Related Links: Ashes 2013/14 in Australia – Schedule | Scorecard of Second Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval
Peter Siddle captured four wickets
Australia are now one win away from capturing the Ashes Test Series down under after going 2-0 up at the Adelaide Oval today. It took the Aussies just the 11.4 overs to take the remaining four wickets of England on the fifth day morning.
There was a slim hope that England could escape with a draw as the match was delayed by wet outfield but for just 10 minutes and conditions looked gloomy with the possibility of a shower. However, England collapsed rather too quickly for 312 although the Aussies had to bowl more than a hundred overs to bowl them out a second time.
The hosts gave themselves two full days to bowl out England having declared their second innings overnight on Day 3 at 132 for 3. That left England with an improbable target of 531. Skipper Alastair Cook once again flopped struggling to even get into double figures. Michael Carberry, who looked solid in the first essay was gone early as well.
England fought back after losing its openers with Kevin Pietersen coming good along with Joe Root. However, the pair could only last about 36 overs. Kevin Pietersen departed with a fatal inside edge onto his stumps off Peter Siddle. Pietersen scored an entertaining 53 from 99 balls with 2 fours and 3 sixes.
Young Joe Root once again fell to the off-spinner Nathan Lyon, missing out on a Test hundred by 13 runs. Root batted out 194 balls for his 87 while striking 9 fours. By the close of the fourth day, Australia picked up six key wickets with England scoring only 247 on the board.
The final day saw Matt Prior score a fifty, but he got out to Siddle after scoring 69 with a dozen boundaries. In the English second innings, the damages were done by Peter Siddle, who took 4 for 57 and Ryan Harris, who took 3 for 54. Mitchell Johnson could take only one wicket that of Cook but with a match-haul of 8 for 113 was adjudged as the Man of the Match.
