Steve Waugh puts Aussies on top

Graham Griffiths

Steve Waugh struck a masterly, unbeaten 101 to put Australia in command of the first Ashes Test against England before bad light and rain cut short the second day at Edgbaston on Friday.

It was Waugh's 26th Test century and his ninth as Australia's captain, and after clipping Craig White to the square leg boundary to reach three figures, he joyously punched the air before raising his bat to acknowledge the acclaim of a capacity crowd.

Waugh, who reached 9,000 Test runs when he had scored 35, underlined what a great cricketer he is by leading from the front yet again when it mattered most, carrying Australia to 332 for four when play was called off for the day. England made 294 in their first innings.

Only two deliveries, with the second new ball, were possible after tea, so that Waugh and Damien Martyn, who is 34 not out, will resume on Saturday with their side leading by 38.

The Australian skipper, playing his 136th Test, is the third highest scorer in Test history behind compatriot Allan Border, with 11,174 runs from 156 matches, and India's Sunil Gavaskar, who made 10,122 from 125 appearances.

Australia moved into the ascendancy as brothers Steve and Mark Waugh, who scored 49, put on 133 for the fourth wicket from 253 balls in a critical partnership after Michael Slater was out for 77 to the seventh ball of the morning.

The Waughs shared their seventh century partnership in Tests on an overcast day when the cricket was never less than absorbing but in a contrasting way to the heady entertainment of Thursday which produced 427 runs and 12 wickets.

When Australia resumed on the overnight 133 for two, Darren Gough struck in the second over with his first delivery which knocked back the off stump as Slater aimed an expansive drive. The opener had added just one to his overnight 76, having faced 81 balls and hit 13 fours.

Mark Waugh, who had not scored overnight, took 16 ba1ls to get off the mark but brother Steve was quickly into his stride, scoring productively on the leg side and punishing Gough with a rasping square cut for four and, in a subsequent over, forcing him square to the boundary and driving him through mid-on for four more.

The Australian captain went to his half-century from 71 balls, including seven fours. He was batting with mounting authority, but his brother gave a stumping chance off left-arm spinner Ashley Giles that went unaccepted by Alec Stewart when the batsman was on 28.

In the second over after lunch, taken at 238 for three, Mark Waugh had his second escape when he got an outside edge off White and was dropped by Marcus Trescothick at second slip, having made 29 at that point.

Soon afterwards, Mark Waugh became the fifth highest scorer in Australian test history when he passed Greg Chappell's aggregate of 7,110.

Australia's progress was slowed in the early part of the afternoon session as England's hitherto unimpressive bowling tightened up. Gough contributed a combative burst of 6-3-13-0 and White had a spell of 4-1-8-0, giving him figures to that stage of 13-3-28-0.

England finally got some reward when Andrew Caddick had Mark Waugh caught behind off a thin edge to end the younger twin's restrained 185-minute innings which contained seven fours

Martyn, who won a place ahead of the out-of-form Justin Langer, got into his stride by cutting Giles for three fours in one over, before Steve Waugh reached three figures from 164 deliveries, having hit 13 fours.

Waugh is now level with Sir Garfield Sobers (26) on the list of test century-makers but behind Gavaskar (34), Sir Donald Bradman (29) and Border (27).

Mail Cricket Editor