Aussie hit back

Lord's. Second Ashes Test - day one

Preview

I hear that, after three injections into his injured knee, Andrew Flintoff is to play in this match. England have made themselves a hostage to fortune; I hope Freddie comes to no harm. We must look for the side that reacts best to Cardiff which must have taken plenty out of both sides on the last day alone.

To lunch

Can you ask for anything more. Lord's full to the brim, a lovely cool English summer's day and England 126-0. Alistair Cook, first to fifty, and Andrew Strauss, just short of his half century, not blasting away but carefully accummulating the runs on offer.

There were plenty of runs available too. You know what I thought of the Australian attack before Cardiff; now we were seeing the shortcomings. Funnily enough, the one bowler I expected to perform, was Mitchell Johnson, who has hardly put a ball in the right place throughout the first six days of the series. He bowled short and wide; an exhibition of how not to bowl on the first morning of a Test and England took advantage.

It all seemed too much for Ricky Ponting who persisted with Johnson too long and then went to strange fields for Nathan Hauritz when he came on 25 minutes before the interval. I cannot remember seeing so many fours hit on the opening session of a Test.

To tea

Australia might have got the wickets of Cook, 95, and Ravi Bopara but they would have swapped both for a fit Hauritz who dislocated his off spinning finger trying to catch a fierce drive from Strauss. Hospital X-rays showed no break but clearly his effect in this match is curtailed and with Johnson conceding 77 runs in 11 overs their attack was crippled.

Kevin Pietersen simply supported Strauss on his way to an 18th Test hundred but by tea England were 255-2 and in a position to control the Test. Remember they won only once against the Aussies at Lord's in the 20th century.

This performance was much more clinical than the dreadful show at Cardiff; difficult to see where England had found their extra confidence. Perhaps the Andy factor - Strauss, Flower and Flintoff - had worked magic because after only two sessions it was clear that even if it rained as hard as the forecasters suggested on day two England had the momentum. Australia were dreading another stroke of bad luck.

To close

The final session was a disaster for England. Strauss batted on and on but four wickets fell for 109. Pietersen, Collingwood, Prior and Flintoff were all out without giving their captain the support his undefeated 161 deserved and he could be seen shaking his head when Collingwood spooned a feeble catch to mid-on.

Perhaps the tail, so magnificent in Cardiff, will take the score beyond 450 but that is not good enough after England reached 196-0. Johnson was so cheered by the revival that he bowled well with the new ball.

The worst news to the superstitious England dressing room must have been that the second wicket fell at 222 and the sixth at 333, two of their devil numbers. It will take a strong-minded authority figure to convince the players that the gods have no ill wishes for them and that an unlucky defeat is not just around the corner.