught Sub, Tredwell.
(24) 67 all out, Malinga 2 (6), lbw Jordan.

Batsman of the Innings: Sangakkara 13 (33)
Bowler of the Innings: Jordan 5-29 from 8 overs.

England Innings:
(9.2) 50-0, Fifty partnership between Cook 24* and Bell 24*.
(12.1) 73-0, Cook 30*(40), 2 fours and Bell 41*(33), 4 fours, 1 six.
England win by 10 wickets and lead the Series 2-1.

Batsman of the Innings: Bell 41*(33)
Bowler of the Innings: Malinga 0-13 from 3 overs.

Second ODI - England v Sri Lanka (Chester-le-street) 2014

England collapse as Sri Lanka level Series 1-1

Sri Lanka 256-8 (50 overs) beat England 99 (26.1) by 157 runs (Series level at 1-1)

A major batting collapse from England saw them lose the second ODI by 157 runs as Sri Lanka levelled the Series 1-1. Dilshan top scored for SL with 88 off 101 balls as they reached 256-8 from their fifty overs. However, England made a terrible start to their innings as they were reduced to 46-5 after 15 overs. The game only lasted another eleven overs after that as England were bowled out for as little as 99.

 

My Opinion:

Sri Lanka made a solid start to their innings as they reached 104-1 from their first 25 overs which saw Dilshan pass his fifty off 53 balls. However, England got back into the game after taking two quick wickets, dismissing the dangerous Sangakkara (40) and Jayawardene (2) which reduced SL to 136-3. Dilshan (88) was sent back to the pavilion five overs later but a fifty partnership between Mathews (30) and Priyanjan (43) pushed SL over the 200 run mark. Gurney took three late wickets but SL managed to reach a respectable score of 256-8 after 50 overs.

England started their innings in horrific fashion as Carberry (6), Bell (12), Root (0) and Balance (5) were dismissed inside the first seven overs as Kulasekara bagged three of those wickets. It only got worse as England could only produce a further fifty runs to their total before losing their last six wickets as Senanayake claimed four.

Overall, Sri Lanka were the much better team today with bat and ball. Dilshan played an important innings to get them off to a good start whilst contributions from Sangakkara, Mathews and Priyanjan pushed their total over 250. Kulasekara did the damage with the ball early in the England innings, taking three wickets whilst Senanayake took four wickets from the English tail. A very good performance from Sri Lanka who now have the momentum going into the third ODI and they will take plenty of confidence going into it after such a convincing victory.

On the other hand, England batted horrendously. Bell was the best out of the top order but only scored 12 runs. Morgan at least gave it a real go but just kept on seeing wickets fall down the other end. He made it to 40 but was the penultimate wicket to fall. A hugely disappointing effort from a batting point of view and 99 all out from only 26 overs is just not good enough. Places may be in doubt, especially for the top order after that shocker but at least Gurney shined with the ball after taking three wickets. Hopefully, we’ll see a response in the next match because that was simply embarrassing. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

England won the toss and elected to field.

Sri Lanka Innings:
(9) 33-1, Thirimanne 10 (37), 1 six, caught Tredwell, Anderson.
(14) 53-1, Dilshan 25*, Sangakkara 8*.
(22) 83-1, 50 partnership between Dilshan 41* and Sangakkara 22* off 78 balls.
(25) 104-1, Fifty for Dilshan off 53 balls.
(30.4) 129-2, Sangakkara 40 (67), 2 fours, caught Buttler, Tredwell.
(32.5) 136-3, Jayawardene 2 (8), run out by Ballance.
(36) 152-3, Dilshan 83*, Mathews 2*.
(37.1) 159-4, Dilshan 88 (101), 7 fours, bowled by Jordan.
(44) 209-4, 50 partnership between Mathews 24* and Priyanjan 27* off 44 balls.
(46.2) 225-5, Mathews 30 (35), 2 fours, caught Bopara, Gurney.
(47.2) 236-6, Priyanjan 43 (33), 2 fours, 2 sixes, caught Morgan, Anderson.
(48.3) 247-7, Chandimal 14 (9), 2 fours, caught Bopara, Gurney.
(48.5) 248-8, Kulasekara 0 (2), caught Root, Gurney.
(50) 256-8, Senanayake 2*(2) and Prasad 7*(6).

Batsman of the Innings: Dilshan 88 (101)
Bowler of the Innings: Gurney 3-59 from 10 overs

England Innings:
(2.4) 19-1, Carberry 6 (8), caught Senanayake, Kulasekara.
(4.4) 26-2, Bell 12 (17), 1 four, caught Senanayake, Kulasekara.
(5.2) 27-3, Root 0 (3), bowled by Malinga.
(6.2) 29-4, Ballance 5 (7), 1 four, lbw Kulasekara.
(15) 46-5, Bopara 7 (24), 1 four, bowled by Senanayake.
(16) 53-5, Morgan 12*, Buttler 4*.
(17.1) 55-6, Buttler 4 (6), 1 four, caught Senanayake, Mathews.
(18.2) 63-7, Jordan 1 (3), lbw Senanayake.
(22.1) 73-8, Tredwell 4 (14), caught Kulasekara, Senanayake.
(25.2) 95-9, Morgan 40 (58), 3 fours, 2 sixes, caught Chandimal, Prasad.
(26.1) 99 all out, Anderson 7 (14), 1 four, bowled by Senanayake. Gurney 4*(4), 1 four.
Sri Lanka win by 157 runs and level the Series at 1-1.

Batsman of the Innings: Morgan 40 (58)
Bowler of the Innings: Senanayake 4-13 from 7.1 overs

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First ODI - England v Sri Lanka (The Oval) 2014

England thrash Sri Lanka in rain-hit first ODI

England 247-6 (39 overs) defeat Sri Lanka 144 (27.5 overs) by 81 runs (Duckworth-Lewis Method). England lead ODI Series 1-0.

Sri Lanka chose to field first after winning the toss in what proved to be a poor decision. England started really well, reaching 101-1 from their first twenty overs as Bell and Ballance put on a fifty partnership from 59 balls. Bell then went on to reach a fifty of his own from 52 balls before being caught in the field. Rain stopped play for quite some time which meant that the game was reduced from 50 to 39 overs. Morgan (3) was bowled by Senanayake shortly after play resumed as England fell to 104-3. Ballance went on to pass fifty before being dismissed for 64. Bopara and Root were the next two wickets to fall as England were reduced to 193-6 in the 37th over. However, Buttler (26*) and Jordan (38*) put on a quick-fire fifty from the last 21 balls to push England up to 247-6.

Sri Lanka lost their first wicket inside the first over as Thirimanne (0) was caught lbw by Anderson. Thus, their innings didn’t get off to the best start and it only got worse. Rain stopped play after the 11th with Sri Lanka struggling at 50-2. When play eventually resumed, Sri Lanka fell apart and suffered quite a disastrous batting collapse. Dilshan (33) and Jayawardene (35) were dismissed as Sri Lanka were reduced to 88-4 in the 18th over. Jordan and Tredwell took two wickets apiece as Sri Lanka were only able to score a further 56 runs as they lost six wickets in the space of ten overs as they were bowled out for 144. That meant that England secured a crushing 81 run victory in what was a strong start to the ODI Series.

My Opinion:

That was more like it from England who impressively whittled Sri Lanka all out for 144. It was a really strong batting display in the first place that heaped plenty of pressure onto the Sri Lankans and they crumbled. Bell and Ballance both passed fifty whilst there were some key contributions from Root, Buttler and especially Jordan at the end. Senanayake was the key wicket taker, dismissing Morgan, Ballance and Bopara. Cook, Morgan and Bopara all failed to make an impact as they all fell early in their innings. However, 247-6 from 39 overs was a decent effort and gave the bowlers something to work with. Jordan starred with the bat earlier in the day and was the best bowler with three wickets. The Sri Lankan innings started terribly and they found themselves 19-2 in the sixth over. It didn’t get too much better as they fell to 88-4. Their remaining six wickets could only produce a further 56 runs as they suffered a crushing batting collapse in what was a disappointing batting display for the visitors. Overall, a great start to the Series for England who will have gained a lot of confidence from that performance and hopefully can go on to become stronger throughout the next four games.

Match Guide: Key Moments

Sri Lanka won the toss and elected to field.

England Innings:
(5.2) 22-1, Cook 11 (23), 1 four, caught Sangakkara, Kulasekara.
(11.3) 50-1, Bell 20*, Ballance 18*.
(15.1) 72-1, 50 partnership between Bell 35* and Ballance off 59 balls.
(19.3) 100-1, Bell 49*, Ballance 37*.
(20) 101-1, Fifty for Bell off 52 balls.
(20.4) 101-2, Bell 50 (56), 4 fours, 1 six, caught Malinga, Mathews.
Rain Stops Play.
(21.2) 104-3, Morgan 3 (3), bowled by Senanayake.
(25.3) 120-3, Fifty for Ballance off 62 balls.
(29.2) 147-4, Ballance 64 (32), 5 fours, 1 six, caught Chandimal, Senanayake.
(30.5)150-4, Root 16*, Bopara 3*.
(31.2) 152-5, Bopara 3 (6), lbw Senanayake.
(36.3) 193-6, Root 45 (41), 2 fours, 1 six, lbw Kulasekara.
(37) 201-6, Buttler 12*, Jordan 8*.
(39) 247-6, Fifty partnership between Buttler 26*(20), 1 four, 1 six and Jordan 38*(13), 5 fours, 2 sixes off 21 balls.

Batsman of the Innings: Ballance 64 (72)
Bowler of the Innings: Senanayake 3-30 from 8 overs.

Sri Lanka Innings:
(0.5) 0-1, Thirimanne 0 (5), lbw Anderson.
(5.3) 19-2, Sangakkara 8 (13), 2 fours, bowled by Gurney.
(11) 50-2, Dilshan 27*, Jayawardene 12*.
Rain Stops Play.
(13.3) 60-2.
(14.1) 63-3, Dilshan 33 (40), 5 fours, caught Ballance, Jordan.
(17.3) 88-4, Jayawardene 35 (41), 4 fours, caught Morgan, Tredwell.
(19.1) 100-4, Chandimal 8*, Mathews 5*.
(20.3) 108-5, Chandimal 8 (8), 1 four, caught Buttler, Jordan.
(21) 108-6, Kulasekara 0 (3), caught Buttler, Jordan.
(22) 114-7, Mathews 18 (21), 2 fours, caught Cook, Tredwell.
(23.2) 118-8, T. Perera 2 (6), caught Root, Tredwell.
(26.3) 138-9, Senanayake 11 (11), 1 four, caught Bell, Gurney.
(27.5) 144 all out, Malinga 10 (16), 1 four, bowled by Bopara. Lakmal 4*(5).
England win by 81 runs (Duckworth/Lewis Method) and lead the ODI Series 1-0.

Batsman of the Innings:  Jayawardene 35 (41)
Bowler of the Innings: Jordan 3-25 from 6 overs.

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T20 - England v Sri Lanka (The Oval)

England fall short against Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka 183-7 (20 overs) beat England 174-7 (20 overs) by 9 runs

England fell 9 runs short of chasing down 183 as they ended up losing the first and only T20 match of the Series against Sri Lanka. After being put into bat first, Sri Lanka made a decent start to their innings and ended up with a respectable score of 183-7 from their 20 overs. Vithanage (38) and Thirimanne (40) were their key scorers whilst T. Perera starred at the end of the innings, smashing 49 runs from only 20 balls. Gurney was the pick of the English bowlers after taking two wickets but it was a tough task ahead for England to chase down 183 runs to win.  

England made a great start to their innings, reaching 44-1 after their first five overs. However, Bell (13) and Root (5) were both dismissed during the next five overs which left England five runs behind what Sri Lanka scored after 10 overs as they struggled up to 74-3. Morgan (5) was next to go but Hales passed fifty off 30 balls to push England up to 122-4 after 15 overs. Requiring 62 runs off the last 30 balls, England took a huge blow as both Buttler (26) and Hales (66) were dismissed, leaving them 124-5 in the 16th over. Malinga bowled Jordan (5) out in the penultimate over as England fell to 158-7 whilst Bopara (28*) was seemingly left too much to do in the last over as England finished on 174-7, falling 9 runs short of their target.

My Opinion:

England took a heavy battering against the Aussies over the winter and didn’t cover themselves in too much glory against the West Indies earlier in the year. However, despite a disappointing World T20 campaign, they actually defeated Sri Lanka in an absolute thriller thanks to Alex Hales. Unfortunately, they were unable to reproduce the goods on home soil as they fell just short this time around. England bowled reasonably well but it was the debutant Harry Gurney that was the pick of the bunch. It was a tough target to chase down, especially when you have to bat against the likes of Malinga for four overs. I was disappointed by Carberry, Bell, Root and Morgan who all got out cheaply but at least Hales and Buttler put in a shift. Possibly too much was expected of Hales after his unbelievable winning performance in the world cup but 66 was still a great effort. In the end, Bopara was left with too much to do in a short space of time. He gave it his best and maybe with another over could have pulled it off. Overall, the bowlers should have kept the Sri Lankan total down whilst the top order needed to produce a stronger performance. A couple of positives to take away from the match was Harry Gurney taking a few wickets whilst Alex Hales once again proved very dangerous with the bat. I’m hopeful that England will have more success during the one day international series coming up next.

Match Guide: Key Moments

England win the toss and elect to field

Sri Lanka Innings:
(2.4) 24-1, Dilshan 14 (9), 3 fours, bowled by Gurney.
(3.3) 24-2, K. Perera 10 (10), 1 four, 1 six, caught Bopara, Jordan.
(5) 31-2, Vithanage 5*, Thirimanne 2*.
(6.3) 50-2, Vithanage 16*, Thirimanne 10*.
(8.3) 74-2, Fifty partnership between Vithanage 36* and Thirimanne 13* off 31 balls.
(9.4) 78-3, Vithanage 38 (26), 7 fours, caught Carberry, Woakes.
(10) 79-3, Thirimanne 15*, Chandimal 1*.
(10.3) 85-4, Chandimal 7 (5), 1 six, caught Hales, Root.
(13.1) 100-4, Thirimanne 24*, Mathews 4*.
(15) 122-5, Mathews 13 (13), 1 six, caught Root, Tredwell.
(17.1) 141-6, Thirimanne 40 (32), 3 fours, 1 six, caught Hales, Gurney.
(17.5) 151-6, Kulasekara 1*, T. Perera 25*.
(20) 183-7, T Perera 49 (20), 7 fours, 2 sixes, run out by Gurney. Kulasekara 9*(5), 1 four.

Batsman of the Innings: T. Perera 49 (20)
Bowler of the Innings: Gurney 2-26

England Innings:
(1.2) 9-1, Carberry 7 (7), 1 four, caught Kulasekara, Mathews.
(5) 44-1, Hales 17*, Bell 13*.
(5.5) 45-2, Bell 13 (17), 2 fours, caught K Perera, Malinga.
(6.2) 50-2, Hales 22*, Root 1*.
(8) 58-3, Root 5 (7), caught Chandimal, Lakmal.
(10) 74-3, Hales 31*, Morgan 4*.
(11.3) 85-4, Morgan 5 (11), caught Lakmal, T. Perera.
(13.3) 102-4, Hales 47*, Buttler 10*.
(14.4) 120-4,  Fifty for Hales off 33 balls.
(15) 122-4, Hales 52*, Buttler 25*.
(15.3) 124-5, Buttler 26 (16), 4 fours, caught Dilshan, Kulasekara.
(16.4) 139-6, Hales 66 (41), 7 fours, 2 sixes, bowled by Malinga.
(17.3) 150-6, Bopara 7*, Jordan 4*.
(18.3) 158-7, Jordan 5 (4), 1 four, bowled by Malinga.
(20) 174-7, Bopara 28*(15), 3 fours, 1 six. Woakes 2*(2).
Sri Lanka win by 9 runs.

Batsman of the Innings: Hales 66 (41)
Bowler of the Innings: Malinga 3-28

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Australia v England First ODI (Melbourne)

Finch century thwarts England

Australia 270-4 (45.4) beat England 269-7 (50) by 6 wickets (Australia lead Series 1-0)

Australia thrashed England in the first one day international as Finch scored 121 off 128 balls. England won the toss and chose to bat first but made a slow start as they were reduced to 62-3 after 18 overs. Ballance and Morgan both passed fifty to out England back on track but it didn't last for long. Morgan and Bopara were both sent back to the pavilion to leave England 173-5. Ballance and Stokes scored some quick runs but departed in quick succession to leave the team 228-7. Buttler and Bresnan scored some vital runs towards the end of the fifty overs as England scrambled their way to 269-7.
However, Australia got off to the perfect start in their innings as Finch and Warner put on an opening 150 run partnership. Eventually, Root dismissed Warner for 65 as Australia were reduced to 163-1 after 27.5 overs. Watson only lasted two balls before being bowled by Jordan. Finch went on to complete his century before putting on a fifty partnership with Clarke as Australia eased to 218-2 after 37 overs. Stokes dismissed Finch before Clarke fell soon after to Bresnan as Australia were cut back to 237-4. It was left to Bailey and Maxwell to score the winning runs as Australia crossed the line at 270-4 after 45.4 overs to claim a dominant six wicket victory. Australia lead the ODI Series 1-0.



My Opinion:
After being thrashed in the Test Matches, England have now been thrashed in the first ODI. It was a poor start from the English batting order as the team were reduced to 62-3. I was impressed by Ballance, Morgan Buttler but disappointed by the rest. It was a case of players playing themselves into their innings but failing to capitalise and score heavily. All in all, England scrambled their way up to 269-7 after 50 overs. What really went against England was their inability to take an early Aussie wicket. They raced their way to 163-0 before losing their first wicket which put them in a very strong position. Finch, Warner and Clarke all batted England out of the game. Jordan managed to bowl Watson out for 0 after two balls but that was the only bright moment for the English bowlers. Australia then crawled over the line with four overs to go but with six wickets left to humiliate England once again. This looks as though it could be an ominous sign of things to come for England unless they actually start to change things around. Here's hoping they can win the next game.

Match Guide: Key Moments

England win the toss and elect to bat

England Innings
0.3: 4-1, Cook 4 (4), caught Haddin, Mckay.
6.5: 22-2, Root 3 (23), lbw Mckay.
15: 57-2, Bell 39*, Ballance 8*.
17.3: 62-3, Bell 41 (56), 2 fours, 1 six, bowled by Doherty.
25: 102-3, Ballance 26*, Morgan 24*.
27: 114-3, 50 partnership between Ballance 30* and Morgan 32*.
31.2: 144-3, 50 for Morgan.
31.4: 145-4, Morgan 50 (47), 5 fours, 1 six, caught Coulter Nile, Maxwell.
33: 154-4, Ballance 47*, Bopara 5*.
37.5: 173-5, Bopara 17 (21), 1 four, caught Haddin, Coulter Nile.
42.1: 202-5, Ballance 66*, Stokes 17*.
43: 206-6, Stokes 21 (20), 2 fours, bowled by Faulkner.
45.4: 228-7, Ballance 79 (96), 6 fours, caught Doherty, Mckay.
49: 257-7, Buttler 23*, Bresnan 15*.
50: 269-7, Buttler 34*(24), 1 four, 1 six and Bresnan 16*(9), 1 four, 1 six.

Batsman of the Innings: Ballance 79 (96)
Bowler of the Innings: Mckay 3-44

Australia Innings:
9: 58-0, 50 partnership between Finch 43* and Warner 10*.
14: 82-0, 50 for Finch.
18: 106-0, 100 partnership between Finch  60* and Warner 39*.
22: 128-0, 50 for Warner.
27: 158-0, 150 partnership between Finch 85* and Warner 64*.
27.5: 163-1, Warner 65 (72), 5 fours, 1 six, caught Stokes, Root.
28.4: 165-2, Watson 0 (2), bowled by Jordan.
33: 191-2, 100 for Finch.
34: 201-2, Finch 103*, Clarke 22*.
37: 218-2, 50 partnership between Finch 111* and Clarke 31*.
39.3: 237-3, Finch 121 (128), 12 fours, caught Ballance, Stokes.
42: 237-4, Clarke 43 (42), 6 fours, caught Cook, Bresnan.
43: 252-4, Bailey 8*, Maxwell 1*.
45.4: 270-4, Bailey 17*(18), 1 four and Maxwell 9*(12), Australia win by 6 wickets. Australia lead ODI Series 1-0.

Batsman of the Innings: Finch 121 (128)
Bowler of the Innings: Jordan 1-50

Batsman of the ODI: Finch 121 (128)
Bowler of the ODI: Mckay 3-44

Ashes Series: Australia v England - Fifth Test (Day 3) Sydney

Australia seal whitewash over England

Australia 326 & 276 beat England 155 & 166 by 281 runs (Australia win Series 5-0)

Australia sealed an emphatic 5-0 Ashes Series whitewash over England on day three of the Fifth Test. The morning session saw Australia continue to increase their lead over England after going into Lunch at 248-7. Rogers and Bailey put on a century partnership whilst Rogers passed a century for himself. Bailey was then dismissed on 46 by Broad before Haddin and Johnson quickly followed.
Rogers was finally dismissed in the afternoon session for 119 after being caught and bowled by Borthwick. Harris and Siddle didn't last very long and Australia were soon bowled out for 276 with a lead of 447 runs. England started their second innings in terrible fashion as Cook was edged behind on 7. Bell and Pietersen were not too far behind as England were reduced to 57-3. Carberry provided some stability and took England into Tea at 87-3.
However, England lost six wickets for 79 runs as they suffered yet another horrific batting collapse. Johnson dismissed both Carberry and Ballance before Lyon took the wickets of Bairstow and Borthwick which left England to struggle on at 95-7. Stokes and Broad entertained the crowd with some sixes and fours before Harris bowled out the both of them. It was soon all over as Rankin could only last two balls before edging behind to give Harris his fifth wicket of the innings and a massive 281 run victory for Australia. The whitewash was completed as Australia won the Ashes Series 5-0.



My Opinion:
What a terrible day and Series for England. Thankfully, it is now all over but not before the Aussies give the English plenty of stick. Rogers and Bailey took the game away from England with their century partnership and in particular Rogers' century. England managed to bowl out Australia for 276 but that meant their lead was 447 runs, something England were never going to get. Carberry, Stokes and Broad can be proud of their second innings efforts but the rest of the team were very, very poor. The bowling from Australia was strong and too much for England as they crumbled to 95-7. I guess at least England managed to score more than their first innings effort but that is the only positive that I can come up with about their second. I have to give Australia plenty of credit as they were the better team and thoroughly deserved to win the Ashes back with a 5-0 whitewash. Really disappointed with the English team as their batting throughout was below par. Their bowling was pretty decent and gave the team chances to take control of Tests but the batting just kept letting the team down. Changes may be made after this and it will take time to get over but this time we just have to put our hands up and accept defeat. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

Morning Session:
2335: 142-4, 50 partnership between Rogers 74* and Bailey 20*.
2344: 151-4, Rogers 74*, Bailey 28*.
0033: 196-4, 100 Rogers, 100 partnership between Rogers 100* and Bailey 42*.
0039: 200-5, Bailey 46 (74), 6 fours, caught Borthwick, Broad.
0121: 239-6, Haddin 28 (40), 3 fours, bowled by Borthwick. 
0125: 244-7, Johnson 4 (3), 1 four, bowled by Stokes.
0131: 248-7, Rogers 114*, Harris 1*. Lunch.

Afternoon Session:
0213: 255-7, Rogers 119*, Harris 3*.
0215: 255-8, Rogers 119 (169), 15 fours, caught and bowled by Borthwick.
0219: 266-9, Harris 13 (10), 1 four, 1 six, caught Carberry, Borthwick.
0229: 276 all out, Siddle 4 (6), caught Bairstow, Rankin. Lyon 6*(10). Australia lead by 447 runs.

Batsman of the Innings: Rogers 119 (169)
Bowler of the Innings: Borthwick 3-33

England Second Innings:
0246: 7-1, Cook 7 (12), 1 four, caught Haddin, Johnson.
0319: 37-2, Bell 16 (19), 1 four, 1 six, caught Warner, Harris.
0338: 57-2, Carberry 23*, Pietersen 6*.
0341: 57-3, Pietersen 6 (10), caught Bailey, Harris.
0411: 87-3, Carberry 43*, Ballance 7*. Tea.

Evening Session:
0432: 87-4, Carberry 43 (63), 8 fours, caught Haddin, Johnson.
0436: 90-5, Ballance 7 (27), 1 four, lbw Johnson.
0442: 91-6, Bairstow 0 (3), caught Bailey, Lyon.
0445: 95-7, Borthwick 4 (2), 1 four, caught Clarke, Lyon.
0454: 101-7, Broad 4*, Stokes 6*.
0511: 189-8, Stokes 32 (16), 3 fours, 2 sixes, bowled by Harris.
0519: 160-8, Broad 36*, Anderson 1*.
0522: 166-9, Broad 42 (36), 3 fours, 4 sixes, bowled by Harris.
0524: 166 all out, Rankin 0 (2), caught Clarke, Harris (5 wicket haul). Anderson 1*(1). Australia win by 281 runs. Australia win the Ashes Series 5-0.

Batsman of the Innings: Carberry 43 (63)
Bowler of the Innings: Harris 5-25

Batsman of the Day: Rogers 46 runs
Bowler of the Day: Harris 5-25

Batsman of the Series: Warner 523 runs off 703 balls. Best Average: Haddin 61.62. Highest Score: Clarke 148
Bowler of the Series: Johnson 37 wickets for 517 runs. Johnson had 3 five wicket hauls. 

Australian Player of the Series: Mitchell Johnson
English Player of the Series: Ben Stokes

English Batsman of the Series: Pietersen 294 runs off 591 balls
English Bowler of the Series: Broad 21 wickets for 578 runs

Ashes Series: Australia v England - Fifth Test (Day 2) Sydney

England collapse to put Australia on verge of whitewash

Australia 326 & 140-4 lead England 155 by 311 runs (Australia lead Series 4-0)

England have a major batting collapse as Australia storm on. The morning session belonged to Australia who reduced England to 61-5 before lunch. Harris started things off to dismiss Cook for 7, Anderson fell to Johnson for 7, Pietersen edged behind for 3 and Bell edged behind for 2, as England collapsed to 23-5. 
The afternoon session belonged to Australia as they bowled England out for 155. Ballance edged behind for 18 before Bairstow was dismissed for 18. Stokes managed to score 47 before being bowled by Siddle. Borthwick shortly followed before Rankin capped things off by being bowled by Johnson. Broad scored 30 not out off 22 balls but it was not enough to mend a poor first innings effort as Australia led by 171 runs after the first innings. 
During the evening session, England took four wickets but Australia increased the lead 311 runs after ending the day on 140-4. Anderson took two wickets to dismiss both Warner and Watson before Clarke and Smith both fell. However, Rogers passed his fifty and has found some stability alongside Bailey. 



My Opinion:
That was a woeful display from England today. Reduced to 23-5 at one point. Simply, that was just not good enough. Stokes, Ballance, Bairstow and Broad I can forgive because at least they scored some runs and put in some effort but the others need to have a hard look at themselves. The issue was mainly with Cook, Bell, Carberry and Pietersen who all failed miserably with the bat. To be bowled out for 155 was hugely disappointing and I'm afraid all hope of winning the final Test has gone. Australia put on 140-4 during the evening's play and now have a lead of 311 runs. Rogers is unbeaten on 73 whilst Bailey has managed to settle into the innings. I expect Australia to declare when they lead by 400 runs or more and to bowl England out in similar fashion to the first innings. England must now at least show some pride and do themselves some justice. Places in the team are now at stake after a drubbing in the whole Series so it will be interesting to see who steps up to the plate. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

Morning Session:
2331: 8-2, Cook 7 (19), 1 four, lbw Harris.
2350: 14-3, Anderson 7 (24), 1 four, caught Clarke, Johnson.
0004: 17-4, Pietersen 3 (9), caught Watson, Harris.
00238: 23-5, Bell 2 (32), caught Haddin, Siddle.
0111: 53-5, Stokes 17*, Ballance 17*.
0130: 61-5, Stokes 23*, Ballance 17*. Lunch.

Afternoon Session:
0216: 62-6, Ballance 18 (51), 2 fours, caught Haddin, Lyon.
0307: 101-6, Stokes 40*, Bairstow 15*.
0327: 111-7, Bairstow 18 (50), 1 four, caught Bailey, Siddle.
0332: 112-8, Stokes 47 (101), 4 fours, bowled by Siddle.
0347: 125-9, Borthwick 1 (17), caught Smith, Harris.
0406: 155-9, Broad 30*, Rankin 13*.
0411: 155 all out, Rankin 13 (22), 2 fours, bowled by Johnson. Broad 30*(22), 4 fours, 1 six. England trail by 171 runs. Tea.

Batsman of the Innings: Stokes 47 (101)
Bowler of the Innings: Siddle 3-23

Evening Session:

Australia Second Innings
0502: 27-1, Warner 16 (20), 3 fours, lbw Anderson.
0521: 47-2, Watson 9 (9), 2 fours, caught Bairstow, Anderson.
0528: 51-2, Rogers 21*, Clarke 1*.
0548: 72-3, Clarke 6 (18), 1 four, caught Bairstow, Broad.
0618: 91-4, Smith 7 (12), 1 four, caught Cook, Stokes.
0626: 99-4, 50 for Rogers.
0630: 103-4, Rogers 50*, Bailey 7*.
0701: 140-4, Rogers 73*, Bailey 20*. Australia lead by 311 runs. Close of Play.

Batsman of the Day: Rogers 73*(89)
Bowler of the Day: Siddle 3-23

Ashes Series: Australia v England - Fifth Test (Day 1) Sydney

Smith scores century in Sydney

Australia 326 lead England 8-1 by 318 runs (Australia lead Series 4-0)

Steve Smith saved a poor first innings for Australia with a century as they take command of the final Test. The morning session belonged to England, who took four wickets to reduce Australia to 94-4 at lunch. Broad bowled Warner before Stokes bowled Rogers. Both Clarke and Watson fell as England looked in control. 
The afternoon session belonged to Brad Haddin. Smith and Haddin produced a century partnership to increase their total to 201-5 going into Tea. Haddin reached his fifty whilst Smith battled on at 48 not out. The only positive for England during this session was when Broad dismissed Bailey for 1 early in the afternoon but it was more about the Australian recovery. 
It was an entertaining evening session which saw Australia bowled out for 326. Smith reached his fifty but Haddin fell on 75 to leave Australia 225-6. Borthwick took his first wicket to dismiss Johnson for 12 before Smith delighted the crowd in reaching his century. Smith and Harris produced a fifty partnership before England enjoyed a good spell of bowling as Australia fell from 325-7 to 326 all out. Siddle endured a golden duck which saw Stokes claim a five wicket haul before Smith was caught in the outfield as Australia ended their first innings. England were required to bat out the short time remaining in the day but it was Australia who had the last laugh as Johnson dismissed Carberry for 0 as England finished 8-1 at the close of play, trailing Australia by 318 runs.



My Opinion:
After a great start from England, the day got worse and worse. After winning the toss, it was really encouraging to see England take four wickets and reduce the Aussies to 94-4 at lunch. From there, England really should have bowled them out for around 200 and taken control of this Test. However, Smith and Haddin had other ideas as they produced a century partnership to put the innings back on track. Haddin left for 75 but Smith really did the damage with 115. I was really impressed with Stokes today as he took six wickets and is becoming England's best player so far on this tour. With Australia reaching 326, England really need to make 350-400 runs. However, that took a setback as Carberry failed to score and was dismissed by Johnson after nine balls. England will need to mount a strong innings tomorrow to have any chance of avoiding defeat yet again whilst Australia will be hoping they can bowl England out for under 300 runs.

Match Guide: Key Moments

England win the toss and elect to bowl

Morning Session:

Australia First Innings
2359: 28-1, Warner 16 (20), 3 fours, bowled by Broad.
0040: 50-1, Rogers 11*, Watson 19*.
0047: 51-2, Rogers 11 (39), 1 four, bowled by Stokes.
0118: 78-3, Clarke 10 (29),  1 four, caught Bell, Stokes.
0133: 94-4, Watson 43 (59), 7 fours, lbw Anderson. Lunch.

Afternoon Session:
0222: 97-5, Bailey 1 (8), caught Cook, Broad.
0233: 101-5, Smith 10*, Haddin 4*.
0323: 151-5, 50 partnership between Smith 22* and Haddin 38*.
0359: 183-5, 50 for Haddin.
0411: 201-5, 100 partnership between Smith 48* and Haddin 59*. Tea.

Evening Session:
0434: 206-5, 50 for Smith.
0447: 225-6, Haddin 75 (90), 13 fours, caught Cook, Stokes.
0525: 253-6, Smith 73*, Johnson 9*.
0543: 269-7, Johnson 12 (32), caught Sub, Borthwick.
0557: 289-7, 100 for Smith.
0605: 302-7, Smith 112*, Harris 2*.
0618: 325-7, 50 partnership between Smith 115* and Harris 22*.
0621: 325-8, Harris 22 (27), 2 fours, 1 six, caught Anderson, Stokes.
0624: 325-9, Siddle 0 (1), caught Bairstow, Stokes (5 wicket haul).
0628: 326 all out, Smith 115 (154), 17 fours, 1 six, caught Sub, Stokes. Lyon 1*(3).

Batsman of the Innings: Smith 115 (154)
Bowler of the Innings: Stokes 6-99

England First Innings
0652: 6-1, Carberry 0 (9), caught Lyon, Johnson.
0703: 8-1, Cook 6*, Anderson 1*. Close of Play. England trail by 318 runs.

Batsman of the Day: Smith 115 (154)
Bowler of the Day: Stokes 6-99

Ashes Series: Australia v England - Fourth Test (Day 4) Melbourne

Rogers guides Australia to victory

England 225 & 179 lost to Australia 204 & 231-2 by 8 wickets (Australia win Series 4-0)

Rogers scored 116 to ease Australia to a comfortably 8 wicket victory. The morning session saw Rogers and Warner put on a fifty run partnership before Warner was dismissed by Stokes for 25. Rogers passed his fifty before putting on a fifty partnership with Watson, guiding Australia into lunch at 148-1. 
The afternoon session saw Australia dominate the English bowlers. Rogers and Watson put on a 100 second wicket stand as they raced to 167-1. Rogers completed a century of his own before Watson passed fifty. There was one last moment of glory for England as Panesar dismissed Rogers for 116 but Watson and Clarke comfortably took Australia to an 8 wicket victory as they reached 231-2. Australia now lead the Series 4-0 with only one Test remaining.



My Opinion:
Inevitable but nevertheless disappointing. The damage was done yesterday but Australia were simply too good once again. Rogers made a brilliant century whilst Watson scored 83 not out off just 90 balls. England managed to take two wickets but that was nowhere near good enough or enough to dampen the pain. It really did show how poor England batted during both of their innings as they were completely shown up today. This was a really good chance for England to claim a win but they let the chance go way too easily. Maybe that was due to the thumping they had already received during the last three Tests or because they were just not good enough. Australia now lead the Series 4-0 and England will have one last chance to salvage something from this Ashes Series.

Match Guide: Key Moments

Morning Session:
2351: 53-0, 50 partnership between Rogers 30* and Warner 25*.
0008: 64-1, Warner 25 (47), 2 fours, caught Bairstow, Stokes.
0026: 80-1, 50 for Rogers.
0048: 102-1, Rogers 66*, Watson 10*.
0100: 118-1, 50 partnership between Rogers 70* and Watson 22*.
0128: 148-1, Rogers 81*, Watson 36*. Lunch.

Afternoon Session:
0216: 152-1, Rogers 84*, Watson 42*.
0230: 167-1, 100 partnership between Rogers 93* and Watson 48*.
0241: 176-1, 100 for Rogers.
0246: 190-1, 50 for Watson.
0259: 200-1, Rogers 116*, Watson 58*.
0300: 200-2, Rogers 116 (155), 13 fours, caught Bairstow, Panesar.
0326: 231-2, Watson 83*(90), 11 fours. Clarke 6*(20), 1 four. Australia win by 8 wickets.

Batsman of the Innings: Rogers 116 (155)
Bowler of the Innings: Panesar 1-41

Batsman of the Test: Rogers 61 & 116
Bowler of the Test: Johnson took 10 wickets

Ashes Series: Australia v England - Fourth Test (Day 3) Melbourne

Lyon puts Australia back in control 

England 225 & 179 lead Australia 204 & 30-0 by 200 runs (Australia lead Series 3-0)

Australia put themselves back in control of the Fourth Test after bowling England out for 179 in their second innings. The morning session saw Haddin reach his fifty whilst Lyon provided good back up for the tenth wicket. Eventually, Anderson dismissed Haddin for 65 to bowl Australia out for 204, giving England a 21 run lead after both teams finished their first innings. It was a great start to the second innings for England as Cook and Carberry both remained unbeaten going into the lunch break 54-0. 
However, the afternoon session belonged to Australia as they took four wickets for 61 runs. Cook and Carberry both fell lbw to Johnson and Siddle respectively before Root was run out Johnson for 15. Things went from bad to worse as Bell was dismissed for a golden duck by Lyon to leave England struggling on 87-4. Pietersen and Stokes restored some stability to take England into Tea at 115-4. 
The evening session again belonged to Australia as they took a further six wickets to bowl England out for 179. Stokes fell for 19 early into the evening session before three quick wickets saw Bairstow, Bresnan and Broad all sent back to the pavilion, reducing England to 174-8. Lyon then completed a five wicket haul with the dismissal of Pietersen for 49. It didn't take long to claim the final wicket as Johnson caught Panesar lbw for 0 as England finished their second innings for only 179, leaving Australia to chase down 231 runs to win. Rogers and Warner remained unbeaten for the remainder of the day to take Australia to the close of play at 30-0, trailing by 200 runs. 



My Opinion:
From what should have been a winning position, England are worryingly close to losing yet another Test match. It was good to see Australia bowled out for only 204 but Haddin and Lyon were certainly not going down without a fight. Cook and Carberry took England to lunch in a very strong position as things looked to be going really well. However, the rest of the day was disastrous. Australia managed to take 4 wickets in the afternoon session which meant England were reduced from 65-0 to 87-4. Thankfully, Pietersen and Stokes maintained themselves and took England into Tea 115-4. It all got a lot worse for England during the evening session and this is possibly where they could lose control and any hope of winning the Test. A batting collapse occurred as England somehow managed to lose another 6 wickets for only 64 runs. Only Pietersen can be exempt from any criticism with a knock of 49. However, he could have scored more but was forced to hit out after everyone else around him was being dismissed. Panesar lasted eight balls before being dismissed lbw as England crumbled to 179 all out and only 230 runs ahead. Australia compounded England's misery but finishing the day without the loss of a single wicket at 30-0. Thus, they only require a 201 runs to win with 10 wickets in hand. England are going to need to bowl extremely well to avoid defeat and take victory but they way things have gone so far this tour, I fear the worst. Australia will be so confident after putting themselves in control today. It would seem more likely that they will win this Test tomorrow but stranger things have happened. 

Match Guide: Key Moments

Morning Session:
2349: 181-9, 50 for Haddin.
0004: 202-9, Haddin 65*, Lyon 18*.
0013: 204 all out, Haddin 65 (68), 7 fours, 1 six, caught Bairstow, Anderson. Lyon 18*(34), 3 fours.

Batsman of the Innings: Haddin 65 (68)
Bowler of the Innings: Anderson 4-67

England Second Innings:
0118: 53-0, 50 partnership between Cook 40* and Carberry 5*.
0130: 54-0, Cook 41*, Carberry 5*. Lunch.

Afternoon Session:
0234: 65-1, Cook 51 (64), 7 fours, lbw Johnson.
0305: 86-2, Carberry 12 (81), 1 four, lbw Siddle.
0312: 86-3, Root 15 (24), 1 four, run out by Johnson.
0315: 87-4, Bell 0 (1), caught Johnson, Lyon.
0335: 100-4, Pietersen 7*, Stokes 7*.
0411: 115-4, Pietersen 14*, Stokes 13*. Tea.

Evening Session:
0445: 131-5, Stokes 19 (55), 1 four, caught Smith, Lyon.
0504: 153-5, Pietersen 39*, Bairstow 6*.
0532: 173-6, Bairstow 21 (28), 2 fours, 2 sixes, caught Haddin, Johnson.
0549: 174-7, Bresnan 0 (8), bowled by Lyon. 
0554: 174-8, Broad 0 (3), caught Clarke, Lyon.
0604: 179-9, Pietersen 49 (90), 6 fours, caught Harris, Lyon (5 wicket haul).
0612: 179 all out, Panesar 0 (8), lbw Johnson. Anderson 1*(6). England lead by 230 runs.

Batsman of the Innings: Cook 51 (64) 
Bowler of the Innings: Lyon 5-50

Australia Second Innings:
0700: 30-0, Rogers 18*, Warner 12*. Close of Play. Australia need 201 runs to win. 

Batsman of the Day: Cook 51 (64)
Bowler of the Day: Lyon 5-50