Panesar eager to work with Warne

LONDON: Monty Panesar has said it would be beyond his “wildest dreams” to work with Australia great Shane Warne.
Left-arm spinner Panesar, one of the few England players to emerge with some credit following the side’s recent 5-0 Ashes series whitewash, spoke to Warne during last week’s fifth Test in Sydney and would relish the chance to be coached by the leg-spin legend.
“There have been rumours going round about England wanting to offer Shane Warne a coaching job and as a young spinner, I have to say that it would be beyond my wildest dreams to work with him,” Panesar told Monday’s Daily Mail.
“He could be an incredible inspiration to me because he has so much knowledge and experience,” the 24-year-old Northamptonshire bowler added. “I had a long chat with Warney at the end of the last Test, on Friday. It was overwhelming for me - just a young spinner - to be able to listen to him talking about the game,” Panesar, controversially left out of England’s team for the first two Ashes Tests, explained.
“He was very nice to me about it - talking a lot about technical things like the pace to bowl at, angles, stuff like that. He told me that he thought I was a good bowler, but that I had to keep improving my game,” said Panesar, who in his three Tests against Australia took 10 wickets at a shade under 38.

Australia all out at 244 runs in Perth Test

PERTH: Ashes debutant Monty Panesar spun England back into the series on the opening day of the third cricket Test against Australia at the WACA Ground here Thursday, claiming five wickets as the home side were dismissed for 244.

Needing at least a draw to keep their Ashes defence alive, the tourists were energised by the finger spin of Panesar and produced some of their best bowling of the series to dismiss the Australians cheaply after they won the toss and chose to bat.

The home side struck back late in the day to have England 51 for two at stumps, with Andrew Strauss on 24 and Paul Collingwood on 10.

The Australians removed opener Alastair Cook and No.3 Ian Bell cheaply, Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee picking up a wicket apiece, while Shane Warne dropped Collingwood at first slip off Stuart Clark late in the day.

Although local player Mike Hussey held the Australian innings together with an unbeaten 74, Panesar grabbed 5-92 from 24 overs and a rejuvenated Steve Harmison took 4-48 to rock the home side's hopes of wrapping up the Ashes here.