Tait menaces England bats
November 17, 2006
SHAUN Tait enhanced his chances of playing in the first Ashes Test against England with a thrilling spell of hostility for South Australia late on the first day of the tour match at Adelaide Oval.
Tait claimed the wicket of England opener Andrew Strauss, leg before for a duck, in the first of three overs in a withering, if erratic, spell of fast bowling.
The speedster, who is vying for a place in the first Test team, began his spell with a delivery which nearly decapitated first slip and ran away for wides, but he had Strauss leg before two deliveries later to a scorcher.
When England responded to that dismissal by sending in nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard, SA captain Darren Lehmann put in five slips and two gullies. Lehmann put in a third gully next ball.
England was 1-24 at stumps in reply to SA's total of 7(dec)-247.
Alastair Cook was six not out and Hoggard 10 not out, having survived a testing period.
Earlier, Lehmann crafted a fine rearguard innings only to throw away a century in the offing.
Lehmann and Cameron Borgas steadied the Redbacks from 4-25 in the first hour with a partnership of 157, but both played a major part in their dismissals.
Lehmann was out for 99 when he took on James Anderson's throw from the deep and lost despite scampering hard to complete a second run.
The veteran left-hander had earlier played beautifully by driving the quicks and sweeping and nudging the spinners, but was adjudged just short when attempting a second run off the part-time spin of Kevin Pietersen.
Borgas had played the anchor role well to his skipper, but was out for 73, when in a rare show of aggression, he attempted to slog Monty Panesar over mid-wicket.
Instead he only skied the ball to Cook, who took a comfortable catch 20 metres inside the boundary.
Hoggard made the early inroads for England with a spell of 3-16, although he was aided by some inauspicious shots by the SA batsmen.
Hoggard finished the day with 3-40.
Panesar (1-54) failed to make significant inroads in his attempt to claim the left-arm spinner's role in the Test side, as besides the wicket of Borgas, Lehmann handled him fairly comfortably.
England's pace attack lacked punch as Steve Harmison sat out the game when management opted not to risk him when the No.1 quick woke with tightness in his side.
AAP
http://www.foxsports.com.au/story/0,8659,20773800-23212,00.html
