Australia take control of first test against Englamd
Brisbane: Australia have an advantage with dominant centuries to give England a lead of 560 when they declared at 401 for seven an hour before stumps on day three of the first Ashes test on Saturday.
Warner hammered 124 off 154 balls for his fourth test century and first against England, while Clarke’s 113 came off 130 balls for the 25th hundred of his career and sixth in the Ashes.
That was clearly never the extent of Warner’s ambition, though, and with Clarke having weathered an early storm of short bowling and looking settled at the other end, he moved inexorably towards the first century of the match.
He had a nervous moment in the last over before lunch when England referred a failed appeal for leg before wicket to the TV umpire, but the replay showed Graeme Swann’s delivery missed his front pad and clattered into the bat.
There were another nervous few balls on 99 before Warner found a gap in the covers for two runs off the bowling of Joe Root, the England player he infamously punched in a Birmingham bar before the first Ashes series of the year.
Warner continued in the same vein after passing the milestone but three balls after smashing Broad for a six over the bowler’s head, he nicked behind and the Englishman had his revenge.
Clarke, meanwhile, passed 1,000 runs at the Gabba and pushed his team’s lead past 400 with a four off Broad before punching the ball through the onside for a couple of runs to claim his century.
Spinner Graeme Swann ended up with figures of 2-135 after taking some serious punishment from Warner and Clark, including 16 in one miserable over.
He did get a measure of retribution, though, by tempting Clarke into stepping out only to miss the line for an ignominious dismissal the Australia skipper’s innings did not deserve.
England also got the wickets of opener Chris Rogers (16), Shane Watson (6) and Steve Smith (0) cheaply but debutant George Bailey joined in the run spree with two sixes in his 34.
Brad Haddin, who made 94 in the first innings in his 50th test match, inflated the score with a 54-ball 53 and Mitchell Johnson pitched in with an unbeaten 39 as even England’s vaunted fielding lost its way before Clarke called his batsmen in.
