Hussey curbs England recovery with unbeaten 81
(REUTERS) – Mike Hussey made an aggressive 81 not out as Australia reached 220-5 at stumps on the second day of the first Ashes Test at the Gabba in Brisbane.
England’s bowlers took four wickets, including that of Australia captain Ricky Ponting, after lunch but Hussey and wicketkeeper Brad Haddin (22 not out) took the hosts to within 40 runs of England’s first innings total of 260.
James Anderson got the only wicket to fall in front of another packed house during a sunny morning session, having Shane Watson caught in the slips by Andrew Strauss for 36.
But after labouring hard in the morning, Anderson came out firing after the break and got immediate reward when Ponting was caught behind by wicketkeeper Matt Prior for 10 in the first over.
His fellow quick Steve Finn kept up the pressure with his first Ashes wicket when he caught and bowled opener Simon Katich, who had survived a couple of scares to make 50, his 25th Test half-century.
Hussey, under pressure for his place in the side after a thin run of form, tried to take the game back at England, hitting 18 runs off spinner Graeme Swann’s second over of the day, including the first six of the contest over long-on.
England’s bowlers retook the initiative, however, with another two wickets in quick succession.
Michael Clarke had endured a torrid 81-minute examination, including a TV review of a suspected inside edge and a bang on the helmet from a Stuart Broad bouncer, when Finn snared him caught behind by Prior for nine.
Swann, tipped to be a big influence on the series, had tightened up his line and style of attack and got his reward when Marcus North was dismissed for one, courtesy of a good low catch by Paul Collingwood at slip.
But then Hussey and Haddin shared an unbroken 77-run partnership, with the former hitting 13 boundaries in his 144-minute innings, before bad light stopped play just as England were about to take the second new ball.
The series began with a bang on Thursday when Australian paceman Peter Siddle took six wickets, including only the third Ashes hat-trick in the last century.
Australia have not lost a Test match at the Gabba since 1988 but even if they extend that record the series looks like being as close as many had predicted.

ENGLAND first innings 260: I. Bell 76; P. Siddle 6-54
AUSTRALIA first innings (o/n 25 for no wicket)
S. Watson c Strauss b Anderson    36
S. Katich c & b Finn    50 
R. Ponting c (wkp.) Prior b Anderson    10
M. Clarke c (wkp.) b Prior    9
M. Hussey not out    81
M. North c Collingwood b Swann    1
B. Haddin not out    22
Extras: (b-1, lb-6, w-3, nb-1)    11
Total: (5 wickets, 80 overs)    220
Bowling: J. Anderson  21-9-40-2, S. Broad 20-3-41-0, G. Swann 20-4-59-1, S. Finn 15-0-61-2, P. Collingwood 4-1-12-0.