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| Broad falls LBW to Siddle, providing the birthday boy with his magic hat-trick |
Aussie bowler Peter Siddle celebrated his 26th birthday in style at the Gabba in the Ashes First Test, taking a hat-trick. Siddle's hat-trick wickets were Cook (67), Prior (a duck) and Broad (a duck).
Earlier, England had been travelling reasonably well at 4/197 before Siddle struck and, in the wink of an eye lid, they slumped to be 7/197. Not long after Siddle took his hat-trick, Swann (10) also fell to Siddle giving the Victorian pace bowler his sixth wicket. Siddle finished with the impressive figures of 6 wickets for 54 off 16 overs. He was easily Oz's best bowler. Oz test debutant Xavier Doherty wrapped up the innings with the wickets of Bell (76), who was England's best batsman, and tailender Anderson (11), who fell playing a shot that would, at best, be described as somewhat unorthodox, and is something Anderson ought not to attempt to replicate any day soon - it was a shocker.
Playing before a crowd of 35,389 (although some media reports reckon 46,000 tickets were sold) Australia ended the day at 0/25 after dismissing England for 260.
After winning the toss and electing to bat on a Gabba track that has no real demons England should be licking their wounds and wondering why their wheels fell off. Honestly, the Poms should have gone on to get 350-plus runs and be in the box-seat.
Image: Personal effort of the author (yes, he ought to undertake a photography course!)
