CRICKET:SIXTEEN MONTHS ago, at The Oval, Jonathan Trott, on his England debut, made a century that all but clinched the Ashes for England. Here yesterday he made another, a monumental effort of unflappability from first ball to last, that might, in time, be regarded in the same light.
Trott batted through all but four overs of the second day in making an unbeaten 141, his fifth Test hundred and his third in five Tests against Australia. With an average that has returned above 60 in 17 matches, he is now established in the highest echelons of England batsmanship.
For the last part of the innings, he hobbled, having been struck so hard on the inside of his left knee by a deflection from his inside edge that he required lengthy treatment.
After two days, the game had moved on apace, seemingly a day ahead of itself on account of Australia’s rapid and cheap-as-chips first-day demise. Australia, having woken to more damning headlines, were seeking quick wickets in the morning to haul themselves back into the game. They managed, through the indefatigable spirit of Peter Siddle, to remove England’s openers inside the first half-hour, and later extricated at bargain-basement prices Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell with Mitchell Johnson bouncers and Siddle catches in the deep, real rope-a-dope cricket.
Throughout the morning they held England in check with drum-tight bowling, England’s progress less a cavalry charge than ground gained inch by inch, yard by yard. Kevin Pietersen made a cultured half-century before becoming another Siddle victim, helping to add 92 for the third wicket and taking the brunt of the second new ball in the process.
Later Matt Prior survived a catch to the wicket from Johnson when five, as the bowler overstretched fractionally – the suspicions of the brilliant Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar confirmed as he asked for a video check according to his entitlement – and, after a shaky start, batted purposefully, adding impetus as his partner Trott tired, to flog a flagging attack and was unbeaten on 75 at stumps, his coffin-nail partnership with Trott worth 158, a sixth-wicket record for England on this ground.
By then, England had reached 444 for five, establishing a first-innings lead of 346 with five wickets in hand, and reducing the match effectively to one in which Australia knew they would be fighting for their Ashes survival.
As the day wore on it was not easy to discern whether it was the pitch or the Australian body language which had become flatter. Arms were folded, hands thrust in pockets and not just from the cold. The ease with which Trott constructed his innings would have lent some hope for Australia’s ability to bat for the two days or more that might be necessary and they may have taken some comfort from England’s own transformation in Brisbane.
Trott’s powers of concentration are astonishing. He is totally absorbed in his batting, a self-contained unit who appears unaware of the world around him. Bowlers try to break his rhythm, but it is he who commands the beat of the drum. There is an unobtrusiveness about him too, and his play.
You would not find Trott caught for speeding in a yellow Lamborghini.
At the crease, he is the batting equivalent of the fellow at a party who no one recognises, who stays in the kitchen on his own but is last to leave. Until some late flurries where he was able to drive, as the seamers sought a fuller length with their reverse swing, Trott had accumulated his runs, working the leg side as Australia, believing vulnerability in front of the stumps, saw only efficiency.
He does not do flamboyance. If a wealthy man he becomes, it will be because he puts away the pennies rather than on the back of a lottery win: he managed 12 fours in all yesterday, but there were only two in his half-century while his hundred was reached with his sixth.
FOURTH ASHES TEST
DAY TWO
At the Melbourne Cricket Ground
Overnight: Australia – First innings 98 (Tremlett 4-26, Anderson 4-44); England – First innings 157-0
England – First innings (cont)
A Strauss c Hussey b Siddle 69
A Cook c Watson b Siddle 82
J Trott not out 141
K Pietersen lbw Siddle 51
P Collingwood c Siddle b Johnson 8
I Bell c Siddle b Johnson 1
M Prior not out 75
Extras (lb-1, b-10, nb-3, w-3) 17
––
Total (for five wickets, 136 overs) 444
Fall of wickets: 1-159. 2-170. 3-262. 4-281. 5-286.
To bat: G Swann, J Anderson, T Bresnan, C Tremlett.
Bowling: Hilfenhaus 29-9-72-0 (w-1); Harris 25-7-83-0; Johnson 25-2-103-2 (w-2, nb-2); Siddle 26-8-58-3 (nb-1); Watson 10-1-34-0; Smith 18-3-71-0; Clarke 3-0-12-0.
