SECOND TEST, DAY TWO

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Collingwood - great innings for England.

0830: This England team are great. From the second Test onwards. They always seem to start series slowly, but they have what Iain Dowie famously called Bouncebackability. Flintoff deserves great credit for an attacking declaration when it would have been easy to bat on until stumps. The decision to take the new ball himself was also the correct call, and he got his reward with the wicket of Langer, and while a draw remains a big favourite, England are the only team who can win from here. Collingwood and Pietersen's record-breaking partnership has reignited this series after the damp squib in Brisbane.
Imagine if England had lost the toss. DT

0515: Just as well Marcus Trescothick was sent home, eh? Collingwood has blossomed in the last 12 months from a solid tourist with a good one-day record to a Test batsman of real renown.
Only five men have scored more runs than him in Test cricket in 2006 and each of them is regarded as world class - Mohammad Yousuf (he's had a handy year), Younis Khan, Pietersen, Ricky Ponting and Rahul Dravid.
Joyous stuff in Adelaide, but the highlight is undoubtedly the forlorn figures of Warne and McGrath, who have struggled through 70 wicketless overs. Warne has resorted to negative stuff round the wicket, but Pietersen wasn't tempted, just waiting for balls of a length he could attack, while KP danced down the track to smack McGrath around, much to the great man's chagrin.
Part one of England's plan in this match has been achieved in spades.
Now they need 20 wickets... DT

0235: The Aussie crowds keep chanting "Boring, boring" at the England batsmen, but the real culprits have been the bowlers.
Shane Warne has been reduced to Ashley Giles tactics against Kevin Pietersen, while Stuart Clark has decided to just bowl so short that the batsmen can't hit it.
Warne's tactics are astonishing, and if it were Giles doing it, we'd all be up in arms. Rules were introduced to prevent spinners just bowling negatively down the legside, and Warne must be starting to get the umpires thinking.
For the first time in his career against England, Warne actually looks a little short of ideas and inspiration, and the same is true of his great ally Glenn McGrath. Australia have bowled 117 overs in Adelaide. Neither man has a wicket.
That can't have happened too often if ever in the last 15 years, and Baggy Green caps are being scratched in the hunt for some inspiration.
They're both great bowlers who will no doubt confound us all again, but at the moment they also look like ageing bowlers in a weary four-man attack.
I just wonder if Shane Watson's hamstring could end up being as significant in 2006/7 as McGrath's ankle in 2005... Dave Tickner