England cling on in Cardiff

Australia unable to dislodge last-wicket pair in final hour

Last updated: 13th July 2009

England cling on in Cardiff

Anderson: Heroic with the bat

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First npower Test Match
Cardiff - Day Five
England 435 (K P Pietersen 69, P D Collingwood 64, M J Prior 56) & 252-9 (P D Collingwood 74) v Australia 674-6 dec (R T Ponting 150, M J North 125 no, S M Katich 122, B J Haddin 121, M J Clarke 83)
England drew with Australia

James Anderson and Monty Panesar held off Australia's bowlers to save England from defeat in a dramatic opening Test in the Ashes series.

The last-wicket pair were unlikely batting heroes as they stood firm for 69 deliveries in the final hour of day five to see their side through to 252-9 at stumps.

Paul Collingwood had held England's second innings together with a determined 74 that saw him occupy the crease for almost six hours.

However, when he was dismissed by Peter Siddle, caught at the second attempt by Michael Hussey in the gully, Australia looked odds-on for victory.

England, though, were able to rely on numbers 10 and 11 to see them through to safety, meaning the two sides are still deadlocked ahead of the start of the second Test at Lord's on Thursday, live on Sky Sports.

Dreadful

The hosts left the Welsh capital with cheers ringing in their ears, a scenario that looked unlikely when they slumped to 70-5 in the morning, still 169 runs behind.

After resuming at 20-2, England lost Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Strauss and Matt Prior during a dreadful first session.

Pietersen (8) shouldered arms to a straight ball from Ben Hilfenhaus in the fourth over of the day, looking on in horror when the expected away swing did not materialise and his off-stump was demolished.

Strauss (17) and Prior (14) followed to ill-advised strokes, both edging attempted cuts as off-spinner Nathan Hauritz got the ball to jump out of the footmarks.

England's eventual saviour, Collingwood, also started shakily, particularly against the impressive Hauritz, but persevered to rebuild the innings in a 57-run alliance with Andrew Flintoff either side of lunch.

The Lancashire all-rounder's 26 was the first in a series of gritty efforts from the lower order as Collingwood shepherded his less accomplished partners in expert fashion.

Flintoff edged low to Ricky Ponting at second slip off Mitchell Johnson (2-44), one of just two wickets to fall in the afternoon.

Stuart Broad (14), who was fortunate to survive a first-ball lbw appeal from Johnson, helped add 32 for the seventh wicket before he was trapped in front by Hauritz (3-63) to reduce England to 159-7.

Torrid

Graeme Swann was given a fearful working over by a fired-up Sidddle either side of tea but overcame blows to glove, bicep and helmet to put on 62 with Collingwood and restore home hopes of a draw.

Ponting rolled the dice again with the second new ball, Hilfenhaus (3-47) trapping Swann (31) lbw as he looked to pull a ball that did not bounce as much as expected.

Collingwood had reached a 167-ball half-century before tea and, with just the tail for company and Australia's lead having dwindled, started to play some shots.

His dismissal for 74 reduced England to 233-9 and, once again, made Australia - who still held an eight-run advantage at that point - strong favourites.

But Anderson squirted consecutive boundaries off Siddle down to third-man to England moved into the lead and, with time running out, an increasingly desperate Ponting was forced to bring on part-time off-spinner Marcus North (0-14) to get some extra overs in.

Anderson (21no) and Panesar (7no), however, proved equal to the task and, as the clock ticked past the cut off point of 6.40pm, every successful block or leave was greeted by wild applause.