• England close on 35 for one after losing captain for three
• Clarke and Haddin both score centuries in Australia's 570-9decMichael Clarke's seventh Ashes hundred, in a double-century stand with Brad Haddin, piled the pressure on England to save the second Test at Adelaide.
Clarke (148), already averaging more than 100 runs per innings in Tests at the Adelaide Oval, batted wonderfully after some early fortune as he and Haddin (118) powered Australia to 570 for nine declared on day two.
Clarke's opposite number Alastair Cook then had no answer to the extreme pace of Mitchell Johnson, losing his off-stump to a 92mph thunderbolt, to immediately undermine England's reply.
It was to the credit of Michael Carberry and the new No3 Joe Root, however, that they managed to reach stumps without further loss on 35 – albeit after a run-out scare for the former, survived from the penultimate ball of the day when there was no direct hit following a call for a faulty single to cover, and then finally a Johnson lbw appeal turned down but which would have been out on review.
The tourists did not help themselves with some more sleepy and costly work in the field in Clarke and Haddin's ground record sixth-wicket stand against any Test opposition of exactly 200.
Nothing went right for England, in fact, after Carberry had dropped Haddin on just five the previous evening - one of four clear-cut chances which went begging in Australia's innings.
Even when it seemed Ben Stokes had broken the partnership at 111, Haddin caught-behind pushing forward, instead Marais Erasmus checked for a no-ball which was confirmed by video replay.
After Haddin therefore retraced his steps to the middle, there was an ugly reprise of the antagonism which marred the first Test in Brisbane, as batsman and bowler engaged in a verbal confrontation at the end of the over and had to be spoken to by Erasmus.
Clarke was unfazed, and duly reached his second hundred of the series in Stokes' next over – his 26th in Tests.
He was not done yet either, batting well into the afternoon, until he did become Stokes' first Test victim – chipping the first delivery of a new spell to midwicket off a leading edge to end an exemplary, near six-hour innings having hit 17 fours from 245 balls.
There was to be no revenge for Stokes against Haddin, though, the wicketkeeper-batsman instead completing his hundred off the debutant with a fierce pull for his 11th four to add to four sixes.
Number 10 Ryan Harris (55no) weighed in with a near run-a-ball 50, the sixth of an Australia innings containing an Ashes record 11 sixes, as almost another 100 was added for the eighth and nine wickets before Clarke called time.
He had left 21 overs in which Johnson and Harris could make inroads.
In the end, though, only Cook was to succumb – late in defence as Johnson seared past 90mph with almost every delivery in a fearsome four-over spell with the new ball. Reported by guardian.co.uk 21 hours ago.
• Clarke and Haddin both score centuries in Australia's 570-9decMichael Clarke's seventh Ashes hundred, in a double-century stand with Brad Haddin, piled the pressure on England to save the second Test at Adelaide.
Clarke (148), already averaging more than 100 runs per innings in Tests at the Adelaide Oval, batted wonderfully after some early fortune as he and Haddin (118) powered Australia to 570 for nine declared on day two.
Clarke's opposite number Alastair Cook then had no answer to the extreme pace of Mitchell Johnson, losing his off-stump to a 92mph thunderbolt, to immediately undermine England's reply.
It was to the credit of Michael Carberry and the new No3 Joe Root, however, that they managed to reach stumps without further loss on 35 – albeit after a run-out scare for the former, survived from the penultimate ball of the day when there was no direct hit following a call for a faulty single to cover, and then finally a Johnson lbw appeal turned down but which would have been out on review.
The tourists did not help themselves with some more sleepy and costly work in the field in Clarke and Haddin's ground record sixth-wicket stand against any Test opposition of exactly 200.
Nothing went right for England, in fact, after Carberry had dropped Haddin on just five the previous evening - one of four clear-cut chances which went begging in Australia's innings.
Even when it seemed Ben Stokes had broken the partnership at 111, Haddin caught-behind pushing forward, instead Marais Erasmus checked for a no-ball which was confirmed by video replay.
After Haddin therefore retraced his steps to the middle, there was an ugly reprise of the antagonism which marred the first Test in Brisbane, as batsman and bowler engaged in a verbal confrontation at the end of the over and had to be spoken to by Erasmus.
Clarke was unfazed, and duly reached his second hundred of the series in Stokes' next over – his 26th in Tests.
He was not done yet either, batting well into the afternoon, until he did become Stokes' first Test victim – chipping the first delivery of a new spell to midwicket off a leading edge to end an exemplary, near six-hour innings having hit 17 fours from 245 balls.
There was to be no revenge for Stokes against Haddin, though, the wicketkeeper-batsman instead completing his hundred off the debutant with a fierce pull for his 11th four to add to four sixes.
Number 10 Ryan Harris (55no) weighed in with a near run-a-ball 50, the sixth of an Australia innings containing an Ashes record 11 sixes, as almost another 100 was added for the eighth and nine wickets before Clarke called time.
He had left 21 overs in which Johnson and Harris could make inroads.
In the end, though, only Cook was to succumb – late in defence as Johnson seared past 90mph with almost every delivery in a fearsome four-over spell with the new ball. Reported by guardian.co.uk 21 hours ago.