Siddle with a hat-trick in Ashes

Peter Siddle got his name in history making a hat-trick in the opening Ashes match at Brisbane today. He is proud to be the one with a six wicket hold including a hat-trick after the return to test cricket from a stress fracture which had made him stay away from cricket for months this year.

Siddle currently owns 60 wickets from 17 tests proudly celebrating his ever memorable 26^th birthday played well at the game today. This is his career best 6 for 54 which made England suffer with only 260 runs for all out. He claimed for six English wickets including the top heads Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Alastair Cook, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann.

"It's a good start but there's still 24 days to go and anything could happen in that time.", said Siddle with a careful consideration. He further added, "I knew if I could work hard enough and got everything right, I could come back a better cricketer and I've done that."

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Falling wickets in flashes

The English captain won the toss and chose to bat first. The first match of Ashes started with Andrew Strauss as the opener in the ground. The Ashes series was highly challenging and the most expected series for the English as they hadn’t won any Ashes series in the Australian soil since 1986.

Andrew Strauss faced the first two balls of Ben Hilfenhaus efficiently. But at a wonder the first English wicket slashed off as Strauss let the ball simply reach the hands of Mike Hussey who was in the Gully today putting every English supporter in a great disappointment.

Gabba was shocked and stunned for a moment as the major wicket of England, Andrew Strauss, simply fell off. The Aussies were much more energized to see the big head walking off the ground so early unexpectedly. It didn’t take such long for the second wicket to fall off and the English batsmen in the line up had to struggle off for a bit longer time to retrieve the English strength in the ground

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Ashes started to fire

Andrew Strauss won the toss and chose to bat in the first match of the Ashes series today. The Aussies team was announced yesterday with the three bowlers Mitchell Johnson, Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus into the team and the English team was just announced before the match with the same line up. Xavier Doherty is to play his first debut today.

A bright sunny day is prevailing in Brisbane where as a frequent amount of clouds can be observed. The rain might be little unpredictable at Brisbane with the clouds filling the sky. The English team has landed in Australian land after an Ashes series win in the Australia before twenty four years. This test might be highly challenging to the English players as they are in a dream of winning the Ashes in the Australian soil after years.

The series is very important to both the teams as the Aussies need to fill up the flaws of the recent loss with Sri Lanka.

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Just What Does It Mean To "Support" A Team?

I sit in my dark and quiet home here in the States on Black Friday - the day after our traditional Thanksgiving day of feasting - nursing a headache and drinking strong coffee instead of sleeping late. While others are starting thier shopping for the Christmas holiday, I'll be quietly conserving my energy and getting ready for tonight's early start at the Gabba. Why are my actions so different than those of everyone around me?

Because I am an American and also an England supporter.

This year, the Ashes are in Australia, which means late nights and early morning updates for me. But because I am a sports fan (short for fanatic), I've run into that familiar bit of trouble that all fans experience many times in their life: believing their actions actually affect the play of his team.

This behavior falls in line with any number of sporting superstitions that border on religious devotion - here in the States we have the 'rally cap' and the 'playoff beard' - but for anyone who follow England during the Ashes it can come to have some serious consequences.

Last night I believed beer brought us wickets.

After a full day of eating and gathering with family, I returned home with my family, put my young son to bed and got on the computer. It was early yet, but Australia hadn't looked troubled by the England attack yet. Watson and Katich had cruised into the thirties, England had lost an appeal to the UDRS and the boys were really starting to look up against it. I went to the kitchen to pour myself another beer when I hear a low roar from the other room - Anderson strikes!

My relief at the breakthrough was so great I thought nothing of my actions at the time - until after lunch. I had just returned to the computer with a fresh pint (#3) when suddenly - Ponting gone!

I looked down at my glass with some curiosity. Two beers, two wickets.

I watched an over or two before I put the clues together - these beers equal wickets!

Katich had reached his 50 and the match was starting to tip back towards Australia. I decided to get to work...

Sip. Sip. End of over. Sip, gulp. Maiden over. Finally holding an empty glass in my hand as Finn came in to bowl to Katich and CAUGHT AND BOWLED!

It was one of those rare moments in sports, one that all true sports fans experience time and again; it was also one of those moments that I knew I'd never be able to explain to my wife: I was controlling the Ashes!

I looked at the clock. I looked in the fridge. I did some math.

I could probably get one more beer in. I went to the fridge and pulled out a beer. I sat at the computer, bottle opener in one hand. I placed it on top of the bottle in my left hand as Finn ran in to Clarke. I started to lift the opener, slowly bending the cap and FEATHERED BEHIND AND CAUGHT! Clarke departs! 4 wickets down!

Hey, wait a minute...

I hadn't even opened it. Was my theory flawed? I sat there for a few more minutes, still clutching the bottle opener in my hand, as I watched Swann get North to nick a beautiful turner to Collingwood at slip.

:/

So much for my theory!

I laughed heartily to myself in the way every fan does when he realizes he's been foolish. Nice to think that I was controlling the Ashes, even if it was for a few short hours.

I went to bed, with 5 wickets down and England back in the game. If they could get into the tail while I slept, England could easily nudge ahead in this one.

...


When I awoke this morning, I found that Hussey had continued to defy England through the night as I slept. No more wickets fell.

As I slept...



No wickets fell...



OH NO!!!!!!!!!!!



:)

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