Ashes 2013-14: Early tea taken on Day 4 due to rain; Australia need 6 wickets to win 1st Test

A heavy storm forced an early tea on Day Four of the first Ashes 2013-14 Test at The Gabba © Getty Images

By Shrikant Shankar

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Nov 24, 2013

An early tea was taken on Day Four of the first Ashes 2013-14 Test in Brisbane at The Gabba as a result of a passing storm. England were at 142 for four when heavy rains unleashed over the ground. The storm had passed quickly, but the umpires called for an early break so that the ground staff can ready the playing surface when play resumes.

Alastair Cook is batting on 65 and Joe Root is batting on six. Australia need only six wickets to go 1-0 in the series, while England still need a monumental 419 for an unlikely win. Mitchell Johnson has taken two wickets so far. Kevin Pietersen (26) and Ian Bell (32) were the batsmen to get out on the day.

The afternoon session began with England at 98 for three. Johnson bowled fast and short at Cook and Bell, but the duo were comfortable playing the left-handed quick as they got a few twos with ease.

Johnson came from round the wicket to Cook and bowled a short delivery. Cook, off the back-foot, played a delightful cut in-between gully and point to get a four. In doing so, he reached his half-century. That was England’s first individual fifty of the series.

It was also Cook’s 33rd half-century in Tests. Johnson followed it up with another short delivery. But Cook played an upper cut over the slips for another four. Bell then drove a full and wide delivery for a two in front of square on the off side.

Just as things seemed comfortable for England, Peter Siddle snared Bell with a back of a length delivery that rose sharply off a crack in the turf. Bell could not avoid edging it to Brad Haddin behind the wickets.

Root was the new man in and he got off the mar with a four straight down the ground off Ryan Harris. Cook looked comfortable against off-spinner Nathan Lyon as he played a few cut shots.

But play was cut short as a passing storm halted play.

Brief scores:

Australia 295 (David Warner 49, Brad Haddin 94, Mitchell Johnson 64; Stuart Broad 6 for 81) and 401 for 7 decl. (David Warner 124, Michael Clarke 113; Chris Tremlett 3 for 69) lead England 136 (Michael Carberry 40, Stuart Broad 32; Mitchell Johnson 4 for 61, Ryan Harris 3 for 28) and 142 for 4 (Alastair Cook 65*; Mitchell Johnson 2 for 36) by 419 runs.

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(Shrikant Shankar is a writer/reporter at CricketCountry.com. Previously he has done audio commentary for various matches involving India, Indian Premier League and Champions League Twenty20 for ESPNSTAR.com. You can follow him on Twitter @Shrikant_23)