The opening day’s play of the third Test is off to a delayed start due to rain and wet outfield.
Play at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Day 1 of the 3rd Ashes Test will finally get underway at 5:00 PM local. Conditions are very sunny now and the wet outfield is slowly getting dried up.
Australia have won the toss and are going to bat first. They have brought in Shane Watson for Phil Hughes and the former will open the innings. England have made the obvious change of replacing the injured Pietersen with Ian Bell. 30 Overs will be bowled in this final session.
Breaking News : Australia have lost their wicket keeper Brad Haddin for this match. Haddin had broken his finger while warming up just when the toss was happening. England were kind enough to allow Haddin to be replaced by debutant Graham Manou although the team list submitted by Ponting to Strauss already had Haddin’s name.
Final Session – Australia 1st Innings
Over 0.3: Single. J Anderson to S Watson, short of length delivery, plays it defensively to covers and takes a risky run.
Over 4.3: Boundary! J Anderson to S Watson, pitched up delivery, plays a flowing drive to put that wide juicy one uppishly through point for a boundary.
Over 5.5: Boundary! A Flintoff to S Watson, pitched up delivery, squeezes that wide one through the gap between slips and gully for a boundary.
Over 6.4: No runs. J Anderson to S Katich, good length delivery, goes back and is struck on the backpad just infront of the off stump and he is lucky to escape a confident lbw shout!
Over 7.2: Boundary! A Flintoff to S Katich, short of length delivery, jabs it sweetly between point and covers and finds a boundary on an outfield that has been hit by heavy rain.
Over 7.6: Boundary! A Flintoff to S Watson, half volley, puts away the inswinger with a glorious flick to the wide mid wicket boundary.
Over 8.2: Three runs. J Anderson to S Katich, pitched up delivery, strays onto the pads and the sub fielder has a long way to cut that flick towards deep squareleg.
Over 8.5: Boundary! J Anderson to S Katich, pitched up delivery, plays a wristy drive through covers for a boundary. Katich didn’t go hard at the ball.
Over 10.1: Boundary! J Anderson to S Katich, half volley, plays a wristly flick that beats the man at straight mid on for a boundary.
Over 10.2: Boundary! J Anderson to S Katich, short and wide, slaps that with a cut shot played very much in the air but through the big gap at covers for a boundary.
Over 11.5: Three runs. A Flintoff to S Watson, pitched up delivery, gets forward and across and strokes it sweetly past the bowler, the ball almost reaches the boundary and is just pulled inside by Onions.
Over 12.2: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, pitched up delivery, stays in his crease and drives it superbly through the line between the bowler and mid off for a boundary.
Over 12.3: No runs. Graham Onions to S Watson, pitched up delivery, gets forward in defence but the ball strikes the pad just outside the line, Watson survives a close lbw shout.
Over 12.4: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, short of length delivery, this time connects his predetermined pull shot which he drags towards wide mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 13.2: Boundary! S Broad to S Katich, pitched up delivery, shuffles across and whips it through squareleg for an effortless boundary.
Over 13.3: Boundary! S Broad to S Katich, pitched up delivery, and again shuffles across and plays a flick for a boundary, this one went towards mid wicket.
Over 13.6: No runs. S Broad to S Katich, good length delivery, gets the ball to nip back sharply and hit the back pad, the height was the problem and Katich survives that scare. Time for Drinks. Australia 62/0 in 14.0 Overs (Watson 28* Katich 34*)
Over 16.2: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Katich, half volley, puts that attempted yorker through mid wicket for a boundary with a sweet flick shot fetched from outside off.
Over 16.5: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, half volley, plays a thumping straight drive that bounces right over the Umpire for a boundary.
Over 16.6: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, bangs it short, pulls it away with a lot of power to beat the man at deep mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 17.2: Boundary! S Broad to S Katich, short and wide, plays a crunching backfoot drive towards extra covers for a boundary.
Over 17.3: Boundary! S Broad to S Katich, pitched up delivery, gets a fast and low flying edge in his expansive drive that just manages to beat Flintoff at third slip for a boundary.
Over 18.2: No runs. G Swann to S Watson, flatter trajectory delivery, goes for a sweep and is hit on the frontpad, the middle and leg stumps were exposed and he is lucky to survive the lbw shout.
Over 18.6: Out LBW! G Swann to S Katich, flatter trajectory delivery, goes back for a pull and misses it with the ball skidding through slightly low to hit him infront of the middle stump. Aleem Dar is convinced by that lbw shout.
Over 21.2: Boundary! S Broad to S Watson, short of length delivery, stays back and plays a delightful cut shot between point and gully for a boundary.
Over 21.6: No runs. S Broad to R Ponting, pitched up delivery, this one swings back sharply out of nowhere and Ponting is helplessly struck on the frontpad but luckily manages to get outside the line of off stump.
Over 24.1: Boundary! J Anderson to R Ponting, short and wide, punishes that through cover point for a boundary with a flowing drive and that brings up 20,000 first class runs for Ponting.
Over 24.5: Two runs. J Anderson to S Watson, pitched up delivery, flicks it across to mid on where Swann fumbles slightly to give away two runs and Watson has picked up his 2nd Test fifty with that.
Over 25.6: Boundary! A Flintoff to R Ponting, full toss, shuffles across and pushes the attempted yorker solidly past mid on for a boundary.
Over 26.1: Boundary! J Anderson to S Watson, short and wide, cuts that fiercely in the air past Swann at gully for a boundary.
Over 26.5: Boundary! J Anderson to S Watson, short of length delivery, gets inside the line of that and glances it away to fine leg for a boundary.
Over 29.4: Boundary! A Flintoff to R Ponting, good length delivery, goes back and edges the away going one safely along the ground between slips and gully for a boundary.
Over 29.6: No runs. A Flintoff to R Ponting, good length delivery, let’s that go to the keeper outside the off stump. And that’s the end of Day 1 at Edgbaston.