third test: day four commentary

By Dave Tickner

0948: CLOSE
England, 2nd Innings 265 for five, need 292 more runs to win
England were three overs away from a great day. But a tired McGrath removed a tired Cook, and the bonus wicket of the nightwatchman means that you have to say Australia have had the better of the day, because the bottom line is they will now win the match and regain the Ashes. Twenty minutes ago, that was far from certain.

0948: Over 96 Flintoff pushes into the covers and scurries through for a single. Good thinking from the skipper, getting the established batsman on strike. Pietersen hits down the ground and gets a single to leave Flintoff back on strike. He's able to guide the ball behind point for another run. Pietersen pushes the fourth ball into the legside and trots through for another single the Australians are happy to concede. Flintoff blocks the fifth delivery and survives the sixth.
England 2nd Inns, 265/5: Pietersen 37*, Flintoff 2*

0943: Over 95 Big lbw appeal against Pietersen, but the ball pitched outside leg. Warne then rips one past the outside edge, and this is fantastic cricket at the end of the day from Australia. Pietersen gets through the over, and there's one more to go.
England 2nd Inns, 261/5: Pietersen 35*, Flintoff 0*

0939: Over 94 Flintoff plays and misses twice in succession. Double-wicket maiden, and it's turned the mood around inside the WACA. Australia are now sure to win after England had just got them worried.
England 2nd Inns, 261/5: Pietersen 35*, Flintoff 0*

0937: Now Andrew Flintoff has to come in and get through to stumps.

0936: WICKET!
MJ Hoggard b McGrath 0 Hoggard lasts just two balls, and all England's optimism disappears. It's another fantastic delivery from McGrath, opening Hoggard up with one that pitches on the stumps and straightens to take out off stump.

0934: Nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard is in to try and bat for the close.

0932: WICKET!
AN Cook c Gilchrist b McGrath 116 Huge wicket just before the close, and the centurion has gone. Great ball from McGrath, just shaping away from the left-hander and catching the edge. That puts a very different spin on the day's proceedings, and you can see what that wicket means to the Australian fielders. McGrath has done the trick.

0930: Over 93 Cook tucks the ball to deep square-leg for a single to bring up Warne's gallon. Pietersen kicks a couple away to end the over.
England 2nd Inns, 261/3: Cook 116*, Pietersen 35*

0926: Warne is into the attack for a couple of overs at the end of the day.

0925: Over 92 Pietersen gets a thick inside edge into the legside and runs hard to get back for a second run. Tidy over from McGrath, but the only alarm for Pietersen comes when he wanders outof his ground after letting the ball go through to the keeper, and Gilchrist flicks the ball back at the stumps.
England 2nd Inns, 260/3: Cook 115*, Pietersen 35*

0920: Over 91 Lee is round the wicket to Pietersen, but that just gives him room to hammer the ball through the covers. Very little footwork from Pietersen, but he got the ball right out of the middle of the bat. Pietersen tucks the ball off his hip, and with a tired McGrath doing the fielding in the deep comes back for the second run. England now need exactly 300 runs to win. There are hearts in mouths as Pietersen takes on the short ball with two men out, but the ball lands well short of Michael Clarke.
England 2nd Inns, 258/3: Cook 115*, Pietersen 33*

0915: Over 90 McGrath starts with a real loosener outside off stump, and Cook lashes it behind point for four runs. Cook works a very straight delivery into the legside for two runs, and England's 250 comes up.
England 2nd Inns, 251/3: Cook 115*, Pietersen 26*

0911: I spoke too soon about Ponting and Clark, with the Australia captain once again turning to McGrath.

0910: Over 89 Cook pushes into the covers for a single. Pietersen plays out the over. Seven overs remaining tonight, and it's a hugely significant little session.
England 2nd Inns, 245/3: Cook 109*, Pietersen 26*

0906: Over 88 Clark beats Pietersen outside the off stump. Good fortune for Pietersen as an attempte drive through extra-cover flies wide of gully for four runs. Not a convincing shot, but it did go all along the ground. Another excellent over from Clark, and late in the day Ponting does seem to have realised Clark is his most likely seamer.
England 2nd Inns, 244/3: Cook 108*, Pietersen 26*

0902: Over 87 Cook whips the ball through midwicket and gets three runs as McGrath slides to prevent the boundary. That's the 50 partnership, and Pietersen adds another single with a push into the legside. Another pull shot from Cook earns him two more runs as Lee follows two yorkers with a short ball.
England 2nd Inns, 240/3: Cook 108*, Pietersen 22*

0857: Over 86 Pietersen blocks the first five deliveries of Clark's over, and stretches to get the final ball through the covers for a couple.
England 2nd Inns, 234/3: Cook 103*, Pietersen 21*

0852: Over 85 Swing straight away for Lee, but it's down the legside and has Gilchrist tumbling to his right to gather. Another legside ball flicks off the pad, and Gilchrist dives to take it neatly one-handed. Big lbw shout against Cook, but Koertzen shakes his head after a long look. The ball pitched just about on leg stump, and might just have been swinging down the legside.
England 2nd Inns, 232/3: Cook 103*, Pietersen 19*

0848: Lee is into the attack to have a tilt wit hthe new ball.

0848: Over 84 Clark bowls one loosener with the old ball before making the exchange with Aleem Dar. Pietersen gets a thick inside edge into the legside for a single, and Cook adds another run working the ball off his hip to fine-leg.
England 2nd Inns, 232/3: Cook 103*, Pietersen 19*

0844: Clark is back into the attack, so the new ball is presumably imminent.

0844: Over 83 Pietersen gets back to force through the covers for a single, and Cook resolutely defends the rest of Warne's over.
England 2nd Inns, 230/3: Cook 102*, Pietersen 18*

0840: Over 82 Cook works the ball into the legside for two runs and defends the rest of Symonds' over.
England 2nd Inns, 229/3: Cook 102*, Pietersen 17*

0837: Over 81 Cook chips the ball just out of Warne's reach, but can't get the single he desperately wants. Twice Cook works the ball into the legside, and twice he finds the fielder. But the sixth ball does find some space and Cook gets through to a fantastic century.
England 2nd Inns, 227/3: Cook 100*, Pietersen 17*

0837: Cook 100: 257 balls, 8 x 4s

0833: Warne will continue with the old ball for now. Cook on strike one short of a century.

0831: Drinks. Collingwood caught Adelaide Syndrome and fell to Clark. But the arriveal of Pietersen in the middle seems to have sparked Cook back into life, and the run-rate is on the increase again. A run-out looks the most likely form of dismissal here at the moment, with some interesting calling between these two.

0831: Over 80 Cook gets ever closer with a flick through midwicket for two. Cook blocks the next three balls and gets a quick single from the final ball of the over to go to 99. New ball due.
England 2nd Inns, 226/3: Cook 99*, Pietersen 17*

0827: Over 79 Cook forces Warne through cover-point off the back foot for two runs. He moves within a boundary of his century with a drive through the covers for three more.
England 2nd Inns, 223/3: Cook 96*, Pietersen 17*

0824: Over 78 Symonds bowls a quicker one well down the legside and it goes away to the boundary to get England five wides. Pietersen hammers the next ball down the ground but has to settle for a single as Lee makes a fine diving stop. A nervous Cook plays and misses twice, but gets a single with a fine tickle on the legside. Pietersen places the ball into a gap at square-leg and runs hard to get back for two. Nine runs from an eventful over.
England 2nd Inns, 218/3: Cook 91*, Pietersen 17*

0820: Over 77 Big shout for lbw, but again Cook got himself outside the line. Cook squirts a full delivery from Warne wide of slip to move into the 90s. Just some signs of nerves from Cook as he approaches a first Ashes ton.
England 2nd Inns, 209/3: Cook 90*, Pietersen 14*

0817: Over 76 Good maiden over from Symonds, keeping Pietersen in check. The batsman came down the track a couple of times but Symonds managed to drag the ball down shorter both times and force Pietersen into a defensive shot.
England 2nd Inns, 207/3: Cook 88*, Pietersen 14*

0814: Change of ends for Symonds, so it'll be spin at both ends.

0813: Over 75 Warne starts his spell with a maiden as Cook has a good look at the leg-spinner.
England 2nd Inns, 207/3: Cook 88*, Pietersen 14*

0810: Warne back into the attack in place of Symonds.

0809: Over 74 Pietersen gets a second boundary, hammering through square-leg for four. He didn't middle it, but got plenty of bat on it and with his power it races away. Just the boundary from the over as Clark perseveres around off stump.
England 2nd Inns, 207/3: Cook 88*, Pietersen 14*

0805: Over 73 Symonds continues, and Cook works the ball to midwicket for a single. Pietersen guides the ball behind point for two runs and then hammers the next ball straight back past Symonds for four. Pietersen again plays the ball behind point and after a bit of mid-pitch discussion, the batsmen go through for a single. To paraphrase the Kaiser Chiefs, I Predict A Run-out.
England 2nd Inns, 203/3: Cook 88*, Pietersen 10*

0801: Over 72 Pietersen works to leg and wants to come back for two, but Cook sends him back. Just for a second it looks like there could be a problem, but he cgets back safely. Cook works the next ball to midwicket for a single, and there's a noticeable increase in noise and general chatter with Pietersen at the crease. A very short ball from Clark barely gets above stump height, and comletely stitches up Gilchrist down the legside. Four byes are the result, and England will accept runs in any form here.
England 2nd Inns, 195/3: Cook 87*, Pietersen 3*

0757: Over 71 Pietersen comes down the track and pushes to a deep mid-on for a single. Cook drives behind point and scampers back for two. Gilchrist whips the bails off from Clarke's throw, and the third umpire is asked to have a look, but Cook is safely home.
England 2nd Inns, 189/3: Cook 86*, Pietersen 2*

0752: Over 70 Pietersen gets off the mark with a quick single pushed into the covers. He's taking on Symonds there, which might not be the best plan.
England 2nd Inns, 186/3: Cook 84*, Pietersen 1*

0750: Kevin Pietersen is the new batsman. This partnership is the key for England now. Pietersen simply has to fire.

0749: WICKET!
PD Collingwood c Gilchrist bClark 5 Big wicket for Australia, and Collingwood had batted himself to a standstill. He caught a bit of Adelaide Syndrome and pays the price, feathering to Gilchrist with an indeterminate prod forward. Clark deserves that wicket, and he should have bowled much more today.

0747: Over 69 Collingwood drives into the covers for a single, and Cook plays out the over.
England 2nd Inns, 185/2: Cook 84*, Collingwood 5*

0743: Over 68 Maiden over from Clark, and he beats Cook with a good one that just shapes away from the left-hander. Cook just needs to get back into the groove he was in before tea.
England 2nd Inns, 184/2: Cook 84*, Collingwood 4*

0739: Over 67 Cook gets an outside edge looking to work the ball to leg, and it just evades Hayden at slip. Cook gets a single from that, but a nervy moment. Collingwood plays out the over, and he seems to be setting himself for another long innings.
England 2nd Inns, 184/2: Cook 84*, Collingwood 4*

0736: Symonds will continue his spell after one over of off-breaks before the interval.

0736: Over 66 Cook punches down the ground for three as Symonds prevents the boundary, and Collingwood plays out the over.
England 2nd Inns, 183/2: Cook 83*, Collingwood 4*

0732: Clark will bowl the first over after tea.

0732: The players are back out on the field for the final session of the day.

0712: TEA
England, 2nd Innings 180 for two, need 377 more runs to win
Another good session for England, though Bell will be furious with himself for getting out in the way he did with a maiden Ashes century within his grasp. Australia should still complete the victory they need to regain the Ashes, but Bell and Cook have at least made them work hard. If England get through this evening's session unscathed or losing just one wicket, then they can start thinking about something extraordinary.

0712: Over 65 Cook moves into the 80s with a nurdle into the legside. Collingwood manages to get through the over and another good session for England comes to an end.
England 2nd Inns, 180/2: Cook 80*, Collingwood 4*

0709: Over 64 Cook defends into the gully and Collingwood calls him through for a single. Collingwood plays out the over, but Australia have rushed through it and will get another one in before tea.
England 2nd Inns, 179/2: Cook 79*, Collingwood 4*

0705: Symonds is into the attack, tying his hair up again to keep his locks out of his eyes. He bowled medium-pace in the first innings, but it's off-spin today.

0705: Over 63 Warne beats Cook with a googly that bounces off the batsman's back leg and bounces into the hands of Hayden at slip. The third ball is fired in towards leg stump and flicks off Cook's pads for a leg-bye. Collingwood flicks through square-midwicket for two runs.
England 2nd Inns, 178/2: Cook 78*, Collingwood 4*

0701: Over 62 The controlled pull shot has been a feature of Cook's batting, and he gets a single from another well-played example. Collingwood lets the final ball of Clark'e over go through to the keeper.
England 2nd Inns, 175/2: Cook 78*, Collingwood 2*

0657: Over 61 Another big leg-before shout from Warne, but Cook gets himself outside the line on this occasion and was playing a shot, so no problem for the umpire. Cook works the ball to deep backward-square for a single. Collingwood blocks the last two deliveries of Warne's over.
England 2nd Inns, 174/2: Cook 77*, Collingwood 2*

0654: Over 60 Cook gets a single with a well-timed defensive push down the ground. Collingwood gets off the mark with a thick inside edge through square-leg for two.
England 2nd Inns, 173/2: Cook 76*, Collingwood 2*

0650: Over 59 There's a renewed spring in the step of Warne as he bowls a teasing and testing maiden over to the new batsman Collingwood.
England 2nd Inns, 170/2: Cook 75*, Collingwood 0*

0646: Over 58 Clark starts his spell with a typically accurate maiden over. He's been criminally underbowled today. Again he's looked the best of the Aussie seamers.
England 2nd Inns, 170/2: Cook 75*, Collingwood 0*

0642: Finally Ponting turns to Clark, who will bowl just his seventh over of the innings.

0641: Over 57 Paul Collingwood is the new batsman for England, but he won't be on strike with Bell falling to the final ball of Warne's over.
England 2nd Inns, 170/2: Cook 75*, Collingwood 0*

0640: WICKET!
IR Bell c Langer b Warne 87 Warne finally gets his man. Bell had hit him through midwicket for another boundary earlier in the over, but then drives uppishly straight into Justin Langer's hands at short cover. Great innings, but England needed more.

0637: Over 56 Another controlled pull shot gets Cook a single to long-leg from the final ball of a tidy Lee over.
England 2nd Inns, 165/1: Cook 74*, Bell 83*

0633: Over 55 Full-toss from Warne, and Bell puts it away dismissively through midwicket. Lovely shot, and Bell gets another run with a push through the covers. Cook is beaten outside the off stump as Warne continues to strive for a breakthrough. Cook kicks the next one away, and Warne appeals vociferously for lbw. It spins sharply, but was probably bouncing over the top. Warnie disagrees. Cook works the next ball into the legside for a single.
England 2nd Inns, 164/1: Cook 73*, Bell 83*

0629: Over 54 Cook pulls round the corner for one run, and Bell adds three with a quality shot forced through the covers off the back foot. England need under 400 to win now.
England 2nd Inns, 158/1: Cook 72*, Bell 78*

0624: Over 53 Big appeal for a bat-pad catch against Cook, but the ball came straigt off the flap of the pad, and Koertzen gets it right. Cook plays a cracking shot through midwicket off the back foot to get gour runs to bring up the 150, and therefore the 150 partnership with England's wicket falling before a run was scored. Cook gets a thick inside edge into the legside for a single to end another frustrating over for Warne.
England 2nd Inns, 154/1: Cook 71*, Bell 75*

0620: Over 52 Cook eases a full delivery from Lee down the ground for a single. Gilchrist drops a tough chance as Bell edges a very full delivery from Lee. It's a difficult chance, but Gilchrist did get a glove to it. Bell survives and gets two runs into the bargain.
England 2nd Inns, 149/1: Cook 66*, Bell 75*

0616: Over 51 Bell pushes down the ground for a simple single, and Cook adds another with a tuck off his pads. Escape for Bell who tries to cut a ball that's too full and too close. Happily for the batsman he makes no contact, and Warne's frustration grows. The next ball is a big leg-break that fizzes past the outside edge. Great stuff from Warne, but Bell is still there.
England 2nd Inns, 146/1: Cook 65*, Bell 73*

0610: Drinks. Another good hour for England, with Bell and Cook adding 45 runs without loss. Bell seems to have come through a slightly sticky patch and again looks secure. There's still an awful lot of work for England today, but they have had a perfect day so far.

0610: Over 50 Loose drive from Cook to a length ballfrom Lee. The ball misses the edge, and Cook admonishes himself. The next one is a similar delivery and left alone. Lee follows with ashort ball, and Cook pulls it to midwicket for two runs. Good, controlled shot from Cook.
England 2nd Inns, 144/1: Cook 64*, Bell 72*

0606: Over 49 Bell pushes to midwicket for a single before both Cook and Gilchrist fail to pick Warne's googly to general amusement in the middle. A short ball from Warne is hit hard to deep midwicket by Cook, but he gets only a single. Warne ends an imaginitive over with a topspinner that has Bell in trouble briefly, but he takes a blow on the body and no harm done.
England 2nd Inns, 142/1: Cook 62*, Bell 72*

0602: Over 48 Cook hits to Clark at mid-on and scampers a single. Clark throws down the stumps but Cook is well home. Bell plays into the gully area off the back foot and collects a single. Cook lets the last ball of the over go through to Gilchrist.
England 2nd Inns, 140/1: Cook 61*, Bell 71*

0558: Over 47 Cook gets an inside edge into his pads but the ball lobs out of Hussey's reach at short-leg. A clever late cut gets two runs, and A nurdle into the legside earns Cook a single.
England 2nd Inns, 138/1: Cook 60*, Bell 70*

0554: Over 46 Cook drives into the covers and gets a single despite Mike Hussey's parry. Bell flicks an offline delivery to fine-leg for a single, and Cook adds another with a controlled pull shot.
England 2nd Inns, 135/1: Cook 57*, Bell 70*

0549: Lee is back into the attack in place of McGrath. Can't understand why McGrath has bowled so much more than Lee or Clark today, as he has looked by far the least threatening of the seamers.

0549: Over 45 Cook works the ball to square-leg off the back foot for a single. Bell gets four high-quality runs, whipping a half-volley from Warne through midwicket, and plays inside another sharp-turning delivery from Warne.
England 2nd Inns, 132/1: Cook 55*, Bell 69*

0546: Over 44 Bell gets on top of a short ball to drop the ball at his feet. Cook calls him through for a good sharp single. Cook punches through midwicket for three more and runs are just starting to come again for England after a sticky patch.
England 2nd Inns, 127/1: Cook 54*, Bell 65*

0542: Over 43 Short and wide from Warne, and this time Cook cuts well in front of square and finds the gap. The ball races to the boundary and maybe that will settle some nerves. Cook gets his first 50 against Australia in unconvincing style with an inside edge that gets between stumps and keeper. Another cut brings a single, and an expensive over ends witha single to Bell on the offside.
England 2nd Inns, 123/1: Cook 51*, Bell 64*

0540: Cook 50: 129 balls, 7 x 4s

0538: Over 42 Length ball from McGrath explodes out of the pitch, and Bell does brilliantly to sway out of the way as the ball rears at him. First ball that's really done something untoward, and two balls later a ball of similar length almost gets under Bell's forward defensive. Bell unconvincingly chips over mid-off for two runs, and these are danger times for the Warwickshire man. Frequently in his Test career he's fallen between 50 and 74, and he's in danger of doing so again.
England 2nd Inns, 113/1: Cook 42*, Bell 63*

0534: Over 41 Bell forces through the covers off the back foot for two runs, and whips through midwicket for a single as Warne drops a fraction short. Cook defends the final ball of Warne's over.
England 2nd Inns, 111/1: Cook 42*, Bell 61*

0531: Over 40 Good maiden over from McGrath,including one off-cutter that jags past Cook's outside edge.
England 2nd Inns, 108/1: Cook 42*, Bell 58*

0528: Over 39 Warne beats Bell again with another sharp leg-break. Warne repeats the trick two balls later, and completes his first maiden over of the innings.
England 2nd Inns, 108/1: Cook 42*, Bell 58*

0524: Over 38 Bell gets away with a silly shot, chipping the ball into the legside. He gets a single, but is rightly cross with himself. The rest of the over is pretty uneventful, but Bell mustn't give this away after doing all the hard work.
England 2nd Inns, 108/1: Cook 42*, Bell 58*

0520: Over 37 Bell is beaten by a sharp-turning leg-break, but gets three runs two balls later with a pleasing drive through the covers. Cook again tries to cut but doesn't make proper contact. He lets one go that almost turns far enough to threaten the stumps, but Cook survives another over.
England 2nd Inns, 107/1: Cook 42*, Bell 57*

0517: Over 36 Cook gets a thick outside edge, and the ball goes between slips and gully all along the ground for four runs. Australia aren't yet worried about runs, but McGrath looks none too impressed. Just that boundary from the over as Cook looks increasingly solid in defence.
England 2nd Inns, 104/1: Cook 42*, Bell 54*

0514: Ricky Ponting has turned to his two most experienced campaigners immediately after lunch, with McGrath also into the attack.

0513: Over 35 Cook works to leg for a single to bring up the 100 partnership and Bell plays out the over defensively.
England 2nd Inns, 100/1: Cook 38*, Bell 54*

0511: Warne will continue, despite going at over five an over this morning.

0510: The players are back out on the field for the afternoon session. Apparently some England fans around the ground are beginning to mutter about famous victories. That's dangerous talk, lads.

0431: LUNCH
England, 2nd Innings 99 for one, need 458 more runs to win
Fair play. These two, and Bell in particular, have done very well this morning and both batsmen have adopted the right mentality. Bell targeted Warne, hitting him over the top on three occasions as the tourists made a conscious effort not to get bogged down as they did in Adelaide. There's an awful long way to go, but you can only eat an elephant one bite at a time.

0431: Over 34 McGrath jags one back at Bell, and the batsman takes a painful whack in the area Richie Benaud euphemistically dubbed "between the knee rolls". But Bell survives the over, and England have achieved their first objective.
England 2nd Inns, 99/1: Cook 37*, Bell 54*

0427: Over 33 Cook pulls a short ball from Warne to midwicket, and a rare Symonds misfield concedes a single. Mid-off has gone back now, and Bell pushes down the ground for a single. Warne tries his luck over the wicket to Cook. A short ball from Warne is hit high towards deep square-leg by Cook. McGrath comes in, but has completely misjudged it and the ball sails over his head for a one-bounce four. He must have lost it in the crowd, and Warne is none too amused.
England 2nd Inns, 99/1: Cook 37*, Bell 54*

0423: Over 32 Good over from McGrath, just a no-ball coming from it as Bell plays defensively.
England 2nd Inns, 93/1: Cook 32*, Bell 53*

0419: Over 31 Warne brings long-off back into mid-off, and Bell accepts the invitation, coming down the track and hitting Warne over the top for six runs. He comes down the track to the next ball, and Warne throws it wide. It's well bowled, but Bell does brilliantly to still get the middle of thebat on the ball and lace it through the covers for four to bring up his half-century. It's his third of the series and easily the best. Bell picks a googly two balls later and works it to leg for a single, and Cook blocks ball six.
England 2nd Inns, 92/1: Cook 32*, Bell 53*

0418: Bell 50: 83 balls, 5 x 4s, 2 x 6s

0416: Over 30 Mcgrath strays onto leg stump from around the wicket and Cook is able to flick it away fine for four runs. The rest of the over is on line, but solidly played by Cook.
England 2nd Inns, 81/1: Cook 32*, Bell 42*

0412: McGrath is back into the attack.

0411: Over 29 Good footwork again from Bell, getting to Warne on the full and hitting through square-leg for two runs. Bell misses an attempted sweep, but gets a single with a push down the ground. Cook kicks the ball out of the rough, and it runs away to the boundary. No runs of course as the batsman offered no shot. Cook gets right back to work the ball into the legside for a single from the final ball of the over
England 2nd Inns, 77/1: Cook 28*, Bell 42*

0407: Over 28 Bell clips to long-leg for a single. Cook gets one that bounces on him after going through the surface of the pitch, and he pops it up in the air but bouncing short of the bowler in his followthrough. Another fine over from the metronomic Clark.
England 2nd Inns, 73/1: Cook 27*, Bell 39*

0403: Over 27 Cook forces into the covers off the back foot to get off strike against Warne. Bell uses his feet to get the ball to long-off for a single. Good batting, but Warne should surely be offering Bell the chance to try and go over the top again. Cook plays out the over.
England 2nd Inns, 72/1: Cook 27*, Bell 38*

0400: Over 26 Momentary lapse from Bell, wafting at a wide ball from Clark. He's cross with himself, but he's still at the crease. Just don't try it again. Maiden over from Clark, as Bell plays out the remaining deliveries rather more circumspectly.
England 2nd Inns, 70/1: Cook 26*, Bell 37*

0356: Over 25 Warne spins one through Cook's forward defensive shot, but the ball misses the off stump. Cook is happy to get off strike working the ball to midwicket, and Bell adds another single, pushing the final ball of the over to deep cover-point.
England 2nd Inns, 70/1: Cook 26*, Bell 37*

0351: Drinks. Nicely done by England this morning. Cook and Bell have adopted exactly the right approach, not taking undue risks but still looking to be positive when the bad ball is offered. Still far too early to even think about anything other than a comfortable Australia victory, but at least there's some fight from England this morning.

0351: Over 24 Clark spoils an otherwise accurate over with a short, wide ball that Bell cuts hard behind point for four.
England 2nd Inns, 68/1: Cook 25*, Bell 36*

0347: Over 23 Cook squirts a drive behind point for a couple of runs, and cuts the ball straight at point twice in the over. That's a dangerous shot to be playing with the ball spinning back sharply, as Hayden found out yesterday.
England 2nd Inns, 64/1: Cook 25*, Bell 32*

0343: Over 22 Maiden over from Clark to Bell, and England safely negotiate another six deliveries.
England 2nd Inns, 62/1: Cook 23*, Bell 32*

0339: Over 21 Bell pushes down the ground for a single with long-off now in place. Cook survives a very close lbw shout as he goes back to one that turns sharply. It hits him in front of off stump and was just clipping leg, so a tough one for the umpire to give. Warne can't believe it's not been given.Cook gets two runs from the next ball with a strange cross between a late cut and a leave. Cook gets through the over, but Warne is into his stride
England 2nd Inns, 62/1: Cook 23*, Bell 32*

0335: Over 20 Cook gets a painful blow on the knuckles as Clark gets the ball to lift from just short of a length. Good cricket from Bell at the non-striker's end, calling his partner through for a single. Bell gets a single with a thick inside edge into the legside, and Cook adds another couple with a flick to deep square-leg. The batsmen think about a third, but with Stmonds doing the fielding they wisely decide against it. England now need under 500 for victory...
England 2nd Inns, 59/1: Cook 21*, Bell 31*

0330: Over 19 Warne's first ball spins sharply down the legside, and the next one is a fraction short. Cook pulls to deep midwicket for a single. Bell v Warne again, and the batsman wins the first round, coming down the track and hitting over mid-off for four. Warne hits back with a beauty that spins sharply past the outside edge. But Warne is Shermanated off the final ball, as Bell comes down the track again and makes even better contact to get the ball over the rope at long-off for six runs, bringing up the 50 partnership in the process.
England 2nd Inns, 55/1: Cook 18*, Bell 30*

0325: Double bowling change, and Warne is into the attack for the first time. He's five short of the magical 700, and he's got to fancy his chances of getting them here.

0325: Over 18 Good first over from Clark, troubling Bell a couple of times with movement back into the batsman. Clark really ought to be opening the bowling for Australia.
England 2nd Inns, 44/1: Cook 17*, Bell 20*

0321: First bowling change of the innings as Stuart Clark is brought into the attack in place of McGrath.

0321: Over 17 Bell clips nicely through midwicket for three runs. Cook drives nicely to mid-off, but Symonds is there to make another cracking stop diving to his left. What a great fielder he is.
England 2nd Inns, 44/1: Cook 17*, Bell 20*

0317: Over 16 McGrath starts with a no-ball, but other than that his over is spot on, forcing Cook to play at everything, and beating the bat with the final ball. Great bowling from Pigeon. In other news, Cook has now faced more deliveries in this innings than Gilchrist did yesterday...
England 2nd Inns, 41/1: Cook 17*, Bell 17*

0310: Drinks. So far, so good for England. Apart from that last delivery that kept a touch low, there have been few alarms for these two young England batsmen. Nine overs down, just another 171 to go for England to get a draw...

0310: Over 15 Bell gets a thick outside edge into the gully, and Matthew Hayden makes a good diving stop, with perhaps an element of showmanship for the cameras. The final ball of the over keeps a little low, but it's safely wide of the stumps and scuttles through to Adam Gilchrist.
England 2nd Inns, 40/1: Cook 17*, Bell 17*

0306: Over 14 Good maiden over from McGrath, ending with a ball that squeezes through Cook off inside edge and pad, bounceing through to Shane Warne at first slip.
England 2nd Inns, 40/1: Cook 17*, Bell 17*

0301: Over 13 Lee goes wide of the crease and tries to bowl a yorker. It turns into a full toss and Bell keeps it out. Bell gets asingle with a push into the covers that Symonds slides to field, preventing any thought of a second run. Cook digs out a yorker from Lee, and gets through for a quick single.
England 2nd Inns, 40/1: Cook 17*, Bell 17*

0257: Over 12 Cook shows good judgement to leta few go outside his off stump and when McGrath's line straightens the batsman is able to whip it into the legside for a couple of runs. Steady start for England this morning with few alarms thus far.
England 2nd Inns, 38/1: Cook 16*, Bell 16*

0253: Over 11 Great hook shot from Cook, smashing a rapid short ball from Lee through midwicket for four. Lee comes round the wicket again, and Cook pushes defensively into the covers and scurries through for a single. Good cricket.
England 2nd Inns, 36/1: Cook 14*, Bell 16*

0249: Over 10 Bell looks good this morning, solidly playing out a maiden over from McGrath.
England 2nd Inns, 31/1: Cook 9*, Bell 16*

0245: Over 9 Strangled lbw shout from Lee as he hits Cook on the pads, but the batsman does well to get outside the line. Lee's next ball flicks off Cook's pads from around the wicket and runs away for a leg-bye. A short, wide ball from Lee is hit through the covers off the back foot. It's not out of the middle, but looks certain to reach the fence before Andrew Symonds flings himself at the ball to flick it back millimetres from the rope. Great fielding to save a single, and it just typifies the Aussies' approach. Lee is back over the wicket to Cook, who plays out the last two balls of the over defensively.
England 2nd Inns, 31/1: Cook 9*, Bell 16*

0241: Over 8 McGrath starts with a very stiff-looking wide and follows it up with a no-ball two balls later. He's on the spot next up, jagging the ball past Bell's outside edge. The eight and final ball of McGrath's over is short, and Bell is quickly onto it, pulling through midwicket for four.
England 2nd Inns, 27/1: Cook 9*, Bell 13*

0235: Glenn McGrath will bowl the second over of the day.

0234: Over 7 Cook pulls the final ball of Lee's opening over to long-leg for a couple of runs.
England 2nd Inns, 21/1: Cook 9*, Bell 9*

0230: Brett Lee will bowl the first over of the day.

0229: Alastair Cook and Ian Bell are out on the field, following an understandably confident-looking Australian team.

0228: From the Mailbox:
HE-Pennypacker: 'Two shocking decisions? Yeah, right... Replays were inconclusive that Hussey's touched the bat, and television's latest high tech tool showed nothing on the bat at all. Strauss ran the risk of being given out when he chose not to play a shot - and to the naked eye, it was a lot closer than you suggest. The benefit of doubt went the right way in both cases - to the batsman playing a shot, and to the bowler who had a batsman not prepared to play one.'
One way of looking at it. I'd say there was no 'benefit of the doubt' in either case; Hussey hit it, Strauss left his on length. Can't agree with the suggestion that a batsman should be given out for letting the ball go. And to my naked eye, it was clearly going way over the top.

0200: Welcome to what will, in all probability, be the final day of this Ashes series as a contest. It will be a major surprise if England are still batting at the close of play, but they must try and at least show some fight here after two days where they have been routed by the Australians. There's no chance of the weather coming to the tourists' rescue on another scorching day in Western Australia, so it needs at least two or three England players to make massive contributions here. Australia just need nine wickets to wrap up the series, after the formalities of a horrendous umpiring decision against Andrew Strauss were completed last night.