Agar's near-ton a piece of sporting folklore

Cricket

Ashton Agar, the man most of country had never heard of, became the talk of the nation overnight after his 98 runs saw him not only bring Australia back into the first Ashes test but create a story that even be remembered for generations to come.

That story starts with a 19-year-old who strolled to the crease with his team sitting at 9-117, a daunting 98 runs behind England, and lit up Trent Bridge with a flurry of shot making more befitting of an accomplished top order player.

Agar started out with a cool attitude and patience that seemed out of ordinary for a tail-ender. Was it by chance that the new kid had been defaulted to the bottom because of his lack of test experience? As he refused to get out, it became apparent that was the case.

Suddenly boundaries started to flow. England's short balls and attempts to give Agar a rough welcome into test cricket were pushed aside. The home side persisted in striding away from the tight line they had demolished the upper order with and paid the price for it.

Ashton had his 50 in as many deliveries and there was now more than a hint of concern among the home crowd and team. Who is this young man? Why is he at the bottom when his refuses to put a foot wrong with the bat? Turns out, many on the other side of the world were wondering the same thing, but with a much happier disposition.

Twitter blew up with #Ashtag and #Ashton making the rounds quicker than the youngster could find the boundary rope. That says a lot considering his golden innings consisted of 12 fours and a pair of sixes. Popularity stemmed not just from his surprisingly adept technique, but his demeanor and shot selection in an unfamiliar environment of big-stage cricket.

60. 70. 80. 90. The runs kept coming. It was only in an Graeme Swann over where Agar finally looked like he was being truly tested. But he made it through.

Then the unbreakable kid from Western Australia finally snapped. He had missed several tempting pull shots from the hands of Stuart Broad before finally bashing one into the mitts of Swann in the deep on-side. The tactics that had done nothing to him early in his innings had finally lured him into a simple mistake, off a solid shot regardless.

Ashton Agar's 98 is the highest score by a number 11 in test cricket history. PHOTO: Getty Images

It had been a long time since I had watched a sporting event where I felt my heart physically sink. I felt like I had been robbed of a moment, along with millions of others, when Swann celebrated like he removed Sachin Tendulkar in his prime.

Then Agar removed his helmet and beamed with a smile that forced a similar one out of me. He didn't care. He had helped lift a poor side into a winning position on cricket's biggest stage, the Ashes. That's what mattered to him. And suddenly I knew I had seen something that went beyond simply rewriting the record books.

Agar didn't just change the history books, he wrote himself into Australian sporting folklore. He had joined an elite company whose tales are those we know we will end up sharing with future generations. That's the importance of what many late-night viewers experienced on the 11th of July.

The man clearly knew how to make the most out of a situation, when he survived a stumping call with his team sitting at just 131. Turned out he thought sending that total to 280 would make a better story. That moment might have rattled a lesser player, but Agar clearly has a wonderful mental game that even his own selectors might not have been aware of.

Australia took of lead into the 2nd innings of England. A lead. From 98 runs down on the last wicket. Let the enormity of that sink in, if you hadn't already last night.

It would be criminal to forget the contribution of the man at the other end, Phil Hughes. Here's a man that has consistently had so much pressure applied towards his game, yet he was able to remain composed enough to assist his young teammate (and himself) in finding history.

Hughes ended his innings on 81 not out, having watched six of his teammates walk back to the pavilion before him. This was one of his finest moments in test cricket since his South Africa century in his early test days, and the history books may mention only his partnership contribution but he deserves an equal share of the imminent truckload of praise about to be heaped on his fellow young countryman.

In an innings full of highlights, none stand out more than a graceful on-side shot where Agar lofted his back foot high into the air as he put his body through the motions. It was clear from that moment that this kid had a future not just with the ball.

This is just a selection of the records that were broken on day 2 at Nottingham:

* Highest 10th wicket partnership in test cricket history, 163

* Highest score by a number 11 in test cricket history, beating last year's 95 effort by Timo Best by 3 runs

* Highest score by a number 11 on debut. More than doubles Wawrick Armstrong's 45 from 1902.

* 2nd fastest test 50 on debut, behind Adam Gilchrist

* 2nd debutant to finish with the highest test score at number 11

* The third time the 10th wicket pair have doubled their team's score (remember Lyon/Siddle in South Africa? 47? Yep, that's one of the others)

* 5th Australian 100-run 10th wicket partnership

Well played, young man. Well played.

Smith inclusion the obstacle for Khawaja

Cricket

Steven Smith's inclusion in the touring Australian party in India is the most questionable thing to come of this series. Forget everything else.

You can question giving the captaincy to Watson after being dropped from the third test or the place of Maxwell in this squad let alone the side if you would desire. But continuing to deny Usman Khawaja a place in the side while putting a halt to his domestic duties must do little for both his technical game and his confidence.

Put aside for a moment those other things that have arisen these past few weeks and realise that a very promising player is being denied a place in this test team by a man who has been groomed to fit a limited overs format.

Originally I didn't buy into the idea that the selections were ruining the team's chances of making a real impact on the subcontinent. However I'm becoming more and more convinced I should be applying for a job on the selection panel - along with thousands of other Australian cricket fans.

So why then do I want Khawaja so badly to take Smith's place?

Statistics won't allow you to accurately compare the pair. They'd tell you that Smith has the higher test average and even an extra test to his name. Meaningless.

The real issue lies in their respective backgrounds in different match formats. Smith has vast experience in limited overs cricket and much more match time for his country. Khawaja is far less experienced, but until his recent foray into limited overs cricket (which was a bizarre selection to say the least), he was being groomed to play in a style that works in a test match format.

Instead he's getting no experience over in India except getting better at sitting down. Not the most useful of cricket skills.

Neither man before this series had played a test match in over two years. Doesn't logic say if you had to choose between the two you should play the man better suited, and more importantly the one who has practiced to adapt, to test cricket?

Khawaja has also had no chance to prove himself on a turning wicket, having played all his few tests on lively, pace favouring wickets in Australia and South Africa. He could benefit from a change, as well as gain some crucial experience on a vastly different surface.

Steve Smith's 92 in the previous test is an outlier in an otherwise poor showing throughout his career in Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka on said pitches. That's not just in test cricket but in all formats.

If people want to also discuss Smith's flexibility in the squad due to his bowling, I'd really be hoping that Smith wasn't included in the squad for his bowling in the first place.

He's bowled six wickets from nine innings of test match bowling in Asia. Not even close enough to warrant a future place in a test bowling attack. Smith has been given the chance to prove himself with both bat and ball in test cricket, and until his 92, he looked like a horrendous choice.

Now he's given himself a safety buffer with that score and pushes Khawaja further away from the first team. But credit where it's due to Smith for doing so. If you can step up when the pressure's on then it becomes harder to remove you from a place you're trying to keep.

Seeing as these two occupy different roles in a team it may be hard to attempt to compare them. But I don't understand the mentality of the selectors by picking someone they've played for so long in game with completely different attitudes to scoring rates and play style. It hurts the more I think about it.

Don't think for a moment I'm sour with Smith, I actually feel sorry for the man. He's got a game suited for one day and T20 cricket but seems lost in the whites.

Still, I don't understand how we can expect incredible results from players when you shift them between formats as simply as pawns on a chessboard. Expecting great results to follow from limited overs to test cricket is like asking a Union player to adapt to the stop and start nature of League.

What message is that sending to up and coming players? That their experience in different formats and the time dedicated to learning them counts for absolutely nothing? Not very inspiring.

At times it feels harsh to put the boot into the selection panel, sitting here behind the safety of a computer screen and my keyboard, but when they continue to make questionable choice after questionable choice it takes the sting out of being so scathing.

Leadership questions are distracting from the bigger issues

Cricket

With Michael Clarke looking at the prospect of missing a test through injury for the first time in his career, the return of Shane Watson to India has stirred up a commotion about leadership and even the future of our cricket side over the next decade in regards to the captain's role.

This kind of reaction from the media over the past few days seems to come from Watson's lack of popularity in the public as a captain. As someone who is seen by the public to lack passion and talk on the pitch, Watson's potential rise to the top simply had to be a focal point.

The past few days have been worrying for myself because everyone has grabbed hold of an easy target in the form of the Queenslander and what started as a discussion of short term captaincy has exploded into long term leadership speculation.

Watson's credentials as captain are not what I'm here to discuss - that's a topic of its own.

But what I feel is that the media are almost driving the team's focus into a long term vision instead of the short term it so desperately needs to be.

In two separate stories today I've seen David Warner and Ed Cowan both mentioned as possible future leaders. I'm sorry, but why are we discussing potential leaders for years and years down the track when we have two final test matches in India and an Ashes to prepare for?

We have a pair of openers who need to figure out why their form is so all over the place, instead of filling their heads with notions of captaincy. If you want a pair of focused opening batsman, don't you think it's better to have them earn their place before making them feel like a secure part of the team? Telling them or writing that they have good leadership material can only serve to make them a little more complacent.

Even leadership questioning about the upcoming test is getting stale. You may have your opinion on who may be a better leader for the upcoming test but last time I checked a game of cricket was won with 11 players. A good voice in the field and well thought out field placement is crucial, of course, but it can only take you so far.

Huge questions need to be made of recent selections and how some players have managed to keep their place in the side, looking outside of the recent four man expulsion of the previous test.

Phil Hughes is incredibly lost and is being wasted at first drop. Yet it's difficult to see him bumping one of the openers of the top of the order after this tour. Where does he sit? Henriques started with a bang then limped off the last two tests. Does he need a break, or is it too quick to write him off? Khawaja needs the game time if he wants to be a long term part of this team. Get him in there?

These are the tough issues that we should be addressing. Not leadership for this test. Not leadership for five years down the road. Just playing cricket and playing it well.

I believe the only reason we've seen such a shift in focus by the media this week is because Watson is the subject. Supposed 'unpopularity' in leadership seems to breed a good story, as Julia Gillard could attest to.

Regardless of your opinion of Shane Watson, throwing other names in front of his for leadership certainly can't be inspiring confidence in the man.

The media is becoming distracted and seemingly wants to forget that this tour has ever happened - but you can't pretend it hasn't. No amount of long term vision came make you see beyond the wall of trouble in front of your face.

Pattinson takes apart Kiwis

Cricket


Debutant James Pattinson's five-wicket haul helped Australia to a dominant 9 wicket victory over New Zealand at the GABBA.

The Kiwis fell apart in the opening session, losing six wickets and quickly ending talks of a possible draw and especially a New Zealand win.

New Zealand managed just 150, setting Australian openers Dave Warner and Phil Hughes a tiny target of 19.

Hughes (7) was the only second innings casualty, as the Aussies took a one-nil series lead on the back of two Warner boundaries.

But all the talk was about one particular player.

"Whatever he had for dinner last night I want a bit of that," Warner said in regards to Pattinson.

"We needed to take some crucial wickets in that first hour, but I didn't think it'd become that easy."

Pattinson began his roll of wickets late yesterday with the removal of opener Brendon McCullum, before one three wicket maiden over sealed the result in early play this morning.

Fellow opener Guptill fell on the second ball of the over when a cramped block found its way to Usman Khawaja at short leg.

Consecutive deliveries had Kane Williamson and Ross Taylor gone for ducks when they both pushed the ball into the slips, and the hatrick delivery to Jesse Ryder almost cleaned up the big-hitting Kiwi.

Bracewell later fell to Pattinson for just 2, while Ryder's resistance ended on 36 when he scooped a Nathan Lyon delivery to mid off.

Australia were looking at an innings victory before the same combination that stalled the hosts in the first innings, Daniel Vettori and Dean Brownlie, did so again in the run-up to lunch.

The pairing put on 52 runs before Vettori clipped a Hussey ball to his captain at first slip to go for 17, leaving the visitors at 7/121 at lunch and still trailing the Australians by 11 runs.

Siddle picked up his only wicket in the second over after lunch when Brownlie lofted a shot to point and was removed for 42, then Southee (8) and Martin (0) were both caught off the bowling of Lyon.

Lyon's solid bowling performance which brought him three wickets was overshadowed, however, by the work of young Pattinson.

"It's a bit surreal obviously, getting the nod the day before," Pattinson said. "I had a few nerves running through the body first day, I just tried to stay settled today."

"I've had a few innigns at the GABBA where I haven't bowled too well, but I've had some success at Hobart so hopefully it continues down there."

New Zealand captain Ross Taylor was critical of his top order, including himself.

"We came here with high hopes. But the way James bowled then it just put us on the back foot.

"The top six (batsman) have got to put their hands up, there was some soft dismissals there. We can be a competitive side when we stick to the basics."

"James Pattinson, outstanding," said Australian captain Clarke.

"But our whole performance as a team was fantastic. I couldn't be happier with the start to the Summer."

One of the few concerns coming out of the match for the hosts will be the form of Phil Hughes, who looks certain to lose his spot in the Test side following two poor shows at bat.

The two sides will square off again at Bellerive Oval this Friday before the Australians begin their four match series against India on Boxing Day.

Either the Heavens Open or England's Match Tally Will

The weather looks like the only possible barrier for England to leave Adelaide with a 1-nil lead in the Ashes Series.

The Aussies sit at 4/238, still trailing England by 137 runs, after Andrew Strauss called an end to his team's devastating 620 run first innings early in the day's play.

Kevin Pietersen went to stumps on day three with 213 runs under his belt and came out with intent to increase his total, hitting a boundary on the second delivery of the day.

But the Pietersen show was not to last, with the double-centurion out on 227, caught in the slip by Katich while trying to blast Doherty over mid-wicket.

Ian Bell, who began the day with Pietersen, found the nine runs he needed to make his half century. Joined by wicketkeeper Matt Prior, the pair managed to add a further 52 runs before Strauss declared with an imposing 375-run lead.

Despite the tough task ahead, Australia started their second innings in a positive fashion, reaching the 50 run mark without giving many opportunities for England to break the opening partnership.

Beyond that mark, however, came difficulty in the form of Graeme Swann. The finger-spinner found plenty of turn in an Adelaide pitch starting to come to life, troubling the Australian openers with every ball.

His spell of bowling pulled the Australian run rate back from a touch under 5 an over to just above 3.

Further issues arose for the pair, with Katich struggling to run between the wickets and apply steady footwork due to a growing achilles injury. The combination appeared to be too much for the left-hander, as he was dismissed for 43 by a faint edge to the keeper of Swann's bowling.

Ricky Ponting was welcomed to the crease by more dynamic Swann bowling, facing 13 nervous deliveries before eventually getting off the mark, and in the process avoiding a pair.

Ponting began to looked settled after hitting a pair of fours, but a change-up from Swann caught the Australian off guard, sending him away for 9.

Michael Clarke joined Shane Watson in the middle, eager to find form after a tough start to his Ashes campaign.

Shortly after, Watson brought up his second 50 of the test with a well-timed straight drive. With only 2 centuries compared to his 12 half centuries in Test cricket, Watson sought to convert his 50 with patient and controlled strokes.

Once again, however, it wasn't to be. Seven runs later, Watson became Steve Finn's second scalp of the test after edging a forward drive to the slips.

Michael Hussey, already in a major form revival, joined forces with Michael Clarke to cut away at the English lead, which at that stage sat at 241 runs.

Mr. Cricket again lived up to his name, as he and Clarke established a solid partnership, giving Australia their first realistic look at a draw that was not weather-dependent.

The news got better for Australia when rain did find its way onto the Adelaide wicket. The Aussie pair looked comfortbale with Clarke at 41 and Hussey at 24 when the covers came out during the third session.

Clarke became the fourth Australian player to score a half century in the Adelaide test when his cut shot saw the ball to the rope.

The run looked to be over when Clarke was given out on 62, but survived when he took advantage of the decision referral system to cancel out the Swann wicket.

A handful of overs before the close of play, the hundred partnership was reached - a first for the Australian innings.

Although with a full day's play up their sleeve, England were more than aware of the role the weather could play in deciding the match outcome.

In a final change for the day, Kevin Pietersen was brought in to the bowling attack in an attempt to disrupt the Aussie rhythm. It worked.

Clarke, on 80, tried to help the ball onto the leg side but ended up pushing the ball into his leg. The result was a catch for Cook waiting at short leg. In a bizarre moment, Clarke began to walk off the pitch before standing his ground and asking for his second referral of the innings.

The referral was a wasted one, showing a firm push out of the middle of the Clarke willow.

Adding further insult to injury, the wicket ball turned out to be the last delivery of the day, capping off a wonderful day for Kevin Pietersen and turning what should've been a positive finish for the Aussies into a confidence booster for their opposition.

Although the rain played a cameo role today, it's going to need a starring one to save what little hope for a draw is left in the Australian dressing room.

England in Control in Adelaide

England have the upper hand at the conclusion of the first day of the second Ashes test in Adelaide. After a strong bowling performance carved through the Australian order, the hosts were all out for just 245 runs.

Australia won the toss and elected to bat on an Adelaide pitch renowed for its batting-friendly conditions. However a spell of bowling, featuring consistent line and length from Stuart Broad and James Anderson, had the Aussies in trouble from the first over.

After just four delieveries, a mix-up between openers Shane Watson and Simon Katich led to the latter being run out without facing a ball.

Anderson stepped up to draw Ricky Ponting into an edge, removing the Australian captain on his first delivery.

A near identical delivery in Anderson's next over removed a struggling Michael Clarke for just 2.

Shane Watson and Michael Hussey almost guided Australia to triple figures, before a thick Watson edge was caught by Kevin Pietersen at Point, removing the opener for 51. Their stand was to be the largest partnership of the day, a mere 60 runs.

Marcus North then joined a dominant Hussey at the crease. After a solid start by North, an attempted late cut was edged to wicketkeeper Matt Prior, removing him for 26. His early exit from the wicket looks set to place further pressure on the Australian selectors to consider his future in the side.

The Hussey and Brad Haddin partnership, dominant in the first test at the GABBA, was again on show in Adelaide. A series of strong cover drives and off-side strokes from Hussey pushed the partnership beyond the 50 mark once again, without Haddin playing a strong support role once again.

Hussey looked set to score his third straight Ashes century, until he edged a lofted Graeme Swann delivery to first slip, seeing Hussey off just 7 short of triple figures.

Haddin began reverting to his more aggressive play style as the inning progressed, and in a typical stroke by the Australian wicketkeeper, brought up his half century with a 6. He managed 56 runs, before sending a catch to Steve Finn, giving Stuart Broad his only wicket for the day.

His wicket was the last, leaving the Aussies a disappointing score of 245, on a pitch with more potential for runs than wickets.

England went in to bat for just one over, with a leg bye the only impact on the English scorecard.

Australia first Innings: 245 [HS: M. Hussey 93 - BB: J. Anderson 4/51]
England first Innings: 0/1

Stumps Day 1

Australian Cricket Team Lineup

Here's my starting 11 for Adelaide:

1. S. Katich
2. S. Watson
3. R. Ponting
4. U. Khawaja
5. M. Hussey
6. B. Hodge
7. B. Haddin
8. R. Harris
9. X. Doherty
10. P. Siddle
11. D. Bollinger
12th Man: B. Hilfenhaus

Of course, selectors won't be willing to make this amount of changes to a side. But I can dream, can't I?

What do you think?

A Draw Today, A Win For Test Cricket

The opening clash of the 2010-11 Ashes Series has ended in an unexpected draw, one must say. After a glorious 195 runs for Michael Hussey and 136 for Brad Haddin, Australia posted what looked to be an unbeatable 481 first innings total.
But a first-time double century from Englishman Alastair Cook, and centuries from both captain Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott, swung the match back into England's favour.
Such was the might of the England second innings, that Strauss declared with a 296 run lead - what would've been an unimaginable total just 2 days earlier.
It was the first time any side in history had made it to 500 against Australia for the loss of only a sole wicket, and England thoroughly deserved to do so with the batting class they put on today.
When Strauss moved to 100, that's when I began to question whether the bowlers were up to the task. In the end, it took a part-time bowler in Marcus North to break the partnership. And it was mostly because of fault on the batsman's part.
Sure, I was happy about it, but the bowlers didn't make good use of the wear and long cracks in the GABBA pitch. When they did, the batsmen already had their eye in well enough to deal with the deviations.
Huge changes in a match situation like this still tell me the one thing I've always known - that Test cricket is forever the greatest form of the sport.
The four innings, instead of the two in shortened forms, means that no result is ever certain until both teams have had that second dig. A team's performance is usually not measured by the ability of a couple of people pulling their weight (like in T20), but a consistent effort across all five days.
This test match is the perfect example, especially in a world that is losing touch with the classic format.
Hussey and Haddin created a good platform for Australia to work on, but the bowlers could not give adequate support, and the platform quickly dissolved.
It doesn't mean that both the Australian centuries and the Peter Siddle birthday-hatrick were for nothing, it just means that they don't get the finish they probably deserved.
A draw today isn't the result Australian's wanted. But it reminds us of the beauty and challenge of test cricket. Anyone who believes a shorter variant is the most demanding or greatest is just kidding themselves.

Video: The Great Winning Streak

Currently watching this first Ashes test slip out of Australia's grasp is really getting me down. For those of you feeling likewise, and who miss the Australian cricket team of several years ago, this post is for you. Remember when there was a near-set, unbeatable 11 for every match Australia played? Since the infamous triple retirement of Langer, Warne and McGrath, the team has been searching for another stable lineup - but to no avail. Relive the glory of when Australia won a world record 16 straight tests.



Credit goes to the creator and uploader of the video.