England opener Michael Carberry pleased with England's Day Two performance as visitors battle to keep Ashes hopes alive
There was more DRS controversy as Australia edged closer to regaining the Ashes on the second day of the third Test against England at the WACA Ground on Saturday.
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Michael Carberry
In reply to the home team’s first innings total of 385, the tourists were 180 for four at stumps on Day Two, with Ian Bell on nine (from 62 balls) and Ben Stokes on 14, still trailing by 205 runs.
Michael Carberry was bowled by Ryan Harris to end an opening stand of 85 with Alastair Cook (72).
England are still optimistic they can sustain their fightback from 2-0 down with three to play. Cook and Kevin Pietersen were also gone by stumps, reward for an impressive Australia bowling display in searing temperatures.
Carberry is insistent that all is not lost, but made it clear too England could have done without the perceived injustice of losing their number three cheaply in contentious circumstances.
Carberry defends Pietersen
Pietersen’s departure, to an outstanding catch at mid-on by a leaping Mitchell Johnson off Peter Siddle, was another hammer blow to England’s hopes of victory here to stay in with an outside chance of clinching the Ashes outright for a fourth successive time.
Peter Siddle (left) celebrates the wicket of Kevin Pietersen on Saturday. The Aussie pacer claimed the wicket of KP for the 10th time in Tests
Carberry was unsurprisingly in no mood afterwards to go along with implied criticism for his teammate.u00a0
“I think ‘hanging on in there’ is a dangerous terminology sometimes, when you bat, because you’re out there to score runs. As we know, Kevin is a positive player. That’s what’s made him successful over a long career — he does things that not many of us can.
“It’s a shot I think many of us have seen him play time and time again, and hit it out of the ground. It’s disappointing for him, and us. But we want people to play naturally, and I wouldn’t want to see Kevin put that shot in the locker.”
After an enthralling day’s cricket, this match reached a pivotal point. u00a0Carberry added: “Ideally, we would like to have lost fewer wickets... but it was a good scrap. We’re still in the hunt.”
England skipper Alastair Cook en route his 72 against Australia in Perth on Saturday. PICs/Getty Images
As for the England wickets which fell, he said: “That’s what pressure does. They shut down the scoring at various times. We know when that happens, wickets are likely to come.
“Unfortunately, we weren’t able to build that really big partnership. But from what’s happened so far in innings before in this series, it’s a massive stepping stone in the right direction.”
Australia bowling coach Craig McDermott was full of praise for his charges, and Johnson for the catch which saw off Pietersen. “I thought it was a fantastic piece of athleticism — great catch, and a good wicket for us,” he said.
Brief scores: England 180-4 (Cook 72) trail Australia 385 (Smith 111, Warner 60, Broad 3-100) by 205 runsu00a0
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