Australian batsman Mike Hussey celebrates his century with his batting partner Brad Haddin during the third day of the first Ashes cricket Test match
Australian batsman Mike Hussey celebrates his century with his batting partner Brad Haddin during the third day of the first Ashes cricket Test match

England fight to avoid early Ashes defeat



England were battling to avoid going one down in the Ashes series after centuries from Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin gave Australia a massive innings lead in the first Test today.

Hussey registered his highest Test score of 195 and Haddin contributed 136 in a Gabba record stand of 307 runs to propel Australia to a 221-run first innings lead on the third day.

England, who have not won a Brisbane Test since Mike Gatting's team prevailed by seven wickets in 1986, reached the close at 19 without loss with Andrew Strauss on 11 and Alastair Cook six.

Australia kept England toiling in the field for 158.4 overs and almost 12 hours before they got their second turn batting, but Hussey said the job was not done yet.

"It's definitely a big challenge for our team," Hussey said. "We've been in some fantastic positions in the last year or so and we have to try and finish the job.

"Test cricket is not easy. We know we will have to work hard for it, but it will be very special if we can."

The leviathan sixth-wicket partnership ended 20 minutes after tea when Haddin was snapped up by Paul Collingwood at first slip off spinner Graeme Swann for 136.

The six-and-a-half hour stand trumped the previous Gabba record partnership of 276 between Don Bradman and Lindsay Hassett for the third wicket against England in 1946-47.

It also ranked as the 12th highest stand in Ashes Tests and the fifth best in Australia.

Hussey surpassed his previous highest Test score of 182 against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2006, more than justifying the selectors' faith as he registered his 12th Test century.

The knock ended a lean run since his last hundred (134 no) against Pakistan in Sydney last January, 14 Test innings ago.

The 35-year-old was finally out when he pulled Steven Finn to Cook at deep square leg, ending an eight-hour 330-ball vigil which included 26 fours and a six.

Haddin's third Test century, his second against England, came in 398 minutes with 16 fours and one six and he brought up his ton with a flourish, slamming Swann over his head for six.

It was deflating day for England, who began promisingly and had little luck in the extended morning session but fell away under the onslaught from the Australian pair.

James Anderson put Haddin down on 113 in Stuart Broad's 29th over after the wicketkeeper had given an earlier chance on 63, when Cook could not take a running catch at long-off from Collingwood's bowling.

The tourists' fielding became ragged and there were several fumbles as Hussey and Haddin continued to pick runs off their bowlers.

The runs began flowing after an excruciating morning for the batsmen in which Hussey had an lbw dismissal against him overruled by referral as England made use of the second new ball.

Hussey referred to the third umpire after he was given out lbw on 82 to Anderson in the third over of the second new ball.

Replays showed the delivery was pitching just outside leg-stump and umpire Aleem Dar's decision was overruled.

Hussey had another "life" on 85 when an Anderson delivery appeared to hit his pads in front, but England had no referrals left to challenge, much to skipper Strauss's disappointment.

Finn, the giant 21-year-old Middlesex paceman, cleaned up the Australian tail to finish with Test best figures of 6-125 off 33.4 overs.

Finn bowled Mitchell Johnson for a duck, had Peter Siddle caught by Swann for six and debutant Xavier Doherty caught in the deep for 16.

"We have to push forward and obviously if those decisions had gone our way then we would be in a different position now," Finn said.

"It's a nice batting track and it's something we're going to dig our heels in and take each hour by hour tomorrow and hopefully put partnerships on the board.

"Obviously to concede such a big first innings deficit is not good, but we think we kept the pressure on and we're confident of getting ourselves out of tricky situations and we're backing ourselves to do that."

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The Bio

Name: Lynn Davison

Profession: History teacher at Al Yasmina Academy, Abu Dhabi

Children: She has one son, Casey, 28

Hometown: Pontefract, West Yorkshire in the UK

Favourite book: The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho

Favourite Author: CJ Sansom

Favourite holiday destination: Bali

Favourite food: A Sunday roast

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Electric scooters: some rules to remember
  • Riders must be 14-years-old or over
  • Wear a protective helmet
  • Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
  • Do not leave electric scooter in locations that obstruct traffic or pedestrians
  • Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
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In numbers: PKK’s money network in Europe

Germany: PKK collectors typically bring in $18 million in cash a year – amount has trebled since 2010

Revolutionary tax: Investigators say about $2 million a year raised from ‘tax collection’ around Marseille

Extortion: Gunman convicted in 2023 of demanding $10,000 from Kurdish businessman in Stockholm

Drug trade: PKK income claimed by Turkish anti-drugs force in 2024 to be as high as $500 million a year

Denmark: PKK one of two terrorist groups along with Iranian separatists ASMLA to raise “two-digit million amounts”

Contributions: Hundreds of euros expected from typical Kurdish families and thousands from business owners

TV channel: Kurdish Roj TV accounts frozen and went bankrupt after Denmark fined it more than $1 million over PKK links in 2013 

Have you been targeted?

Tuan Phan of SimplyFI.org lists five signs you have been mis-sold to:

1. Your pension fund has been placed inside an offshore insurance wrapper with a hefty upfront commission.

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Formula Middle East Calendar (Formula Regional and Formula 4)
Round 1: January 17-19, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 2: January 22-23, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 3: February 7-9, Dubai Autodrome – Dubai
 
Round 4: February 14-16, Yas Marina Circuit – Abu Dhabi
 
Round 5: February 25-27, Jeddah Corniche Circuit – Saudi Arabia
Brief scores:

Toss: Kerala Knights, opted to fielf

Pakhtoons 109-5 (10 ov)

Fletcher 32; Lamichhane 3-17

Kerala Knights 110-2 (7.5 ov)

Morgan 46 not out, Stirling 40

Anghami
Started: December 2011
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Based: Beirut and Dubai
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Size: 85 employees
Stage: Series C
Investors: MEVP, du, Mobily, MBC, Samena Capital

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The biog

Born: Kuwait in 1986
Family: She is the youngest of seven siblings
Time in the UAE: 10 years
Hobbies: audiobooks and fitness: she works out every day, enjoying kickboxing and basketball

RESULTS

Men
1 Marius Kipserem (KEN) 2:04:04
2 Abraham Kiptum (KEN) 2:04:16
3 Dejene Debela Gonfra (ETH) 2:07:06
4 Thomas Rono (KEN) 2:07:12
5 Stanley Biwott (KEN) 2:09:18

Women
1 Ababel Yeshaneh (ETH) 2:20:16
2 Eunice Chumba (BRN) 2:20:54
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5 Caroline Kilel (KEN) 2:29:14

Election pledges on migration

CDU: "Now is the time to control the German borders and enforce strict border rejections" 

SPD: "Border closures and blanket rejections at internal borders contradict the spirit of a common area of freedom" 

Score

New Zealand 266 for 9 in 50 overs
Pakistan 219 all out in 47.2 overs 

New Zealand win by 47 runs

New Zealand lead three-match ODI series 1-0

Next match: Zayed Cricket Stadium, Abu Dhabi, Friday

Company Profile

Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million

Banned items
Dubai Police has also issued a list of banned items at the ground on Sunday. These include:
  • Drones
  • Animals
  • Fireworks/ flares
  • Radios or power banks
  • Laser pointers
  • Glass
  • Selfie sticks/ umbrellas
  • Sharp objects
  • Political flags or banners
  • Bikes, skateboards or scooters
Going grey? A stylist's advice

If you’re going to go grey, a great style, well-cared for hair (in a sleek, classy style, like a bob), and a young spirit and attitude go a long way, says Maria Dowling, founder of the Maria Dowling Salon in Dubai.
It’s easier to go grey from a lighter colour, so you may want to do that first. And this is the time to try a shorter style, she advises. Then a stylist can introduce highlights, start lightening up the roots, and let it fade out. Once it’s entirely grey, a purple shampoo will prevent yellowing.
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At a glance

Global events: Much of the UK’s economic woes were blamed on “increased global uncertainty”, which can be interpreted as the economic impact of the Ukraine war and the uncertainty over Donald Trump’s tariffs.

 

Growth forecasts: Cut for 2025 from 2 per cent to 1 per cent. The OBR watchdog also estimated inflation will average 3.2 per cent this year

 

Welfare: Universal credit health element cut by 50 per cent and frozen for new claimants, building on cuts to the disability and incapacity bill set out earlier this month

 

Spending cuts: Overall day-to day-spending across government cut by £6.1bn in 2029-30 

 

Tax evasion: Steps to crack down on tax evasion to raise “£6.5bn per year” for the public purse

 

Defence: New high-tech weaponry, upgrading HM Naval Base in Portsmouth

 

Housing: Housebuilding to reach its highest in 40 years, with planning reforms helping generate an extra £3.4bn for public finances

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