COOK DOUBLE-CENTURY PUTS ENGLAND IN COMMAND, AUSTRALIA VS ENGLAND FOURTH ASHES TEST
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| Alastair cook |
Alastair Cook struck a masterful, unbeaten double-century to drive
England into a position of dominance on 491 for nine at the end of day three of
the fourth Ashes test on Thursday.
If this was England's day, it was more specifically Cook's day. If a Cook's
tour is parlance for a quick trip around many venues, it neatly summed up his
Ashes campaign until now: Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, never more than a couple
of hours at the crease at once. He entered this Test having failed to reach
fifty from any of his past 10 innings, the longest such drought of his career.
Questions were being asked about his place in the team.
The former England captain strode off the Melbourne Cricket Ground on
244 not out, the highest ever score by a touring batsman, having pushed his
side to a first innings lead of 164 runs.
Stuart Broad provided gallant support with a swashbuckling 56, sharing
a 100-run partnership to crush the spirits of a demoralised Australian attack.
The urn may be gone with England an irretrievable 3-0 down in the
series, but Joe Root's team will savour the finest day of their campaign and
are well-placed to grab a consolation win.
Cook smashed a straight drive past bowler Jackson Bird for his 23rd
four to raise his fifth double-century in 360 balls, triggering a standing
ovation from the crowd of 61 839.
It was not a chanceless innings, with Australia captain Steve Smith
dropping him on 66 on day two and again on 153 after lunch.
The pitch was a batsman's paradise and the Australian attack shorn of
injured spearhead Mitchell Starc.
But England's most prolific run-scorer, under fire after an
underwhelming series so far, may remember few more gratifying innings in his
career of 151 tests.
Broad was brave in support, wearing a short-pitched battering before
paying Australia's quicks back in a swashbuckling innings which included eight
fours and a six.
He bookended his fifty with two fours off Pat Cummins before holing out
for 56 with a miscued pull that was caught in the deep by a diving Khawaja.
The catch was awarded after lengthy review by the third umpire, even
though the ball appeared to have slipped from Khawaja's grip and brushed the
turf as he rolled over.
CLUMSY ATTEMPT
England had resumed on 360 for six after tea, with Cook having moved
past Shivnarine Chanderpaul to seventh on the all-time test runs list.
His batting partner Woakes fell for 26 in the second over after the
interval, gloving a catch behind from a clumsy attempt at a pull shot.
Debutant Tom Curran added only four runs before edging Hazlewood to
Paine, the wicket confirmed on review after umpire Kumar Dharmasena failed to
register the nick.
Broad came to the wicket to be hit in the shoulder by Josh Hazlewood
off the third ball he faced but weathered the barrage and slogged three
boundaries to help push England past 400.
England's batting had been brittle throughout the series, but for once
the wickets fell slowly rather than in clumps.
Cook and Root had built a 138-run partnership before the England
captain fell for 61 in the morning, miscuing a pull shot straight to Lyon at
deep square leg.
Dawid Malan squandered his wicket for 14 when he failed to review an
lbw decision despite hitting the ball from seamer Josh Hazlewood.
It was the second England wicket to fall lbw with a nick in the
innings, with No 3 James Vince failing to review his dismissal on day two.
Lyon struck twice after lunch to reduce England to 307 for six, with
Jonny Bairstow (22) and Moeen Ali (20) both falling to poor shot selection.
Having dismissed Moeen for the sixth time in the series, Lyon gave the
allrounder a generous verbal spray as he trudged off after driving in the air
to Shaun Marsh at short leg.
Cook and Woakes steadied England with a vital 59-run partnership that
pushed them past Australia's first innings 327.
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