Ashes 2002/3 | Australia v England 2nd Test | Adelaide

Australia v England Adelaide Oval 2nd Test match 21st - 26th Nov 2002 (5-day match)

Result: Australia Won by an innings and 51 runs

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

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

Toss: England

Close of Play:

Day 1:England 295/4 (Butcher 22*; 89.3 overs)

Day 2:England 342, Australia 247/2 (Ponting 83*, Martyn 48*; 64 overs)

Day 3: Australia 552/9d, England 36/3 (Vaughan 17*; 11.2 overs)

Morning Session Report Day 4

On a day that promised a deluge of rain and the promise of an early finish to the day's play, one thing Australia had to do was to take early wickets and expose the tail.

They succeeded in sending Robert Key back after he had faced only six balls. The Kent player looked out of his depth in the first innings and didn't do anything for his Test future in the second after he held out at mid-wicket to a long hop. Steve Waugh decided to stick with the two bowlers that ended the third day's play and was rewarded when Bichel took Key's wicket.

With that Alec Stewart playing in his last Ashes Test Series in Australia came out and took the game to Australia playing a magnificent innings. It was a natural swashbuckling innings from the Surrey man and won a lot of admirers for his positive attitude in dire conditions.

Michael Vaughan at the other end was more circumspect and was soon being outscored by his counterpart. Vaughan was a different player to the one we saw in his first innings, preferring to tie up one end while Stewart played all the shots at the other.

The pair had put on 74 runs before McGrath entered the fray and took his wicket - not with the ball this time but by one of the best outfield catches one is likely to see at any ground, anywhere in the world.

Warne who bowled unchanged throughout the session took the well deserved wicket, Vaughan playing one of a handful of aggressive strokes found a fully outstretched McGrath deep on the ropes. Closer inspection of the catch showed the ball entered the left hand and then bounced to the right hand just before McGrath hit the ground with a thump.

Stewart was 53 not out and all-rounder Craig White was on one as England went to lunch at 5/119 trailing by 91 runs.

Afternoon Session Report Day 4

The Australian camp were given cause for concern at lunch when a light rain fell, delaying the resumption of play. It had seemed the clairvoyant, writing in a 1921 newspaper, who predicted a drought in 2002 and an end to it with heavy rain on November the 24th, was correct. The report had caused a stir in the media and local residents.

Warne continued to bowl after lunch, tying up his end in the process. White was the first to go after lunch when he was caught by substitute fielder Brett Lee (on for Matthew Hayden) at mid-on for five runs, McGrath the bowler.

One ball later and the first of a new over, Stewart fell to Shane Warne for the 14th time in his career when he was adjudged trapped leg-before wicket with a slider.

Hoggard (1) didn't last long and only two runs were added before he became McGrath's second victim of the session, clean bowled by the Australian. Harmison then fell to Shane Warne without scoring, once again a leg-before wicket decision and it was only a matter of time when England would go 2-0 down in this five match series.

Caddick and Dawson put on 25 runs to infuriate the Australian's who were still keeping an eye on the weather. England hadn't deserved to draw the game with the intervention of rain and unfortunately for the visitors, it wasn't to come quickly enough.

McGrath took his fourth wicket of the innings and his fifth of the match, when he had Dawson caught behind by Gilchrist for 19. Caddick was left stranded on six and the game had drawn to a satisfactory conclusion for Australia.

Australia have won the second test match by an innings and 51 runs and now go on to Perth on Thursday looking for a series clinching victory.

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