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England lose Strauss cheaply in final warm-up
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November 17, 2006 12:27 IST
Last Updated: November 17, 2006 16:54 IST

Andrew Strauss [Images] was dismissed for a second ball duck as England [Images] limped to 24 for one in reply to South Australia's 247-7 declared on the first day of their tour match in Adelaide.

Strauss was trapped leg before wicket by Australia's in-form paceman Shaun Tait, leaving Alastair Cook [Images] (six not out) and nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard [Images] (10 not out) to battle through to stumps.

The dismissal capped off a mixed day for the tourists while enhancing Tait's chances of starting in next week's first Ashes Test in Brisbane after the speedster was named in Australia's 13-man squad.

England had begun the day well, shrugging off the last-minute withdrawal of express paceman Steve Harmison to rip through the South Australian top-order in the first session.

Hoggard captured three wickets in 12 balls as the home team crashed to 25-4 before Darren Lehmann and Cameron Borgas steadied the innings with a fifth-wicket partnership of 157.

Lehmann missed out on a deserved hundred when he was run out for 99 while Borgas fell to left-arm spinner Monty Panesar [Images] for 73, prompting the home team to make an early declaration.

"They bowled pretty well all day England, to be fair," Lehmann told reporters.

"They toiled away, I thought it was a pretty good wicket, they bowled well early, it swung around, they put it in the right areas and we probably played a couple of poor shots.

"Freddie (Andrew Flintoff [Images]) bowled well, I think he'll bowl better if the wickets bounce a bit more, obviously they will in Brisbane, so he'll be tough work up there.

"He bowled about 15 overs, bowled short spells, and that's how they'll use him I suppose, but he got it through at various times and at other times bowled within himself."

HOGGARD BOOST

James Anderson made the initial breakthrough in the morning session when he dismissed former Australia Test opener Matthew Elliott for 11 in the 10th over, caught behind by wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.

Then Hoggard removed Daniel Harris (10), Mark Cosgrove (one) and Callum Anderson for a golden duck in the space of 12 deliveries to leave South Australia reeling at 25-4.

The English seamer missed his hat-trick but his sharp performance was a welcome boost to his team after a troubled build-up to the side's Ashes defence.

Marcus Trescothick [Images] quit the tour and returned home this week after a recurrence of a stress-related illness while Harmison's injury sent a scare through the camp.

"He's not guaranteed for Brisbane with that problem he's had before," England coach Duncan Fletcher told reporters.

"He had an effect in the Ashes last year, he's been an effective bowler for us and the other bowlers feed off him."

England's most dangerous bowler was left out of the match as a precaution after feeling stiffness in his side when he woke up on Friday morning but he is expected to play in Brisbane.

He was replaced in Adelaide by Sajid Mahmood in a four-pronged pace attack boosted by the inclusion of Panesar, who was given the nod ahead of Ashley Giles, in a sneak preview of the likely Test team.

Panesar took only one wicket for the day but Lehmann said he was impressed by what he saw.

"Monty bowled well, it spun a bit, so he would've liked a few more wickets, he bowled about 20 overs and bowled pretty well," Lehmann said.

"He varied his pace, he bowled quick in some overs and flighted it in others, so he's really improved over the last 12-18 months and he'd be pretty happy, he would've liked a few more wickets but he bowled pretty tight."




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