Hussey, rain drag fight to final day

England in commanding position in the second Ashes Test after Clarke’s dismissal.

ADELAIDE: Australia suffered a massive blow with the loss of key batsman Michael Clarke in the final over of the day to leave them facing an uphill battle and salvage the second Ashes Test against England.

Clarke looked set to go to stumps leading a fighting rearguard action at the Adelaide Oval only to fall to a catch close to the wicket off part-time spinner Kevin Pietersen, with only four balls left of the fourth day. Clarke had appeared to have recaptured his best form after cheap dismissals in Brisbane and the Adelaide first-innings before he was out for 80.

At stumps, Australia, chasing 375 runs to make England bat again, were 238 for four with Mike Hussey the not out batsman on 44.

Emotional Clarke tweets apology

Clarke was initially given not out and refused to walk off until England called for a referral and replays showed that the ball had come off his bat to Alastair Cook fielding close in.

“I just want to apologise for not walking off the ground tonight when I hit the ball,” said Clarke via Twitter after play. “I was just so disappointed, my emotions got the best of me.”

England spinner Graeme Swann, who looms as his team’s major weapon on the final day, said it was a significant wicket for the tourists.

“It was tough going for us in the last session with their two best players against spin at the crease,” said Swann. “Sometimes you need a bit of inspiration and who else but Pietersen to come on and give you it.”

Hussey gets a ‘kick in the guts’

Hussey said it was a ‘kick in the guts’ to lose Clarke.

“We’re going to have to keep fighting hard and I thought we fought pretty hard today. It was a bit of a kick in the guts to lose that one in the last over.”

Clarke, the Australian vice-captain, went to the crease under pressure following scores of nine and two and his team needing him to produce a long match-saving innings against dominant England, who are chasing their first win in Adelaide since 1995.

Swann proved the major threat with his sharp turn out of the footmarks and he captured the key wickets of Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting. England had earlier amassed their fifth highest innings score in Ashes Tests and their second best in Australia, only surpassed by a 636 scored in Sydney in 1928.

Captain Strauss finally called a halt to the run onslaught at 620 for five with Ian Bell unbeaten on 68 and wicket-keeper Matt Prior not out on 27. The tourists lost only the wicket of Pietersen for his Test best score of 227 in the 40 minutes of free scoring, in which they added 69 off nine overs.

England spinner Graeme Swann

“I couldn’t give a monkey’s who takes the wickets. I’m so glad Pietersen got that one in the last over. Clarke’s their best player of spin and to get him out like that was magic.”

Published in The Express Tribune, December 7^th, 2010.