Ashes 2002/3 | Australia v England 1st Test | Gabba

Australia v England Gabba - Brisbane 1st Test match 7th - 11th Nov 2002 (5-day match)

Result: Australia won by 384 Runs

Umpires : SA Bucknor (WI) and RE Koertzen (SA)

Match Reports : Day 1; Day 2; Day 3; Day 4

Morning Session Report Day 4

Australia continued where they left off last night, or should I say Hayden ripped through the English bowling in the first session on day four. He saw off Hoggard after only two overs, hitting four square cuts, three in one over and made the English bowlers look very ordinary. They continued to bowl short and wide of the mark and frankly made it look very easy to score runs at will.

The pair put on 61 runs in the first hour and when white was brought into the attack he was promptly hit out of the ground by Hayden with his first ball, not a promising start for the English bowler.

Hayden was by far the more aggressive of the two, Martyn keen to cement his place at number four with a steady rather than an attacking innings. Although Martyn did enough to secure his place for the second Test before he was dismissed, his long term future is still undecided.

Matty Hayden achieved what only one other Australian has achieved against England, the feat of scoring a century in both innings of an Ashes Test match. The only other Australian to do so was Arthur Morris when he hit 122 and 124 at the Adelaide Oval in 1947. Hayden took 149 runs to reach his century, hitting 13 4's and one 6 before falling to a caught and bowled by Ashley Giles when he was on 103 - a match aggregate of 300 runs.

Adam Gilchrist came in on a pair but wasted no time at all in hitting Giles back down the ground for a big 6 off only his second ball. However, four overs later, Giles struck again when he had Martyn caught at first slip by Hussain a great reflex catch when Martyn tried to drive Giles back past the bowler. Steve Waugh and Gilchrist consolidated and at lunch Australia are 4/231, a lead of 398 runs.

Mid Afternoon Session Report Day 4

More of the same was the order of the afternoon session for Australia; well the first hour or so anyway! Continuing from the morning session, both Australians were keen to push the scoring along although it wasn't long before Andy caddick took his 50th Ashes wicket when he had Steve Waugh caught comfortably at first slip by Marcus Trescothick to make it a Somerset affair.

This brought in Darren Lehmann who had everything to loose after a dissapoiting performance in the first innings. However, they there wasn't another wicket to fall and both he and Gilchrist were there at the declaration. Steve Waugh, reading a newspaper just seconds before popping his head over the paper to call his players back in to the dressing room.

Gilchrist made a quick-fire 50 off only 51 balls including two big sixes off Ashley Giles and ended the day in form with a knock of 60 not out, Lehmann reached 20 before the declaration.

With a lead of 463, Australia immediately set about closing the game with a day to spare when both opening bowlers were successful with their first overs. The third ball of the innings saw Vaughan trapped leg before by McGrath without scoring, however he was rather unfortunate as it did look to be going over the wicket. Nonetheless, Australia through Gillespie then proceeded to send Marcus Trescothick back with an edge to a diving Adam Gilchrist who took a low one handed catch to his left, England at this point were 2/3.

Nasser Hussain was lucky to survive the tea interval when for the second time in the match failed to walk after he nicked the ball to Adam Gilchrist behind the wicket, Gillespie the bowler. Hussain stood firm while the whole Australian team looked on in disbelief. At tea on Day 4, England in all sorts of trouble at 2/31.

Evening Session Report Day 4

Hussain was the first to go after the tea interval when he edged a delivery from McGrath to Ricky Ponting who took a comfortable catch. John Crawley followed him back to the pavilion three balls later when he missed a leg-side delivery from Warne as did Gilchrist and Langer combined with Gilchrist to run out Crawley without scoring.

Alec Stewart's disappointing test match continued after he completed a pair. The Surrey batsman fell to Shane Warne and could do nothing but hit the ball straight to Hayden in the slips who at the third attempt managed to secure the catch and raise his arms in celebration! At this point England were reeling at 5 for 35 and with the absence of Simon Jones were in effect, 6 for 35.

White and Butcher then put together a mini stand of 11 before he cut a McGrath delivery to Hayden again at 5th slip for the Australian's 50th wicket at the Gabba. McGrath took his 51st wicket when he combined with Gilchrist to dismiss Ashely Giles for four runs.

The final two wickets to fall both went to Warne, Butcher pushing to the leg side found Ponting and he made no mistake in sending the England number three back for 40 runs, more than half the second innings total. Caddick sweeping fell to a Lehmann catch and England were all out for only 79 runs.

Hussain now has a little over two weeks to re group and think of a way to compete in the second test at Adelaide, a tall order considering the depleted side and lack of first team matches before the Second Test.

Hayden was rightly given man of the Match for his two centuries.

Images courtesy of the BBC

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