Johnson puts Australia in control of third test

Mitchell Johnson

PERTH, (Reuters) – Mercurial paceman Mitchell   Johnson found his inswinging form to help Australia skittle   England for 187 and wrest back the initiative on a topsy-turvy   second day of the third Ashes test in Perth today.
Mitchell smashed through England’s top order then cleaned   up the tail to finish with 6-38 in a brilliant return after he   was dropped for the second test in Adelaide following a   wayward, wicketless display in the opener in Brisbane.

Mitchell Johnson
Mitchell Johnson

The 29-year-old Queenslander’s efforts sent Australia in   to bat with an 81-run lead, but England’s seamers hit back   with three wickets after tea to leave Australia 119-3 at stumps.
Steve Finn removed Phillip Hughes for 12, coaxing a nick   from the 22-year-old opener that went straight to Paul   Collingwood’s safe hands at third slip.
The young paceman then had Ricky Ponting caught behind for   one, the struggling Australian captain feathering a catch off   his glove to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.
Ponting, who has not surpassed 12 runs in his past four   innings, was given not out, but England successfully appealed   the decision to ensure the embattled 35-year-old receives   another harsh reception in Saturday’s newspapers.
Michael Clarke smashed four boundaries in an aggressive   20-run cameo but undone himself by chasing a Chris Tremlett   delivery onto his stumps as Australia wobbled on 64-3.
Clarke’s dismissal brought the hosts’ serial rescuer Mike   Hussey to the crease and the 35-year-old left-hander proved   rock-solid again, adding an unbeaten 24 in a 55-run stand with   opener Shane Watson (61 not out) to see Australia to a 200-run   lead at stumps.
Trailing 1-0 in the five-test series and harangued by a   hostile local media after being bowled out for 268 on   Thursday, Australia have seven wickets in hand and every hope   of building a match-winning total on day three.
Much of the credit will go to their enigmatic paceman   Johnson, who ignited the Australian attack in the morning   session with a fierce spell of swing bowling.
After England raced to 78 without loss, Johnson caused   Alastair Cook to miscue a drive straight to Hussey at gully,   then trapped Jonathan Trott for four and Kevin Pietersen lbw   for a duck.
Johnson grabbed his third lbw by dismissing Collingwood   for five then celebrated his fifth and sixth wickets by   bowling pacemen Tremlett for two and having James Anderson   caught for a duck.
Johnson’s withering spell had his fellow seamers bouncing   and paceman Ryan Harris finished with 3-59 after dismissing   England captain Andrew Strauss for 52, Ian Bell (53) and   spinner Swann for 11.
Peter Siddle toiled in a fruitless morning session but was   rewarded after lunch with a wicket when he bowled Prior for 12.
Australia are battling to level the five-test series and   prevent the tourists from becoming the first English team to   take the Ashes home in 24 years.