All-rounder Johnson condemns England to defeat
Tuesday, 8 September 2009
Already, two matches into this series, a pattern is developing as Australia claimed a 2-0 lead with 39-run victory at Lord's. Once again they were put into bat and managed only a par score as Callum Ferguson top-scored with 55, but then restricted a run-chase that England should have knocked off with ease, especially after reaching 74 without loss. England were guilty of repeating the same mistakes from The Oval as a number of their top-order made starts, but only Paul Collingwood passed fifty as he forlornly tried to hold the chase together, according to website Cricinfo.
The key performance in many ways, though, was Mitchell Johnson's late assault with the bat after Australia had slumped to 208 for 8 in the 46th over. They didn't look like using up their allocation, but Johnson swung powerfully to club 43 from 23 balls and add 41 off the last 4.2 overs with Nathan Hauritz. It should have been negated by the solid start between Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara, but four wickets in 32 balls including two in four by Shane Watson, either side of a fly-past by an RAF Lancaster Bomber, derailed England's chase.
Scorecard
Australia innings:
Total: 249
England innings:
AJ Strauss c & b Hauritz 47
RS Bopara lbw
b Watson 27
MJ Prior c Paine
b Watson 1
OA Shah run out 12
PD Collingwood
b Lee 56
EJG Morgan lbw
b Johnson 14
LJ Wright c Paine
b Lee 20
TT Bresnan c
Paine b Johnson 5
GP Swann b Bracken 14
RJ Sidebottom
b Bracken 0
JM Anderson not out 0
Extras: 14
Total: 210 (4.54 runs per over)
The key performance in many ways, though, was Mitchell Johnson's late assault with the bat after Australia had slumped to 208 for 8 in the 46th over. They didn't look like using up their allocation, but Johnson swung powerfully to club 43 from 23 balls and add 41 off the last 4.2 overs with Nathan Hauritz. It should have been negated by the solid start between Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara, but four wickets in 32 balls including two in four by Shane Watson, either side of a fly-past by an RAF Lancaster Bomber, derailed England's chase.
Scorecard
Australia innings:
Total: 249
England innings:
AJ Strauss c & b Hauritz 47
RS Bopara lbw
b Watson 27
MJ Prior c Paine
b Watson 1
OA Shah run out 12
PD Collingwood
b Lee 56
EJG Morgan lbw
b Johnson 14
LJ Wright c Paine
b Lee 20
TT Bresnan c
Paine b Johnson 5
GP Swann b Bracken 14
RJ Sidebottom
b Bracken 0
JM Anderson not out 0
Extras: 14
Total: 210 (4.54 runs per over)