Siddle chops through England
The opening day of the Ashes certainly didn't disappoint in terms of drama; beginning with Andrew Strauss's early demise, then the stunning hat-trick from Peter Siddle which sent England crashing to 260 all out
Andrew McGlashan
25-Feb-2013
The opening day of the Ashes certainly didn't disappoint in terms of drama; beginning with Andrew Strauss's early demise, then the stunning hat-trick from Peter Siddle which sent England crashing to 260 all out. After all the hype the action had matched the expectation. The visitors, though, will be cursing a chance to put real pressure on Australia and, as Simon Hughes in the Daily Telegraph, examines how Siddle did the damage.
The crowd were roused from their somnolence and Stuart Broad from his repose in the dressing room. Late and unprepared, he was beaten by the swing and intensity of a leg-stump yorker and was lbw. A hat-trick, which even the umpire review system could not deny. Three moments of straightforward endeavour had turned potential solidarity into adversity. It was back-to-basics cricket. They miss, I hit. Siddle, picked as much for his perseverance and willingness to rough up the tail as anything else, had done his captain proud.
In the same paper, Nick Hoult profiles Siddle and his rise to the top which has included a fair amount of setbacks.
A complete reconstruction of his shoulder, a stress fracture to his foot and even a tooth abscess have caused him to take time out. His most recent absence, a 10-month lay-off because of a stress fracture of the back, was the wake-up call players sometimes need in their mid-twenties. In order to recuperate, Siddle spent time training with Australian rules football team Carlton and former Olympic champion cyclist Scott McGrory. It was this exposure to different sporting cultures he thinks has brought about a lasting change.
Ian Bell stood out for England with his strokeplay, but in the Guardian Vic Marks looks at Alastair Cook's valuable innings which kept his team in the contest until Siddle struck.
Cook is a cricketer of contradictions. He has matinee idol looks: a gleaming smile, jet-black hair and eyebrows that supermodels might covet. Along with Jimmy Anderson he is an automatic choice for the moody posters now required by the marketing men. There is definitely a touch of glamour about him - until he picks up his bat.
However, not everything went right for Australia and there is further concern over Mitchell Johnson's form as he went wicketless through 15 overs. In the Sydney Morning Herald, Jesse Hogan says time is starting to run out for the left-arm quick.
Andrew McGlashan is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo