Ashes 2010: The best pictures from day three of the fourth Test
Remarkably enough, it seems some of you want to talk about the cricket. Honestly. Anyone would think it had been a generation since England had last done anything like thisPhotograph: Jason O'Brien/Action ImagesWICKET! Prior c Ponting b Siddle 85 (142nd over: England 463-6) Ah, what a shame. Prior falls fifteen runs shy of his century, patting a catch to Ponting at mid-onPhotograph: Rick Rycroft/AP143rd over: England 465-6 (Trott 148, Bresnan 3) "Oh no" shouts Warne as he sees Harris pull up in the middle of his run. This doesn't look good. He's twisted his ankle, and now he's sitting down on the turf, his team mates gathered around him. Now he's limping off the field with the team physio. I wager it will be a while before we see him bowl againPhotograph: MICK TSIKAS/REUTERS
144th over: England 465-6 (Trott 148, Bresnan 4) Bresnan plays out a maiden from SiddlePhotograph: MICK TSIKAS/REUTERSWICKET! Bresnan 4 c Haddin b Siddle (146th over: England 465-7) Siddle has his fifth wicket. Along with his two catches, that means he has had a hand in all seven dismissals so far. It was a straightforward snick behind that did for Bresnan, easily collected by HaddinPhotograph: MICK TSIKAS/REUTERS148th over: England 473-7 (Trott 151, Swann 0) Trott nods his bat briskly at the crowd and then strides down the wicket to shake Swann's hand. It's a very business-like way to go about celebrating your 150, but that's the nature of the man. As Lord Selvey neatly put it in his match report yesterday, Trott "is the batting equivalent of the fellow at a party who no one recognises, who stays in the kitchen on his own but is last to leave"Photograph: Gareth Copley/PA152nd over: England 499-7 (Trott 163, Swann 18) Swann cuffs a rumbustious bunt back past Johnson's head and away for three to long-on. Later in the over, when Trott has returned the strike, Swann carts away a four through deep square legPhotograph: Rick Rycroft/AP154th over: England 503-7 (Trott 165, Swann 19) Up comes the 500. StatsSmythGuru says that this only the second time that any team have had three scores over 500 against Australia in a series. All these stats are different ways of saying the same thing - Australia have rarely been so badPhotograph: Rick Rycroft/APWICKET! Tremlett 4 b Hilfenhaus (159th over: England 512-9) Not long to go now before we get into the meat of this match. The last man is in, Tremlett having been clean bowled by an inswinging delivery from Hilfenhaus, who has doubled his wicket tally for the entire series in the last five ballsPhotograph: Andrew Brownbill/APWICKET! Anderson 1 b Siddle (England 513) That's six for Siddle. It was a lovely ball, far too good for Jimmy, but given the state of the scoreline he doesn't bother to celebrate too muchPhotograph: MICK TSIKAS/REUTERSThe man walking off to all the applause is Jonathan Trott, who has just finished one of the great Ashes innings. He is 168 not out. England lead by 415 and are ten wickets away from retaining the AshesPhotograph: Gareth Copley/PA3rd over: Australia 20-0 (Watson 9, Hughes 11) A couple of singles in that Anderson over. No real swing as yet. This should and probably will be hard yakka for EnglandPhotograph: JULIAN SMITH/EPAWICKET! Australia 53-1 (Hughes run out 23) Madness. Having started so well, Australia have thrown their first wicket away with a suicidal single. Watson pushes Swann into the off side and sets off; Trott swoops and fizzes a low throw towards the stumps, which Matt Prior demolishes with Hughes just short of his groundPhotograph: Andrew Brownbill/AP18th over: Australia 60-1 (Watson 33, Ponting 2) England have two huge shouts for LBW against Ponting turned down in that Anderson over. For the first, the ball came back really sharply, and Ponting couldn't get his bat down in time. Tony Hill said not out, and after a fair deliberation England decided not to review it. The main issue was height, and replays showed it was just hitting the off bail. That means the original decision would have stood. A maiden, and Ponting has 2 from 21 balls. He is hanging on for dear lifePhotograph: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty Images23rd over: Australia 71-1 (Watson 41, Ponting 5) Ponting is all over the place here. He's having a shocking time. In that over he's squared up by Bresnan and then survives another huge LBW appeal when he pads up outside off stump. England barely consider a review, but replays show it was pretty close: it was just hitting the outside of off stump, although that means Aleem Dar's original not-out decision would have stoodPhotograph: Rick Rycroft/APWICKET! Watson 54 lbw Bresnan (Australia 99-2) That's out, surely? Umpire Hill thinks so. Watson disagrees and, after a chat with Ponting, decides to refer it. But Hill has been vindicated. Watson walks. Watson made a hash of that, he came across his stumps but then tried to leave a straight ball, tucking his bat behind his pad. The ball hit him flush in front of off, and would just have trimmed the top of the bail. Watson takes the long slow walk off the fieldPhotograph: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty ImagesREVIEW! Ponting 19 st Prior b Swann (Australia 102-2) How's that? England appeal after Prior gathers a ball that dribbled off Ponting's pads. He whipped it up off the ground and knocked over the stumps, but Ponting had slid his foot back over the line just in time to save himself. Not out then, and Punter bats onPhotograph: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty ImagesWICKET! Ponting 20 b Bresnan (Australia 102-3) He's gone. That could be the ball that costs Ricky Ponting his job. And what a sorry way to goPhotograph: JULIAN SMITH/EPAThe ball was straight and simple, the kind he would have played - left even - with ease in his pomp. This time though it slipped off his inside edge and cannoned into his stumpsPhotograph: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty ImagesThe camera closes in on the Australian captain's creased face, his mouth turning down into a frownPhotograph: Gareth Copley/PABresnan spreads his arms out wide and sprints down the wicket to jump into the arms of his jubilant teammatesPhotograph: WILLIAM WEST/AFP/Getty ImagesPonting tucks his bat under his arm and walks off. I don't think it will be for the final time - I'm sure he will want a chance to try and level the series at Sydney, and he's certainly earned that much - but who could say for sure?Photograph: JOE CASTRO/EPAWICKET! Hussey 0 c Bell b Bresnan (Australia 108-4) Can you hear my expletives in Australia? Hussey is out, well caught at short extra cover by Ian Bell. Tim Bresnan is bowling one of the best spells of his life here, and I'm lost for words as I watch itPhotograph: Andrew Brownbill/AP40th over: Australia 108-4 (Clarke 4, Smith 4) Another maiden from Bresnan, as England pull this tourniquet tight. Bresnan has bowled 12 overs with six maidens and taken three wickets for 15Photograph: Andrew Brownbill/APWICKET! Clarke 13 c Strauss b Swann (53rd over: Australia 134-5) Clarke has gone, caught at slip. Swann switched around the wicket and produced a lovely ball, drifting away towards the slips and then straightening up after pitching. Clarke groped at it, and the ball popped up to StraussPhotograph: Rick Rycroft/APWith Harris injured, probably unable to bat, England have four wickets to takePhotograph: MICK TSIKAS/REUTERSWICKET! Smith 38 b Anderson (61st over: Australia 154-6) Delete, delete, delete. I was just about to rebuke Jimmy for serving up some short and wide filth which Smith walloped away for four when he took the wicket with his very next ball. Smith threw his bat at another wide delivery, and chopped it straight onto his stumpsPhotograph: Rick Rycroft/AP
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