Peter Siddle
Peter Siddle couldn’t have asked for a better 26th birthday as he came back from a long injury lay off in style – picking up 6 for 54 including a hat trick as it was Advantage Australia at the end of Day 1 of Ashes 2010.
Strauss, who decided to bat after winning the toss, fell to the third ball of the morning as he edged Hilfenhaus to gully. Trott edged, missed, survived a close appeal and played a few crispy strokes before being cleaned up by Watson leaving England at 41/2. Kevin Pietersen, whose form has been the subject of many discussions, eased a few nerves as he put on 76 with Cook, who by now was getting into the groove.
Siddle was brought back into the attack for his second spell and he struck with only his third delivery getting Pietersen to edge one to Ponting at third slip and then produced a similar ball to get rid of the dangerous Collingwood. Bell and Cook played out till tea, the session producing 86 runs for 2 wickets; exactly the same figures as it were in the first session. England at 172/4. Honours even!
Then came the most defining session! After an uneventful 10 overs after tea, all the action started in the 66th over. Cook, who was looking ominous, edged Siddle to first slip falling for 67. A fiery ball first up to Prior saw the English keeper play all ends up and a perfect yorker hit Broad on the toe right in front. The review couldn’t save Broad and gave Siddle his hat trick. A few overs later Siddle picked up his 6th wicket trapping Graeme Swann plumb in front reducing England to 228/8.
Amidst all this mayhem, Bell kept his cool and made a composed 76 before hitting one out to deep cover to give Xavier Doherty his first Test wicket. Doherty didn’t have to wait long for his second as he castled No.11 Anderson thus reducing England for 260. Katich and Watson played out until stumps picking up 25 runs in the process.
But the day definitely belonged to the birthday boy Peter Siddle, who in his first Test since his stress fracture that kept him out for 9 months, repaid the trust put in him by the selectors as he stole the limelight on the opening day of the Ashes 2010 with 6 wickets including a hat trick – a birthday he will never forget.
Tags: Australia, Cricket, England, Peter Siddle, Test Cricket, Test Match, The Ashes, The Ashes 2010, The Sports Mirror
