Much of England's hope for a challenging 1st innings total is ridiing on Kevin Pietersen's bat
England will resume batting on Friday's second day (Thursday evening Jamaica time) of the fourth Ashes test against Australia in Melbourne, not the most comfortably placed, at 226/6. With the hugely talented Kevin Pietersen still there on 67, however, his teammates will be optimistic that he will be able, with the help of the lower order, to steer them to a competitive first innings total.
That's not something that the English team has been able to do much so far during this series, with the Australian bowlers running rampant. Pietersen himself has had a below-par series to date and will be looking to make up for that in this match, having ridden his luck to a half-century.
At the start of the big traditional Boxing Day test before a massive crowd, Michael Clarke, Australia's captain, won the toss and opted to insert the opposition.
Alastair Cook, the England captain, struggling for form, opened the batting as usual with Michael Carberry. They made it to the 17th over before Cook once again failed to get a big one, going, caught at 2nd slip by his opposite number, Michael Clarke, off the bowling of Peter Siddle, for 27, with the score on 49.
Carberry and Joe Root then took the score up to 95 before Carberry was bowled by Shane Watson for 38. He, embarrassingly, misjudged an inswinging delivery and shouldered arms, only to see the ball clip the off-stump. It was another innings of promise from Carberry, during which he hit six fours, but just when it seemed he might have been set for a substantial score, he gave it away.
Thereafter the England innings proceeded in start-stop mode, making slow progress, then losing crucial wickets. Joe Root went at 106, caught wicketkeeper Haddin bowled Harris.
The experienced Ian Bell then joined Pietersen and the two shared a stand of 67 before Harris again struck the crucial blow, having him caught behind by Haddin for 27.
Ben Stokes, who came in next, did not stick around for very long, making 14 before becoming Mitchell Johnson's first victim of the match, caught by Watson.
Jonny Bairstow had got his first opportunity of the series in this match, coming in to replace the out-of-form Matt Prior, but he failed to make a good first impression, going bowled by Johnson, leaving the total 214/6.
That has left Tim Bresnan and the other bowlers to support Pietersen's efforts for the rest of the innings. How much they are able to contribute will become clear as day two of the match unfolds.
England is alredy down 0-3 in the five-match series and desperate not to fall further behind in the series, in which Australia is determined to inflict a humiliating 5-0 thrashing on "the old enemy."
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