Cook steadies England after Siddle double

Published>Thu, Nov 25 10 11:28 AM

Alastair Cook hit a half century to help England to a respectable 172-4 at tea as the tourists continued to recover from losing captain Andrew Strauss on the third ball of the first day of the first Ashes test on Thursday.

Cook, who had hit a patient 60, and Ian Bell (26) were at the crease as dark clouds gathered over the Gabba with England's hopes of inflicting a first test defeat on Australia at the ground in 22 years in the balance.

Kevin Pietersen had looked like giving England the edge in the match before Australian paceman Peter Siddle returned for his second spell and he tempted Pietersen into an outside edge with Australia skipper Ricky Ponting taking the catch at second slip to dismiss the mercurial batsman for 43.

The euphoric reaction of the Australian team, and that of a packed house at the Gabba, signalled the importance the hosts placed in getting rid of Pietersen, but Siddle was not done yet.

Paul Collingwood had just got off the mark with a four when another superb delivery from Siddle just 11 balls later got a thicker edge and Marcus North took the catch at third slip.

Siddle had a big shout for lbw on his next delivery to Bell but the England batsman got an inside edge and the big Victorian had to be satisfied with reducing England to 125 for four.

Cook continued to slowly accumulate runs to claim his 23rd half century in test cricket but only his second against the Australians.

England's hopes of making a good start to their quest to win their first Ashes series on Australian soil since 1986-87 had received a hammer blow in the first over of the day, when Strauss, who had won the toss and chosen to bat, cut the third ball of the test straight to Mike Hussey at gully.

The England captain put his hands to his head in despair when he realised what a price he had paid for trying to take the game to the Australians.

Jonathan Trott replaced him and hit a sharp 29 before following Strauss to the dressing room when a full delivery from Shane Watson went straight through to the wicket.

Left arm spinner Xavier Doherty got some turn off the pitch in his first spell as a test cricketer but he should have given Watson his second wicket when he dropped Cook when the opener was on 26.

Source: Web Search