Andrew Symonds century leaves England at sea
Wednesday, December 27, 2006 04:02 [IST]
 Melbourne: In 2000, good mates Matthew Hayden and Andrew
Symonds found themselves in the water struggling for survival, after their boat
capsized while fishing near Queensland's North Stradbroke
Island.
On that occasion the determined pair swam more than a
kilometre to shore and safety.
At the MCG on Wednesday, they again found themselves thrown
together under duress, but this time it was Australia's first innings in the
fourth Ashes Test that needed rescuing.
And once again the pair toughed it out and overcame the
odds, first defying a buoyant
England
attack and then eventually tearing it apart as they put on a match-turning 279
for the sixth wicket.
Symonds' life was not at stake this time, but his Test
career certainly was, and the all-rounder responded with his second timely
batting performance in as many Boxing Day Tests.
He came to the crease at 84-5 and with his own place in the
side under intense scrutiny after two more failures with the bat in the third
Test in Perth,
but finished the day an Ashes hero after posting a memorable maiden Test
century in front of 75,770 fans.
Despite his belligerent 72 from 54 balls in the
corresponding game against South
Africa 12 months ago, Symonds averaged a
modest 18 with the bat and 40 with the ball in his previous 11 Tests.
With the England
bowlers pressing, the powerful right-hander looked uncomfortable early as he
tried to survive a testing period directly before lunch, and took much longer
than normal to get off the mark.
Arguably playing only because of Shane Watson's injury woes,
as Australia
looks for its answer to Andrew Flintoff, Symonds was also quite fortunate to
survive an lbw appeal by Monty Panesar shortly after the spinner was introduced
into the attack, with Rudi Koertzen again failing to raise the finger despite
the evidence in front of him.
However, Symonds blossomed as the innings developed and
started to play some of the imperious strokes that have made him a one-day
matchwinner.
Symonds brought up his first Test century in remarkable
fashion, smashing part-time seamer Paul Collingwood way over long on for his
first six.
It sparked wild celebrations from Symonds, who leapt high
into the air and into the arms of Hayden, before punching the air in
jubilation. For the first time in his Test career, he had mixed
aggression and caution with success,
facing 151 balls in 221 minutes at the crease, hitting nine fours and the six.
At stumps, Symonds had gone on to be 154 not out and the
innings had been chanceless, although he survived another confident lbw appeal,
this time turned down by Aleem Dar, from the bowling of a bemused Flintoff when
on 142.
Hayden and Symonds had come together with their side trailing
by 75 runs and facing a possible first innings deficit.
By the time Hayden fell to Sajid Mahmood for 153, the pair
had batted for most of the day and given Australia a lead of 204.
This time it was a shattered England that was all at sea and the
possibility of a 5-0 series whitewash was becoming very real.
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