Clarke scores a thousand at the Gabba

Stats highlights from the third day's play of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba

Shiva Jayaraman

23-Nov-2013

Michael Clarke progressed quickly to his half-century, Australia v England, 1st Test, Brisbane, 3rd day, November 23, 2013

Michael Clarke became the third batsman to score over 1000 runs at the Gabba, after Greg Chappell and Ricky Ponting. He has 1030 runs at this venue from ten matches, meaning his average is a daunting 103. Chappell was the fastest to 1000 runs at this venue, having reached the landmark in his 11th innings, while Clarke reached the landmark in his 13th. Ponting took 17 innings to complete 1000 runs at this venue. This was Clarke's fifth century at the Gabba, equalling with Chappell's record for most hundreds at this venue.

Clarke's century in this innings was the 25th of his Test career, which took him past Greg Chappell's count of 24 to place Clarke at six in the list of Australia batsmen with most Test hundreds. Click here for the full list. By maintaining a strike rate of 86.92, Clarke recorded his second-fastest innings of 100 or more runs.

David Warner's 124 was his fourth Test hundred and his first in the Ashes. All of his four previous hundreds have come at home as well and when he crossed 54, Warner completed 1000 runs in Australia. He has scored 1070 runs at 53.5 in Australia, however, his average dips by more than half in Tests away from home: 504 runs at 25.2 from ten matches.

The 158-run partnership between David Warner and Michael Clarke was Australia's first century partnership in 40 innings, and 22 Tests, for their third wicket. The last time Australia added more than 100 for the third wicket in Tests was in December 2011, when Ed Cowan and Ricky Ponting put on 113 runs against India at the MCG. Michael Hussey and Ricky Ponting added 127 runs for the third wicket at the Oval in 2009, which was the last time Australia had a century partnership for their third wicket in the Ashes.

Australia's top-order has had it so difficult against England in the last couple of Ashes series that this was the first time in 12 Tests that they had more than 200 on the board before the fall of their third wicket. The last instance of that was at the Oval in 2009.

George Bailey's wicket was Graeme Swann's 250th in Tests. He is only the second England spinner, after Derek Underwood, and the seventh England bowler to take 250 or more Test wickets. Swann, who took 105 innings to reach the landmark, is second only to Ian Botham who picked up his 250th wicket in his 94th innings. Click here for a list of quickest to 250 wickets among England seamers and here for the same statistic among spinners.

Mitchell Johnson completed 1500 runs in Tests in the second innings of the Gabba Test. He is only the fourth Australia player to take 200 wickets and score 1500 runs in Tests. Click here for a list of players to take over 200 wickets and score 1500-plus runs in Tests.

This was only the 13th time in the Ashes that Australia have set England a target in excess of 500 in the fourth innings of a Test. The last time this happened was in 2006 at Perth, when England needed 557 to win. Australia have won 12 of 13 Tests from this position, with England managing a draw only once, at the MCG in 1947.

Brad Haddin followed up his 94 in the first innings with another fifty in the second. This is only the fourth instance of an Australia wicketkeeper hitting fifty-plus in both innings of a Test. The last time it happened was when Adam Gilchrist made 78 and 55 against India at the MCG in 1999. Ian Healy (v England, Adelaide, 1995) and Jack Blackham (v England, the SCG, 1883) are their peers from Australia while Andy Flower (seven times), Alan Knott (five times) and MS Dhoni (four times) have also hit twin fifties in a Test.

Swann's two wickets came at the cost of 215 runs, ranking third on his list for most runs conceded in an innings in Tests. Swann has returns of 4 for 376 runs in two matches at the Gabba at an average of 94.0 and at a strike rate of 156. His economy of 5.00 was his worst after bowling 20 or more overs in an innings in Tests. Among batsmen to play at least ten balls from Swann in this innings only Haddin had a strike rate of less than 80 against him.

Swann v Australia batsmen, 2nd innings
Batsman	Dots	4s	6s	Runs	Balls	SR	Dismissed
David Warner	37	6	0	53	59	89.83	-
Michael Clarke	18	1	1	40	40	100.00	bowled
George Bailey	12	0	1	18	21	85.71	bowled
Mitchell Johnson	9	2	0	12	15	80.00	-
Brad Haddin	12	0	0	11	20	55.00	-
Chris Rogers	6	0	0	1	7	14.28	-

Brad Haddin Michael Clarke David Warner Graeme Swann England Australia Australia vs England England tour of Australia

Shiva Jayaraman is a sub-editor (stats) at ESPNcricinfo.com