Pietersen backs England to win with spin

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

Related Articles

England 'dwarfed' Australia in Ashes: LangerClark, Katich defend Ponting's captaincy capabilit...Siddle puts Aussies on topDon't have Ashes revenge on mind: Ponting

Cardiff: Kevin Pietersen was excited by the prospect of England's spinners playing a major role in the first Ashes Test after seeing the Sophia Gardens pitch take turn here on the first day of the series. England at stumps were 336 for seven after a day of fluctuating fortunes. Pietersen, who top-scored with 69, fell shortly before the close to off-spinner Nathan Hauritz although his dismissal owed more to his mistiming an extravagant sweep shot than cunning deception by the bowler.

But, with England fielding two specialist slow bowlers in Graeme Swann and left-armer Monty Panesar, Pietersen was encouraged by the way Hauritz had turned the ball. "The promising thing is that Nathan Hauritz is spinning it off straight and on day one and we've got two spinners," Pietersen told reporters.

Australia ended the first day of the previous two Ashes series on top with now retired quick Glenn McGrath running through England's top order at Lord's before home batsmen piled on the runs at Brisbane in 2006/07. But here honours were even after fast bowler Peter Siddle took two late wickets to dismiss all-rounder Andrew Flintoff (37) and wicket-keeper Matt Prior (56) whose stand of 86, which came in just 95 balls, was threatening to take the game away from Australia. Pietersen, who shared a fourth-wicket stand of 138 with Paul Collingwood (64) which helped revive England after they were 90 for three, said: "336 for seven, we'll definitely take. "The previous two Ashes series, Australia dominated day one. I could be greedy, the team could be greedy, we'd like to be probably four or five down. "Maybe Colly and myself could have gone on to get a really big score." Hauritz, the only specialist spinner in the Australia squad, had taken just two wickets at an expensive 260 runs in the warm-up matches before this Test. "Although he doesn't have the mystery spin of a Warne, Murali or Mendis, he'a clever bowler, no fool."

As for his dismissal, Pietersen said: "It was unfortunate the ball hit my helmet, otherwise I would have got away it." Australia coach Tim Nielsen said of the shot: "He swept 15 times in the innings beforehand and played them all quite well.