Clarke and Haddin dominate with tons

By Rob Barnett

Centuries from Michael Clarke, his second in as many innings, and Brad Haddin underpinned a commanding 570 for nine declared, which England replied to with 35 for one on day two at Adelaide.

Clarke’s typically elegant 148, his sixth Test ton at Adelaide and 26th anywhere, and Haddin’s pugnacious 118, his fourth format hundred, exploited a featherbed pitch.

While Clarke, who showed his mastery against spin, and Haddin were dropped yesterday on 18 and five respectively, today Ben Stokes had Haddin caught behind for 51 with a front-foot no-ball.

Resuming with 48 and seven of 273 for five, Clarke and Haddin, who scored 114 and 147 runs each at Brisbane, extended their stand to an Adelaide sixth-wicket record of 200 as morning cloud gave way to strong sunshine.

Stokes having Clarke caught at midwicket gave the Test debutant his first format scalp before Mitchell Johnson and Peter Siddle went cheaply either side of Haddin reaching three figures.

Haddin fell after tea, caught behind off Stuart Broad who returned a creditable 3-98, but Ryan Harris hit an unbeaten 55 from number 10.

Early in the reply, Johnson knocked back Alastair Cook’s off stump while bowling at searing pace. However, Michael Carberry and Joe Root, batting at three in place of the absent Jonathan Trott, resisted.

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"It's a very good batting wicket, it's been a tough couple of days. We have to bat long from here"@benstokes38pic.twitter.com/Aq5xV9ydnj

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

7.25am - STUMPS! Eng 35/1; Carberry 20, Root 9 - Carberry plays out a Harris maiden but would have been run out from the day’s penultimate ball, as Root took a risky single off Johnson, had George Bailey hit the striker’s stumps from cover. From the final delivery, Carberry would have been lbw had Australia reviewed.

7.16am - Root survives a nasty over from Johnson, who gets one to rear from just short of a length.

7.11am - Johnson and Harris return to the attack, each with a maiden after which there are three overs left today.

.@MattPrior13 in the nets getting some throw downs at the moment #Ashespic.twitter.com/Ktbs0XPbwt

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

6.58am - Carberry and Root, still facing Lyon and Siddle, are resisting well under extreme pressure.

6.44am - Siddle and Lyon combine for three straight maidens, a cycle Carberry breaks by cutting and pulling the latter for four.

.@TheBarmyArmy are still in good spirits on the grass bank singing at every opportunity they get #Ashespic.twitter.com/MpoCPu8GUJ

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

6.30am - After seven overs of pace, including a Harris maiden to Root, off-spinner Nathan Lyon is introduced. Peter Siddle is also into the attack and starts with a maiden to Root.

6.19am - Ryan Harris delivers a maiden to Carberry before Johnson continues to test new man Joe Root, promoted to number three in Jonathan Trott’s absence.

6.07am - WICKET! Cook b Johnson 3; Eng 9/1 - Cook is beaten for pace by Johnson and has his off stump knocked back in a wicket-maiden; a dream start to England’s innings for Australia.

5.57am - Mitchell Johnson, bowling in the mid-90s mph, takes the new ball and Alastair Cook plays and misses at a wide ball he should have left. The over ends with Michael Carberry clipping a leg-stump full-toss for four.

Australia Innings

5.44am - AUSTRALIA DECLARE ON 570/9!; Harris 55, Lyon 17 - Later in Swann’s over Lyon slogs a six over midwicket and a ball later Michael Clarke calls the last-wicket duo in.

5.41am - FIFTY! Harris (53b 6x4 2x6) - Harris, who three years ago bagged a king pair in the corresponding fixture, makes room to cut Graeme Swann for four.

5.34am - Australia go beyond 550 when Harris slog-sweeps Panesar for his fifth four, taking him to 48. His best in Tests is 68 not out.

5.27am - Ryan Harris smites Broad for four through midwicket and Nathan Lyon sweeps Panesar to the fine-leg rope.

5.14am - WICKET! Haddin c Prior b Broad 118; Aus 529/9 - The right-hander cuts but the ball is too close to him and he under-edges through to Matt Prior, who holds a low catch. Haddin has hurt England again.

5.03am - We’re under way again with Stuart Broad bowling along with Monty Panesar, who is slog-swept for a towering six by Brad Haddin.

A tea time stat. England’s top scores batting 2nd after losing the toss at the Adelaide Oval #Ashespic.twitter.com/m9OOipNOFc

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

Afternoon Session

4.42am - TEA! Aus 516/8; Haddin 108, Haris 29 - Harris smacks Panesar for four off the back foot through cover in the last over of an afternoon that, despite England’s three scalps, has belonged to Australia.

The 10 sixes hit in this innings is the equal highest number hit in an #ashes test

— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 6, 2013

4.37am - REVIEW! - England review Broad’s lbw shout against Harris but there is sufficient doubt over whether the ball hit bat or pad first for Kumar Dharmasena’s decision to remain.

4.31am - Harris smites Swann for consecutive sixes to leg, the first taking Australia beyond 500 as tea approaches.

4.24am - Ryan Harris announces himself with two fours, the first over mid-off against Swann and the second by pulling Stokes in front of midwicket.

4.16am - WICKET! Siddle c Prior b Stokes 2; Aus 483/8 - Siddle gets a regulation nick behind to wicketkeeper Matt Prior. England are on something of a roll here.

Swann now joins Brian Statham as 6th highest wicket taker for England with 252 #ashes

— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 6, 2013

4.07am - CENTURY! Haddin (157b 11x4 4x6) - The right-hander calmly pulls Stokes for his 15th boundary. Although he was reprieved on five and 51, the latter by Stokes’ no-ball, this is a fine knock from Haddin.

4.03am - WICKET! Johnson c Broad b Swann 5; Aus 474/7 - The left-hander attempts to clear mid-on but fails. Two quick wickets are a reward for England’s endeavour.

3.55am - Haddin guides Stokes to the third-man boundary before Mitchell Johnson cracks Swann through cover for four. Haddin, who is nearing three figures, then lofts Stokes over mid-on and edges him through a vacant slip region for more fours that move him to 98.

3.39am - WICKET! Clarke c Anderson b Stokes 148; Aus 457/6 - Having missed out on Haddin this morning, Stokes has a first Test wicket when Clarke gets a leading edge to midwicket where Anderson dives forward to hold on. The captain is warmly applauded as he exits.

3.45am - Clarke smacks Graeme Swann for four through mid-off where the ball drops just short of and goes through Broad for the overall sixth-wicket record stand at Adelaide. Later in the over Haddin slog-sweeps six, just clearing Ben Stokes on the rope.

3.37am - CHANCE! - Haddin cuts Panesar to backward point where Michael Carberry fields and throws to the bowler, almost running out Clarke who wanted a single.

Michael Clarke has now scored 2000 runs against England at an average of exactly 50 #ashes

— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 6, 2013

3.28am - Haddin takes a liking to the slog-sweep with a four immediately followed by a six off Panesar. It is now the best sixth-wicket alliance in Adelaide against any opponents.

3.20am - Haddin unfurls a rare sweep, against Panesar, giving him a first boundary since lunch. Clarke then opens to face to guide Broad to the rope. A Clarke single means, at 172, this is the highest sixth-wicket stand versus England at Adelaide.

3.07am - The 150-run alliance arrives when Clarke mis-times an aerial drive over mid-off but still gets four against Stuart Broad, who has replaced Anderson. In the next over Clarke repeats the shot, this time playing it more sweetly, off Panesar.

3am - Clarke emphatically straight-drives Anderson for the session’s first boundary, which takes Australia past 400.

2.53am - Panesar and Anderson keep it tight, stringing together two maidens, albeit with Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin content to play themselves in again.

2.40am - Sunshine has replaced cloud cover and Monty Panesar is the first bowler of the afternoon session. James Anderson is his partner in crime.

In other cricket news… the world's first underground cricket match has taken place! pic.twitter.com/QLgyc3rdBC

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

Morning Session

1.44am - After Haddin and Stokes have a few choice words, Clarke cuts another four off Panesar. In the spinner’s next over Haddin hoists four more over midwicket.

1.37am - CENTURY! Clarke (175b 11x4 0x6) - The skipper makes back-to-back tons with his 26th in Tests and sixth at Adelaide by glancing Stokes for two to leg. He has given a batting masterclass, particularly against spin, on this surface.

1.32am - Clarke drives Swann for a single to long-on, moving him to 99.

1.27am - England’s difficult day gets harder when Stokes, who has been bowling with venom,hasHaddin caught behind on 51 with a no-ball, denying him a maiden Test wicket.

1.24am - FIFTY! Haddin (71b 4x4 2x6) - The right-hander reaches a half-century by tickling Swann to fine-leg for three.

Need something to cheer you up? Watch Nasser's response to the first Swanny Diary... http://t.co/393TzKHdqr#ashes

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

1.15am - HUNDRED PARTNERSHIP! - Having struck Ben Stokes for two off-side fours, Haddin nudges Swann to leg to register the milestone with Clarke.

Any kids wanting to know how to play Spin..Just watch @MClarke23 display this morning.... #Ashes

— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) December 6, 2013

1.08am - CHANCE! - Swann, having had an lbw shout turned down the ball before, is slog-swept for another maximum via Haddin’s top edge. Clarke survives at the end of the over when Ian Bell can’t hold a sharp chance at short-leg, the ball rebounding to Prior too slowly to run out the retreating batsman.

Great to see so many England flags around the ground. Come on England! #Ashespic.twitter.com/fFeioT6z9v

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

12.59am - Haddin miscues a hook at Anderson but the ball drops well short of Panesar, coming in from long-leg.

12.53am - Clarke crisply cover-drives Anderson for the first four in a while. Haddin then slog-sweeps Swann for the day’s first six.

12.48am - Swann and Anderson stem the flow of boundaries, although Clarke and Haddin continue to rotate the strike.

12.32am - CHANCE! - Clarke takes a risky single to backward point, where Michael Carberry fields but his throw off balance to wicketkeeper Matt Prior cannot quite run out Haddin. In the next over Clarke opens the face for another four off Anderson.

12.30am - James Anderson replaces Broad but Clarke cuts him to the boundary, ushering Australia past 300. Haddin then lifts Panesar down the ground for four more and a Clarke single brings up a smooth fifty partnership. Runs are coming too fast for England’s liking today.

If you’re going to #stayup send in a #TwelfieSelfie - we want to see how you’re supporting England through the night! #Ashes

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

12.22am - Haddin guides a Broad bouncer to fine-leg for four and Clarke clips a Panesar full-toss to deep midwicket where Graeme Swann slides to gather the ball but, as he does, his legs touches the rope. Later in the over Clarke rocks back to cut four more.

12.14am - Clarke chips Panesar over mid-on for the day’s first four. Australia’s captain is being typically positive against spin. Conditions are overcast at Adelaide with hotter weather forecast for later in the game.

12.06am - FIFTY! Clarke (100b 5x4 0x6) - Monty Panesar is Broad’s bowling partner and Michael Clarke immediately advances to him but miscues and the ball loops agonising over the cover fielder, getting two runs that takes him to a half-century.

12.01am - Brad Haddin drives today’s first ball, from Stuart Broad, through point for two, giving him 1,000 Test runs versus England. No more runs come from the over.

Pre-Play News

The England squad pay their respects to Nelson Mandela #ashespic.twitter.com/J5WkggcB4a

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013

11.58pm - The England and Australia players and coaches, all wearing black armbands, are observing a minute’s silence in memory of Nelson Mandela.

11.50pm - An England and Wales Cricket Board statement on Nelson Mandela is available by clicking here.

11.40pm - While the world pays tribute to Nelson Mandela, who has died aged 95, the in-comparison-trivial but nevertheless fiercely fought Ashes series continues at the Adelaide Oval. With England trailing in the rubber, they will be determined to limit Australia’s first innings on a flat and slow drop-in pitch.

Currently discussing links between Nelson Mandela + cricket. There will be a minutes silence before play + teams will wear black armbands

— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 5, 2013

11.30pm - Hello and welcome to our live text commentary of the second Ashes Test, which is evenly poised with Australia 273 for five after winning the toss. Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin are set to resume on 48 and seven respectively in half an hour.

Lots of people gathering to watch Australia warm up in the nets #Ashespic.twitter.com/N7UW8B7kE9

— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 5, 2013