Analysis

How Hoggard rescued England

Stats highlights from the third day's play at Adelaide

Cricinfo staff
03-Dec-2006


How Hoggard bowled to left-handers (Click here for a bigger image) © Hawk-Eye
In his four previous Tests in Australia, Matthew Hoggard had managed eight wickets at an exorbitant 64.50 apiece. On the third day at Adelaide, though, Hoggard was instrumental in ensuring that England had something to cheer about despite Ricky Ponting getting his seventh hundred this year and Mike Hussey almost getting one too.
The key to Hoggard's success was his relentless accuracy, and his ability to adjust his line to the right-left combination that Australia had almost throughout the day. He mostly pitched it in line with the stumps when bowling to the left-handers, but against Ponting, Damien Martyn and Michael Clarke, he pitched it almost exclusively outside off, and finally induced errors from Martyn and Ponting.


How Hoggard bowled to right-handers (Click here for a bigger image) © Hawk-Eye
The third graphic shows how Hoggard nailed Matthew Hayden. The ball previous to his dismissal was much closer to off stump and moved in a shade, while he followed it up with one which moved away. Hayden promptly followed the ball, and England had nailed a crucial wicket.
Other stats highlights
58.37 - Ricky Ponting's average at the Adelaide Oval. He has now scored four hundreds and an equal number of fifties in 20 innings here.
77.41 - Michael Hussey's Test average. In his last eight innings (including his 91 at Adelaide) he has made six scores of more than 70.


How Hoggard nailed Hayden (Click here for a bigger image) © Hawk-Eye
21.33 - Damien Martyn's average against Matthew Hoggard. In 193 balls, Martyn has only scored 64 runs for three dismissals, that's a scoring rate of 1.98 per over
83 - The average partnership between Ponting and Hussey. In nine innings they have scored 664 runs, with three century stands
192 - The four-wicket partnership between Ponting and Hussey. It's Australia's fourth-highest for this wicket at Adelaide - the highest is the 214 between Allan Border and Dean Jones against West Indies in 1989.
109.09 - Ponting's average in Test cricket in 2006. In 14 innings he has scored seven hundreds and three fifties, and his aggregate for the year is exactly 1200.