The Ashes 2021/22 – Second Test Adelaide, Day 5: Aussies win as Lion’s tail fights hard


End of day 4 scoreboard in Adelaide Feb 2nd 1937. Note the rubbish. Bradman went on to make 212 following a 270 in Melbourne.

 

Yes, Australia was expected to win but they did not think they would be out playing in the third and final session of the game.  England led by Jos Buttler and Chris Woakes were defiant to the end.  Australia won by 275 runs.

 

It didn’t take long for Australia to get amongst the remaining 6 English wickets. On 4 Ollie Pope played the predictable flick from Starc for Smith to do the rest.  England 5/86.

 

I don’t know what Ben Stokes is trying to prove out there, he is playing back to Lyon all the time.  There is no hope of making runs doing this and if he is trying to save the day then there is a long road to home.

 

The Jekyll and Hyde of wicketkeeper batters Josh Buttler has joined him and it would be good to see him make some runs.  Take out his 2 great catches and he has had a shocker of a game.

 

Stokes (12) final goes playing back to Lyon. Given “not-out” by The Blocker Australia goes to the DRS and up the finger goes.  Australia is ecstatic. While The Stoker was there there is always a chance he might go berserk and score the runs.  Puzzling what Stokes was trying to do today.

 

It is now up to Woakes and Buttler to at least score some runs on this beautiful Adelaide afternoon. Some pride needs to come back to the Lion before Melbourne next Sunday.

 

A great fight by The Buttler and Woakes and they are still there when the new ball is taken (6/154)

 

Frustrating for the Australians as the two batters are defying everything they are throwing (bowling) at them.

 

Finally, Richardson with a ripper gets through a defiant Chris Woakes (44) and bowls him neck and crop. A fine innings by the middle-order batter that set a great example for the earlier batters.  England 7/166.

 

Interesting that Cameron Green has not bowled today.  He does have bounce that is different to all the other quicks and it is hard to understand why Smith has not used him. Smith’s captaincy is fairly predictable but this one was hard to understand.

 

Robinson (8) pushed and prodded until he pushed one to many and SPD took his 6th catch for the match.

 

Buttler’s brave innings came to an end when he stepped back onto his wicket when pushing Richardson into the off. His 26 came in 256 minutes  and he faced 207 balls. It was a real tonic to his down-trodden side. The long hope of holding out came to an end with his dismissal.

 

It’s all over when Richardson gets one to move away Anderson for  Green to help his fellow Sandgroper to 5 wickets for the first time in a test match.

 

A fine performance by Jhye Richardson to finish with 5/42.

 

A comfortable win by Australia and they outplayed their opponents in every facet of the game. England for short periods as when Root and Malan were in control and some good bowling in Australia’s second innings showed that they have something. Unfortunately ‘something’ is not enough and it is hard to see them getting out of the mire for the remaining three Tests.

 

If Root is unfit where are they going to get another batter from?  Bairstow and Crawley are already in my team for ‘The G’. Anyone of Hameed, Pope and Burns could go or all three. Burns probably will be retained as he did show some G & D in the second innings. Woakes did nothing with the ball and Wood should return although that weakens an already weak batting line-up.

 

Really they have nothing to lose by putting Bairstow behind the stumps and play Buttler as a batter.  Jumping Jack Leach has to return for Melbourne and in particular if Root is out. Well they have a few days to think about.

 

Australia on the other hand have the reverse dilemma. Who to leave out?  Cummins will return for Neser, Uzzie should come in to open the batting for Harris. If Hazlewood is fit that is another dilemma.  The rise and rise of Cameron Green has probably been the biggest plus in this rampaging team. What a position to be in.

 

Just been advised that there will be no change to the Australian 15 for the final 3 Test matches.  That either tells me that Harris has been given another chance or that Uzzie comes in.

 

Must congratulate curator Damien Hough and his team for a magnificent wicket that gave everyone a chance.  Not unusual in Adelaide to get a great game and a great wicket but it happened this year.

 

THE FINAL SCORES  2nd Test in Adelaide

 

Australia 473/9 and 230/9 defeated England 236 & 192 by 275runs

 

Today’s play:  Woakes 44, Burns 34, Buttler 26,  Richardson 5/42, Starc 2/39, Lyon 2/55 and Neser 1/28

 

 

 

More from Citrus Bob Utber can be read Here,

 

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About Bob Utber

At 84 years of age Citrus Bob is doing what he has always done since growing up on a small farm at Lang Lang. Talking, watching and writing sport and in recent years writing books. He lives in Mildura with his very considerate wife (Jenny) and a groodle named 'Chloe on Flinders' and can be found at Deakin 27 every day.

Comments

  1. Mark 'Swish' Schwerdt says

    Are you going to the Boxing Day Test CB?

    Time for the English to throw the magnets around. Harris may survive if both Hazlewood and Cummins are back. When was the last time we made three changes to a winning team?

  2. England cashing their chips all in for Boxing Day. Battered buttlerfish?
    Mitch Marsh to open.

  3. SWISH – “Is the Pope a Catholic!!”. Good point about Harris surviving although I did like Uzzie’s footwork on the boundary on day 4.

    PB – They sure will be floundering around, the English Cods. I hope Joe is OK to play.
    Why not play anyone from WA in the team and I am sure if you secede from Eastern Australia you would always be able to have a Marsh in the team?

  4. Once again, despite all the criticism and nastiness from the convict states, the Adelaide Oval pitch delivers a result on the 5th. day. Rewards there for those prepared to bend their back, as the great DK always said. Just as Test cricket should be!

  5. BUCKO – yes, as one of the “free-men” (sorry free persons) from a convict state I bow to the supremacy of the Anglo-German brilliance of the curator and his persons (right!!). They did a magnificent job and prepared a fantastic wicket for us.
    Forgot to mention about the pic on top. In those days they played a six-day Test Match and of course bowled eight ball overs.
    Also does anyone (fast bowler) bowl quicker overs than Jhye Richardson?

  6. AH yes, as we all know…real men bowl 8 ball overs.

  7. BUCKO -and with no boffins telling them either!

  8. Have had a couple of queries from Knackers about going to Pakistan for the Test series in April.

    IF YOU ARE EVEN SLIGHTLY INTERESTED – send me an email

  9. CB a unexpected joyous final day as the Pom’s made us fight for the win enjoyed spending a fair bit of time with PJ Flynn.Green re bloody sports scientists wasn’t meant to bowl at all on the final day ( when at the moment his bowling is more important than his batting ) thank you

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