Clarke powers hosts to huge total

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6 December 2013

Michael Clarke posted his sixth hundred at the Adelaide Oval, in a double-century stand with Brad Haddin, to deflate England in the second Ashes Test.

Clarke (148), already averaging more than 100 runs per innings at his most fruitful venue, batted wonderfully after some early fortune as he and Haddin (118) powered Australia to a mammoth 570 for nine declared by early evening on day two.

England did not help themselves with some more sleepy and costly work in the field, but nothing went right for them either.

Even when it seemed Ben Stokes had broken the sixth-wicket stand at 111, Haddin caught-behind pushing forward, instead Marais Erasmus checked for a no-ball which was confirmed by video replay.

After Haddin therefore retraced his steps to the middle, there was an ugly reprise of the antagonism which marred the first Test in Brisbane, as batsman and bowler engaged in a verbal confrontation at the end of the over and had to be spoken to by Erasmus.

Clarke was unfazed, and duly reached his second hundred of the series in Stokes' next over - his 26th in all, and seventh in the Ashes.

He was not done yet either, batting well into the afternoon, until he did become Stokes' maiden Test victim - chipping the first delivery of a new spell to midwicket off a leading edge to end an exemplary, near six-hour innings having hit 17 fours from 245 balls.

There was to be no revenge for Stokes against Haddin, though, the wicketkeeper-batsman instead completing his hundred off the debutant with a fierce pull for his 11th four to add to four sixes.

He was eventually ninth out, when he edged a cut at Stuart Broad (three for 98) to Matt Prior, in an Australia innings containing an Ashes record 11 sixes - and after number 10 Ryan Harris (55no) had weighed in too, six individual half-centuries.

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