Sun, Aug 28, 2005 page24

• England surges against Australia during fourth test

  • AP
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  Andrew Flintoff clobbered an understrength bowling attack for his maiden Ashes hundred and then Matthew Hoggard ripped through Australia's top order Friday to swing the fourth test and the series in England's favor.

  Flintoff scored 102 and shared a series-high 177-run partnership with Geraint Jones (85) before England was dismissed for 477 on day two at Trent Bridge.

  Hoggard utilized some serious swing and snared three wickets as Australia limped to 99 for five at stumps. Michael Clarke was adjudged lbw to Steve Harmison for 36 on the last ball of the day.

  Australia had advanced to 20 before losing three wickets for two runs in 11 balls -- all to lbw decisions.

  Matthew Hoggard dismissed Matthew Hayden (7) and Damien Martyn (1), with Simon Jones removing Australian captain Ricky Ponting (1) in between.

  Martyn was unlucky to be given out by umpire Aleem Dar at such a critical juncture. Hoggard hit him high on the pad, off an inside edge with a ball that pitched outside off stump.

  There was no question over Hoggard's next wicket.

  Opener Justin Langer (27) combined with Michael Clarke for a 36-run fourth-wicket stand before he gloved a Hoggard ball onto his pad and looped a catch up for Ian Bell, diving in from short leg.

  That combination almost undid Simon Katich two balls later, but Bell failed to grasp a difficult chance at his right ankle. Hoggard returned 3-32 -- his best figures so far for the series.

  Katich was unbeaten on 20 at stumps. Australia still needs a further 179 to avoid the follow-on with five wickets in hand.

  "We're doing alright aren't we!" said Flintoff. "Tonight was a great effort from the bowlers. Matthew Hoggard came in and swung the ball. It's always tricky for the left-handers when that happens.

  "That wicket in the last over, Steve Harmison getting Clarke out, has put us in the box seat."

  Earlier Friday, Flintoff and Geraint Jones combined in the fifth over when Brett Lee had Kevin Pietersen (45) caught behind. The pair moved England's total from 241-5 to 418 -- shielding the tailenders for three hours -- before rookie fast bowler Shaun Tait trapped Flintoff lbw, sparking a late collapse.

  "I enjoyed it, I must admit -- the timing of it," Flintoff said of his fifth, and possibly most important, test hundred. "Myself and Geraint came together at the crease and we needed runs, and we delivered.

  "We went out there and played. We kept our heads down, and we just tried to get as close to 400 as we could. We managed to get past that, to 477 -- that's a big score on that wicket."

  The sixth-wicket stand could have been cut short at 103 when Geraint Jones appeared to edge Lee's first ball after lunch to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, but umpire Steve Bucknor ruled that the batsman was not out.

  England lost its last four wickets for 27 runs.

  Tait returned 3-97 on his test debut and legspinner Shane Warne, despite complaining of back stiffness, picked off the last three batsmen to finish with 4-102.

  The Australian pacemen struggled in the absence of strike bowler Glenn McGrath, who was ruled out with an injured right elbow 55 minutes before the match.

  Lee bowled without luck and returned 1-131. Kasprowicz -- a late replacement for McGrath for the second time in the series -- had 1-122. But England's four-pronged pace attack proved that the conditions were conducive to swing, putting Australia in serious danger of going behind 2-1 in the five-match series.
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