Updated on
Summary
England will try to push its first innings total toward 400 today when the first Ashes cricket Test against Australia resumes in Cardiff.The hosts lost two wickets in the last four overs yesterday to end day one of the five-match series at 336-7 after winning the toss. Kevin Pietersen was the top scorer with 69, while Paul Collingwood and Matt Prior also hit half-centuries. England, which was swept 5-0 in the last meeting of the 132-year-old contest, yesterday failed to dominate an Australian bowling attack without any previous Ashes experience. Stuart Clark, the leading wicket-taker in the 2006-07 series, was omitted and fast bowler Brett Lee is sitting out the opener because of injury.A 138-run partnership between Pietersen and Collingwood lifted England to 228-4 from 90-3. The hosts then lost Collingwood (64), Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff (37) and Prior (56) in the final session to leave the game evenly poised.Fast bowler Peter Siddle ended an 86-run stand between Flintoff and Prior when allrounder Flintoff played onto his stumps. Prior got out in similar fashion 12 balls later, leaving James Anderson and Stuart Broad to take England to stumps.
