Australia's Siddle rocks England with hat-trick

Openers Shane Watson and Simon Katich got Australia through the opening session without losing a wicket on the second day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba.Resuming at 25 without loss, the Australians on Friday pushed their first innings score to 59 without loss at first hour drinks under sunny skies.Australia trail England by 201 runs, with all their first innings wickets intact.At drinks, Watson was not out on 28, with Katich on 27.

Paceman Peter Siddle removed Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood in the space of nine balls to give Australia the edge over England on the opening day of the first Ashes Test on Thursday.Siddle, preferred to Doug Bollinger in the starting 11 at the Gabba, swung the game Australia's way after removing the dangerous Pietersen and Collingwood during the middle session.At tea, England, after winning the toss, were 172 for four with opening batsman Alastair Cook unbeaten on 60 in 244 minutes and Ian Bell 26 not out.

Paceman Peter Siddle removed Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood in the space of nine balls to give Australia the edge over England on the opening day of the first Ashes Test on Thursday.Siddle, preferred to Doug Bollinger in the starting 11 at the Gabba, swung the game Australia's way after removing the dangerous Pietersen and Collingwood during the middle session.At tea, England, after winning the toss, were 172 for four with opening batsman Alastair Cook unbeaten on 60 in 244 minutes and Ian Bell 26 not out.

Australian openers Shane Watson and Simon Katich geared up for an upcoming Test series against India with impressive centuries in a practice match on Saturday.Watson scored 115 and Katich made 104 as the tourists posted 319-1 in their first innings at stumps on the opening day of a three-day game against an Indian Board President's XI in Chandigarh.Michael Clarke was unbeaten on 43 and skipper Ricky Ponting on 42 not out.

England were dismissed for 513 and left Australia 415 runs to avoid an innings and series defeat at lunch on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground on Tuesday.James Anderson became the last wicket to fall, bowled by Peter Siddle for the paceman's sixth wicket of the innings shortly before lunch.Jonathan Trott remained unbeaten on 168 as England's marathon innings stretching over 700 minutes and 159.1 overs came to an end.

Shane Watson and Mike Hussey were stabilising Australia's first innings after losing three wickets in 10 balls in a sensational start to the second Ashes Test against England at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.Watson, who was to blame for opening batsman Simon Katich's run out off the fourth ball of the innings, was leading the recovery after Australia were reeling at two for three in the third over.At lunch, Australia were 94 for three after winning the toss with Watson on 50 and first Test centurion Hussey not out 36.

Shane Watson and Mike Hussey were stabilising Australia's first innings after losing three wickets in 10 balls in a sensational start to the second Ashes Test against England at the Adelaide Oval on Friday.Watson, who was to blame for opening batsman Simon Katich's run out off the fourth ball of the innings, was leading the recovery after Australia were reeling at two for three in the third over.At lunch, Australia were 94 for three after winning the toss with Watson on 50 and first Test centurion Hussey not out 36.

Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook shared in a ground record opening stand to strengthen England's chances of salvaging the opening Ashes Test against Australia at the Gabba.Eating into a 221-run innings deficit, the opening pair had taken England to 135 without loss at lunch on the fourth day to trail Australia by 86 runs.Strauss hit some classic cover drives in his unbeaten 79 while Cook was on 51.The pair put on their ninth century partnership together in 82 Test innings and England's highest at the Gabba.