Flower praises ‘outstanding’ England fightback in Ashes opener
By ANITuesday, November 30, 2010
BRISBANE - England coach Andy Flower has lauded his team’s resilience in the first Ashes Test at the Gabba and expects more of the same in Adelaide.
Flower believes that his team’s effort to finish the match stronger than Australia despite a 221-run first innings deficit showed the type of character required for success in Australia.
“The fight back was outstanding. The team showed pretty strong character to come out of it,” the Sydney Morning Herald quoted Flower, as saying.
England’s fightback was lead by England opening batsman Alistair Cook, who hit a career-best 235 not out, and Jonathan Trott, who made an unbeaten 135, as the visitors scored a record 517-1 in their second innings.
Set 297 to win from 41 overs, Australia eased their way to 107-1 from 26 overs before both captains agreed to end the match 15 overs early.
Cook’s double century was the sixth best Ashes score by an Englishman, and he also surpassed Sir Don Bradman for the highest score at the Gabba.
Cook and Trott’s unbeaten 329 run stand for the second wicket was the ninth highest England partnership in history.
It was also the best partnership for England for any wicket in Australia, beating the 323 by Jack Hobbs and Wilfred Rhodes at the Melbourne Cricket Ground in 1911-12.
The match also saw England’s highest second-innings total in a Test match in Australia.
The second match of the five-Test match series will be held in Adelaide from December 3. (ANI)
