Johnson the wrecker as England fight to save Test
ADELAIDE Dec 07, 2013 Mitchell Johnson shattered England’s hopes of a
series-levelling win in the second Test with one of the great Ashes
bowling spells as Australia took an iron grip on Saturday. Johnson
reprised his man-of-the-match performance in the 381-run first Gabba
Test win with a destructive seven for 40 that strong-armed England out
of the game and Australia onto the cusp of a two-nil series lead with
three Tests to play.

Australias paceman Mitchell Johnson celebrates his wicket of
Englands batsman Stuart Broad with teammate David Warner (L)
on the third day of the second Ashes cricket Test match in
Adelaide on December 7, 2013. AFP |
Australia, who declared at 570 for nine, once again skittled the
Ashes holders cheaply for 172. England have yet to score beyond 180
after being dismissed for 136 and 179 in Brisbane.
By third day stumps, the home side had built their overall lead to
530 runs although they lost Chris Rogers (2), Shane Watson (0), Michael
Clarke (22) along the way.
David Warner was in line for his second century of the series on 83
with Steve Smith not out 23 in Australia’s 132 for three.
Only Ian Bell (72 not out) and Michael Carberry (60) offered any
resistance in England’s feeble effort, recoiling against the hostile
Johnson, who has now taken 16 wickets at just 8.9 in the series.
Despite leading by a massive 398 runs Australia did not enforce the
follow-on to give their bowlers a breather with just a three-day
turnaround to the third Perth Test.
Johnson wreaked havoc after lunch with six for 16 off 26 balls for
his ninth five-wicket haul and second in consecutive Tests.
The energised 32-year-old quick is now 10th on the Australian
all-time list with 221 wickets.
Johnson shattered England with three wickets in a devastating 14th
over, taking out Ben Stokes (1), Matt Prior (0) and Stuart Broad (0).
Graeme Swann fought off the hat-trick ball before he became another
victim.
Debutant Stokes was out for the first leg before wicket dismissal of
the Test after a review, out-of-form Prior was shortened up by a lifting
delivery before Johnson got him next ball, edging to Brad Haddin and
Broad soon followed with Johnson crashing into his leg stump to put him
on the hat-trick in his next over.
Johnson had Swann caught by a leaping Michael Clarke at second slip
for seven and then he cleaned up Jimmy Anderson’s middle-stump for a
first-ball duck. Johnson ran past eye-balling Anderson as the English
protagonist left the wicket to put the demon paceman on another
hat-trick. That gave Johnson the figures of five for 12 in three overs.
SCOREBOARD
AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS
- 570 for 9 declared
(M. Clarke 148, B. Haddin 118; S. Broad 3-98)
ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS
(overnight 35 for 1):
Alastair Cook b Johnson 03
Michael Carberry c Warner b Watson 60
Joe Root c Rogers b Lyon 15
Kevin Pietersen c Bailey b Siddle 04
Ian Bell not out 72
Ben Stokes lbw b Johnson 01
Matt Prior c Haddin b Johnson 00
Stuart Broad b Johnson 00
Graeme Swann c Clarke b Johnson 07
James Anderson b Johnson 00
Monty Panesar b Johnson 02
Extras (lb3, w2, nb3) 08
Total (all out; 68.2 overs) 172
Fall of wickets: 1-9 (Cook), 2-57 (Root), 3-66 (Pietersen)
4-111 (Carberry), 5-117 (Stokes), 6-117 (Prior)
7-117 (Broad), 8-135 (Swann), 9-135 (Anderson)
10-172 (Panesar)
Bowling: Johnson 17.2-8-40-7 (2nb, 1w)
Harris 14-8-31-0
Lyon 20-5-64-1
Siddle 14-4-34-1 (1nb, 1w)
Watson 3-3-0-1
AUSTRALIA 2ND INNINGS
Chris Rogers c Haddin b Anderson 02
David Warner not out 83
Shane Watson c Carberry b Anderson 00
Michael Clarke b Panesar 22
Steve Smith not out 23
Extras (b1, lb1) 02
Total(3 wkts; 39 overs) 132
Fall of wickets: 1-4 (Rogers), 2-4 (Watson), 3-65 (Clarke)
Bowling: Anderson 7-1-19-2
Broad 6-0-19-0
Swann 9-3-31-0
Stokes 7-3-20-0
Panesar 10-0-41-1
Toss: Australia
Umpires: Marais Erasmus (RSA), Kumar Dharmasena (SRI)
TV umpire: Tony Hill (NZL). |