Ben Hilfenhaus ensures he gets it right with the first ball of the Ashes

Australias Ben Hilfenhaus who bowled the first over of the Brisbane Test at the Gabba yesterday didnt quite emulate the ludicrous example of Englands nervy opening bowler Steve Harmison who fired the very first ball of the Ashes Test at the same venue four years ago straight into the hands of a mystified Freddie Flintoff at second slipThe gaffe set the tone for a fivenil series shellacking of EnglandHilfenhaus did quite the opposite by claiming England captain and opening batsman Andrew Strauss with the third ball of his first over of the match caught by Michael Hussey at gully to put England immediately on the back foot Ben HilfenhausWith the ghost of Steve Harmison still apparently hovering above the Gabba and with Australian captain Ricky Ponting ominously predicting the first morning could unravel the course of the series a reporter had puckishly asked England captain Andrew Strauss at the preTest press conference if his seemingly confident squad would experience the sort of nerves betrayed by HarmisonWe know pretty much whos going to be taking that first ball and we know pretty much hes got great control over the ball The first ball doesnt win or lose you the Ashes Strauss obviously choosing to forget the humiliation of the 200607 team of which he was a member responded matteroffactly He went on to say he believed the two sides are so evenly matched the series will be decided over 25 days not the opening ball or session or day or indeed the entire first TestWas it the worst ball I ever bowled Harmison asked selfdeprecatingly recently of his moment of embarrassment He went on to reply I think it was probably the worst ball anyone has ever bowled in Test cricket It was atrocious All I wanted to happen was for a big hole to open up in the ground and for me to jump in it and disappearAustralian opener Justin Langer was then the batsman with Matthew Hayden the nonstriker Hayden said earlier this week Langer thought for a while he had taken guard on the wrong stripFour years earlier England captain Nasser Hussain had been hauled over the coals by the English media for inserting Australia after winning the toss only to see Steve Waughs home side rattle up 364 for two by the end of playHistory aside Strauss is expecting the present series to be tenaciously fought all the way to the last day of the fifth Test at Sydney in the first week of January next year The first day is important obviously and people always look back at the first day of the series and say this might have happened or that might have happenedBut the reality is that generally the better side over the five Tests will win and if you want to be the better side you play consistent cricket for all five Test matchesIf you want to win the series you need to win a lot more days than you lose So thats the way were looking at itEndorsing the England captains point of view Ponting said Theres a lot thats often made of the first hour but its not the beall and endall Test crickets about five long days over five different gamesPonting almost a quarter of whose 39 Test centuries have come in the first innings of the opening match of the series went on to add Ive always really focused on making sure that Im right for that first innings of the series I feel can have a big say in how a series develops with my first innings in a seriesPonting has been under fire for Australias slide from No 1 to No 5 in the ICC Test rankings and his perceived weakness against the rising delivery which induces him to hook and perish caught in the leg and midwicket regions A third successive Ashes defeat after 2005 and 2009 would indubitably spell finis to his distinguished career as Australia captain but a victory could see his reign continue until the next Ashes series in England in 2013Ponting has demanded that the actual Ashes urn be brought to Australia for the last Test he was handed the real sixinch 127year old diminutive trophy after Australias 50 win in 200607 The MCC has declined to make it available again saying its too fragile to be transported across the world to Australia from LordsAn MCC official accompanying the urn to Australia four years ago claimed the pedestal and handles were cracked during travel A Waterford Crystal replica was paraded around the Gabba yesterday by Queensland hero Matthew Hayden Opting to bat after winning the toss England were bowled out for 260 on a slowish wicket which had pronounced bounce Pace bowler Peter Siddle a surprise lastminute inclusion in the squad ahead of the fancied Doug Bollinger celebrated his 26th birthday before a sellout crowd of 42000 with impressive figures of six for 54 including the hattrick wickets of Alastair Cook 67 Matt Prior 0 and Stuart Broad 0 Ian Bell 76 Cook and Kevin Pietersen 43 lent a semblance of respectability to the tourists total