fourth test: d3 commentary

By Dave Tickner

0644: Australia, 419, beat England, 159 and 161, by an innings and 99 runs
A total demolition job, as Australia blow England away inside three days. The tourists were briefly in the game when they reduced the hosts to 84 for five on the second morning, but the last day-and-a-half have been one-way traffic. Warne will surely be confirmed as man of the match in his final Melbourne Test. The only thing more certain is that Australia will go on to win this series 5-0.

0644: WICKET!
MJ Hoggard b Lee 5 Read pushes down the ground and is again happy to take a single. Hoggard gets a single with a push to point, and the deficit is now exactly 100. Read gets a single into the covers from the fourth delivery, but the fifth ball cleans up the innings as a 90mph yorker gets through Hoggard and cannons into the leg stump.

0640: Over 65 Read misses an attempted cut, but does get a single by flicking a full-toss to midwicket. Hoggard fiddles the ball into the legside for another single, and a hard sweep to deep square-leg gets another run for Read.
England 2nd Inns, 158/9: Read 24*, Hoggard 4*

0635: Over 64 Lee comes round the wicket to Hoggard, and the ball flicks off the batsman's backside for four leg-byes. Hoggard survives the rest of the over in typically determined style.
England 2nd Inns, 155/9: Read 22*, Hoggard 3*

0630: Over 63 Read takes a single, and Hoggard gets three with a hoik over midwicket. The 150 comes up to desultory cheers.
England 2nd Inns, 151/9: Read 22*, Hoggard 3*

0626: Over 62 Hoggard blocks a yorker, but it's a no-ball so he still has four balls to negotiate. He evades a legside bouncer bowled wide of the crease by Lee and well taken by Gilchrist. Hoggard watches the next ball go outside the off stump. Hoggard gets an inside edge to a full swinging delivery and gets back to block the final ball.
England 2nd Inns, 147/9: Read 21*, Hoggard 0*

0623: Hoggard is last man in for England.

0622: WICKET!
MS Panesar c Clarke b Lee 14 The field is spread to give Read a single, and that proves a mistake by the England keeper. Lee bangs one in, and Panesar is in about four minds about whether to duck or play and ends up fending to Clarke at fourth slip.

0620: Over 61 Read gets right back to Warne and works to leg for a single. Warne tosses the ball up to Panesar, who accepts the challenge and hoiks through mid-on for four. It's not out of the middle of the bat, but has more than enough to reach the ropes. Good stuff here from two batsmen who couldn't get in the side at the outset of this series because they can't bat.
England 2nd Inns, 145/8: Read 20*, Panesar 14*

0616: Over 60 Panesar gets a thick edge through a well-populated slip cordon for a couple of runs. Another outside edge from Panesar drops short of Warne at first slip, and hits the legspinner on the ankle. Clever from Panesar, seeing if he can't force Warne out of the final Test with an injury. Panesar gets four good runs with a leg glance to a rapid Lee delivery that was meant to be the yorker. Lee's predictable response is a bouncer, but Panesar ducks under it and comes up smiling as Lee has a few words.
England 2nd Inns, 140/8: Read 19*, Panesar 10*

0611: Over 59 Read eases the ball to long-off and is happy to take a single and leave Panesar five balls to face. Panesar works the first of those into the legside and gets off the mark with a single. Read shovels the third ball of the over to midwicket for another leisurely single. Panesar edges the fourth ball between keeper and slip, and is able to jog through for three runs. Read blocks the final two balls of the over, and he's actually batted pretty well in fairness.
England 2nd Inns, 134/8: Read 19*, Panesar 4*

0607: Over 58 Read pushes into the covers for a single, exposing Panesar. Lee comes round the wicket, but his first ball is met with solid defence. Panesar plays inside the line of the next ball and it whistles through to Gilchrist. Panesar does play at the next ball, but the ball goes past the outside edge. Paesar is tempted into playing at quite a wide ball, but makes no contact.
England 2nd Inns, 128/8: Read 17*, Panesar 0*

0603: Over 57 Panesar safely negotiates the final ball of Warne's over.
England 2nd Inns, 127/8: Read 16*, Panesar 0*

0602: Panesar is again in above Hoggard as the game enters its final moments.

0601: WICKET!
SJ Harmison lbw b Warne 4 Harmison survives a third-umpire referral for stumped, and then gets two with a sweep. But he then gives Dar the easiest lbw decision of his umpiring career. It's a quicker ball from Warne, and it hits Harmison full on the back foot in front of middle. That's Warne's 999th international wicket. Only Murali has over 1,000.

0557: Over 56 An inswinger from Lee flicks off Read's pads for two leg-byes. Lee starts with a maiden, but this partnership has frustrated Australia for about 40 minutes now.
England 2nd Inns, 125/7: Read 16*, Harmison 2*

0553: The extra pace of Lee is back into the attack. Clark's been getting some extravagant reverse swing, so Lee will fancy his chances of doing the same and polishing off the tail.

0553: Over 55 Good googly from Warne, but Read picks it up and adjusts his shot to defend. Another googly follows, and again read plays it pretty well. Read gets a single from ball five, suggesting he is at least thinking about his team responsibilities even in this lost cause. Harmison safely negotiates the final ball with a solid forward defensive.
England 2nd Inns, 123/7: Read 16*, Harmison 2*

0547: Drinks. Just a matter of time until Australia go 4-0 up, but Read is at least battling away to some effect. This will be all over tonight, though.

0547: Over 54 Clark is still trying to get that inswinging yorker going to Harmison, but a couple that do hit the pads are sliding down leg. Harmison survives a maiden over.
England 2nd Inns, 122/7: Read 15*, Harmison 2*

0543: Over 53 Read sweeps behind square on the legside and hurries back for a second run. He plays out the rest of the over in stout defence, and might just be picking Warne a little better now.
England 2nd Inns, 122/7: Read 15*, Harmison 2*

0539: Over 52 Read flicks nicely to midwicket as Clark looks again for the inswinging yorker. The last ball swings in to hit Harmison on the pad. That looks pretty adjacent again, but Rudi is back to his head-shaking form of the early part of this match.
England 2nd Inns, 120/7: Read 13*, Harmison 2*

0535: Over 51 Harmison swipes a flipper down the ground but gets just a single as McGrath makes a diving stop. Good work from the old fella. Read pushes to McGrath at mid-on and hustles through for another single as McGrath struggles to get down and pick this one up. Perhaps the dive took it out of him.
England 2nd Inns, 119/7: Read 12*, Harmison 2*

0531: Over 50 Four to Read, who gets a thick outside edge well wide of slip, and gets two more with a well-controlled pull shot through square-leg.
England 2nd Inns, 117/7: Read 11*, Harmison 1*

0527: Over 49 Harmison drives hard to mid-off for a single, and Read adds another with a thick edge wide of slip. Harmison gets a life as he tries to sweep and gets a glove onto his shoulder and the ball loops to Hayden at slip. Warne is celebrating, but Dar is unmoved. I think Australia thought Harmison was walking, but he just overbalanced.
England 2nd Inns, 111/7: Read 5*, Harmison 1*

0523: Over 48 Late swing from Clark, and he almost gets Read with a very full ball that was just drifting down leg. Another big appeal a few balls later, but again the angle of the ball was taking the ball down the legside. Yet another inswinger thuds into Read's pads, but this one is going way down leg and there isn't even an appeal. Great maiden over from Clark.
England 2nd Inns, 109/7: Read 4*, Harmison 0*

0519: Over 47 Harmison survives the over. Australia have hammered England here, but not for the first time in the series, they've had the better of the umpiring decisions.
England 2nd Inns, 109/7: Read 4*, Harmison 0*

0517: Harmison is the new batsman.

0516: WICKET!
SI Mahmood lbw b Warne 0 Read gets a single off the first ball, and Mahmood gets a real bowler's decision. It won't make any difference to the match, but a shocking decision from Dar. A flipper from Warne does turn slightly away from Mahmood, and hits him outside the off stump. So you'd imagine that an lbw shout wouldn't have much going for it. The umpire decides otherwise and gives Mahmood out.

0513: Over 46 Mahmood lets the last ball go through to the keeper, but it's another great over from Clark, the best bowler on either side in this series.
England 2nd Inns, 108/6: Read 3*, Mahmood 0*

0512: Mahmood is the new batsman. Australia are very much into the tail, and Warne might have some fun here.

0511: WICKET!
A Flintoff lbw b Clark 25 Rudi's woken up! Flintoff gets four runs with a hook to fine-leg, but Clark pitches up two balls later and traps Flintoff on the crease. Not much doubt about the lbw decision, except that Koertzen was the umpire. But he seems to have decided to reintroduce the lbw law for England's innings. It's out, but not as out as Collingwood, Hayden, Symonds or Cook were at various times in this match.

0509: Over 45 A perfectly pitched leg-break spins sharply past Read's outside edge, and repeats the performance with the next ball. Read manages to get the next one in the middle of the bat. Warne ends a terrific over with another hard-spun ball that beats Read's bat. The great legspinner is kind enough to jog down the pitch and offer some advice to the struggling England wicketkeeper, advice it would perhaps be unwise to share on a family website.
England 2nd Inns, 104/5: Flintoff 21*, Read 3*

0505: Over 44 A grubber from Clark passes dangerously close to Flintoff's off stump after passing under the batsman's forward defensive shot. The final ball of the over hits Flintoff on the pads, but the appeals are turned down. Probably just sliding down leg.
England 2nd Inns, 104/5: Flintoff 21*, Read 3*

0501: Clark is back into the attack.

0500: Over 43 Read watchfully plays out a maiden over from Warne.
England 2nd Inns, 104/5: Flintoff 21*, Read 3*

0456: Over 42 A no-ball from Lee is helped into the legside by Flintoff, who runs hard to get back for two and bring up 100 for England. Even the sozzled Barmy Army can barely bring themselves to celebrate the milestone. Flintoff punches into the covers off the back foot for another couple of runs. Flintoff gets two more with a good firm push down theground, and it would be nice to at least see Freddie get some runs before an Australian victory is confirmed. Flintoff drives again into the covers, but Clarke makes a fine diving stop.
England 2nd Inns, 104/5: Flintoff 21*, Read 3*

0452: Over 41 Flintoff flicks to leg for a single. Warne tries the flipper but gets it wrong, and Read is able to whip a full-toss through midwicket for three runs. Flintoff adds another single to deep midwicket from the final ball of the over.
England 2nd Inns, 97/5: Flintoff 15*, Read 3*

0448: Over 40 A fast short ball from Lee is fended into the legside for a single by Flintoff. Read plays out the over defensively and without alarm.
England 2nd Inns, 92/5: Flintoff 13*, Read 0*

0443: Over 39 Flintoff forces out to deep cover for a single, and Read survives the over without ever laying bat on ball.
England 2nd Inns, 91/5: Flintoff 12*, Read 0*

0440: Warne to continue after tea.

0439: Over 38 Read is hit on the toe first ball, but survives the lbw shout.
England 2nd Inns, 90/5: Flintoff 11*, Read 0*

0436: WICKET!
AJ Strauss c Gilchrist b Lee 31 A loose, flat-footed drive from Strauss, and this time he does get a thin edge through to Gilchrist. England must now be odds-on to lose this match inside three days.

0433: Lee will bowl the first over of the final session.

0432: The players are back on the field for the evening session. There are 37 overs remaining, and remember Australia can claim the extra half-hour if victory is within reach.

0412:
England, 2nd Innings 90 for four, trail Australia by 170 runs
Great session for Australia with all England's batsman, Strauss excepted, found wanting against some incisive seam and swing bowling. Australia will be eyeing a victory tonight, and if they separate Strauss and Flintoff early in the evening session, it should be a simple task.

0412: Over 37 Huge lbw appeal against Flintoff from the final ball of the session. Warne's absolutely convinced he's got his man, with Flintoff trapped on the back foot. It looks very adjacent, but replays suggest it's a brilliant decision from Aleem Dar with the England captain getting a thin scratch on the ball.
England 2nd Inns, 90/4: Strauss 31*, Flintoff 11*

0409: Over 36 Short and wide from Lee, and Strauss cuts deliberately up and over gully for four. He gave Hayden a chance of a catch with a similar shot earlier in the innings, but this one was way clear of any fielder. Strauss desperately tries to make that the last over before tea with some concerted gardening, but there will be time for one more.
England 2nd Inns, 90/4: Strauss 31*, Flintoff 11*

0405: Over 35 Flintoff tickles the ball fine on the legside for a simple two. The batsmen think about a third, but Lee makes good ground to his right to prevent it. Flintoff isn't going to hang around here, and slog-sweeps high over square-leg for four. Flintoff picks up another two with a well-placed drive into the covers.
England 2nd Inns, 86/4: Strauss 27*, Flintoff 11*

0401: Over 34 Maiden over from Lee to a becalmed Strauss. Hardly surprising that the England opener looks a little perplexed about everything going on around him. He's had a tough series, so would be forgiven for thinking about a nicel little red-inker given the strength of England's tail.
England 2nd Inns, 78/4: Strauss 27*, Flintoff 3*

0357: Over 33 Flintoff drives a flighted Warne delivery into the big gap at cover and jogs through for a simple two, and plays out the rest of the over.
England 2nd Inns, 78/4: Strauss 27*, Flintoff 3*

0352: Over 32 Flintoff swings hard at his first ball without moving his feet, and gets a thick edge into the legside for a single. Strauss is beaten by the final ball of a successful Lee over.
England 2nd Inns, 76/4: Strauss 27*, Flintoff 1*

0351: The out-of-form captain Flintoff comes to the crease. Even the close of play tonight looks a very long way away for England.

0350: WICKET!
PD Collingwood c Langer b Lee 16 Collingwood works a very full delivery from Lee into the legside for a couple of runs before driving uppishly straight into Langer's hands at short extra-cover. The field is set for it, and Collingwood falls into the trap. At least it might shut the Barmy Army up for a second or two, but probably won't.

0346: Over 31 Collingwood blocks the first five deliveries and pushes the final ball down the ground for a single to keep the strike. The Barmy Army, as if somehow sensing how best to tip me over the edge and into madness have started the call-and-repeat horror of "Everywhere we go". Can we not seize the passport of anyone who believes getting plastered and wearing the St George's cross somehow signifies military activity?
England 2nd Inns, 73/3: Strauss 27*, Collingwood 14*

0342: Over 30 Collingwood whips the ball behind square on the legside for a single. Strauss plays out the over. Further signs that the Barmy Army are drunk and/or bored as they bore everyone else by whimsically bellowing "no-ball!" every time Lee runs into bowl. Warne may have great scriptwriters, but the Barmy Army's are execrable, and have clearly put in no work since the last series. Come on lads, why not change the pace by singing your hilarious reworking of the national anthem? Oh, you already did. Sure enough, the world's worst trumpeter starts parping away to add to my growing dismay.
England 2nd Inns, 72/3: Strauss 27*, Collingwood 13*

0338: Over 29 Collingwood bunts down the ground to long-on for a single. Strauss misses his first ball from Warne but survives the over.
England 2nd Inns, 71/3: Strauss 27*, Collingwood 12*

0334: The cheers get a notch louder as Warne removes his sweater and sunhat to bowl in his final Test innings in Melbourne.

0333: Over 28 Strauss gets another single to long-leg from the first ball of Lee's over. Collingwood drives a no-ball from Lee through extra-cover for a hard-run three as Australia try a baseball-style double-play with Symonds throwing to Lee at the bowler's end who wings it to Gilchrist at the other end. But both England batsmen are "safe!". Huge cheers around the 'G as Warne starts warming up while Lee completes his over.
England 2nd Inns, 70/3: Strauss 27*, Collingwood 11*

0329: Over 27 Collingwood gets a thick inside edge into the legside and decides to turn a simple single into a suicidal two. Strauss should have been run out by yards at the non-striker's end, but McGrath having got to the stumps at the bowler's end couldn't gather in Lee's bullet throw. Collingwood works into the legside again a few balls later. This time Strauss wants the second run, but Collingwood sends him back. Good decision. Strauss helps the final ball of the over round the corner to long-leg for a single to retain the strike.
England 2nd Inns, 65/3: Strauss 26*, Collingwood 8*

0324: Over 26 Strauss drives loosely outside the off stump but makes no contact. But he makes good contact with a pull shot that sails over square-leg and runs away to the boundary. England now trail by less than 200, which is something I suppose.
England 2nd Inns, 61/3:Strauss 25*, Collingwood 5*

0320: Lee is back into the attack, replacing the impressive McGrath.

0319: Over 25 Collingwood pushes into the covers and trots through for an easy two runs to end another immacculate Clark over.
England 2nd Inns, 57/3: Strauss 21*, Collingwood 5*

0311: Drinks. Terrible hour for England, but credit to Australia for some top-class bowling. I still don't know what Bell has done to upset Koertzen though. It was almost inevitable after turning down so many clear-cut leg-befores that someone would eventually get a bad 'un from him. The fact it was Bell, the only previous player to be given out lbw in the match, does seem rather unfair.

0311: Over 24 Collingwood drives hard into the covers, and still gets three despite a partial stop by Symonds. Strauss attempts a pull, but the ball keeps a bit low and passes well under the bat before bouncing through to Gilchrist.
England 2nd Inns, 55/3: Strauss 21*, Collingwood 3*

0307: Over 23 Strauss misses an attempted pull shot and takes a blow on the body. A full-blooded cover-drive from Strauss picks out the one man in the ring. A mistimed pull gets Strauss two runs. The stump mic picks up Adam Gilchrist announcing "one more wicket, and we're in the tail". Harsh but fair.
England 2nd Inns, 52/3: Strauss 21*, Collingwood 0*

0303: Over 22 Strauss works into the legside for a single to bring up England's 50. Collingwood blocks out the over.
England 2nd Inns, 50/3: Strauss 19*, Collingwood 0*

0258: Over 21 The last ball of the over raps the pads, but is missing leg and Collingwood survives.
England 2nd Inns, 49/3: Strauss 18*, Collingwood 0*

0257: Collingwood has had hardly any longer to wait batting at five than he did at four.

0256: WICKET!
KP Pietersen b Clark 1 The promotion of Pietersen has not worked on this occasion, as a beautiful delivery from Clark nips back between bat and pad an knocks back the off stump. Loose shot it has to be said, but a fine delivery. Great bowling from Clark, and the end is nigh in this match. Hard to see England even batting out the day.

0252: Over 20 Pietersen gets a single to get off the mark in an over marked by another poor Koertzen decision. The difference on this occasion being the fact that the fielding side are the beneficiaries.
England 2nd Inns, 49/2: Strauss 18*, Pietersen 1*

0248: Pietersen is in at number four, moving above Collingwood in the order.

0247: WICKET!
IR Bell lbw b McGrath 2 Ian Bell is a desperately unlucky batsman. He's been given out twice lbw by Koertzen, who has given nothing else all game. He was plumb in the first innings, but this decision - given other decisions from Koertzen - is astonishing. A good ball from McGrath, it nips back at Bell but hits him well above the knee. It might have clipped the bails, it might have gone over the top. It was certainly one the umpire could give not out without any reprisals, but Koertzen decides this one is out. Unbelievable.

0246: Over 19 Strauss shovels the ball into the legside and is able to get back for a second run. A firm straight drive is very well stopped by Langer in close at mid-off. Clark continues to nag away on off stump, and beats Strauss with one that just moves away a fraction.
England 2nd Inns, 48/1: Strauss 18*, Bell 2*

0242: Over 18 Bell works the ball into the legside and scampers through for two runs to get off the mark. The rest of the over is right on the money and played defensively by Bell.
England 2nd Inns, 46/1: Strauss 16*, Bell 2*

0237: Over 17 Strauss slashes into the gully, and Matthew Hayden gets a hand to it above his head but can't hold on. Hayden dropped a sitter off Strauss in the first innings, but this one was much tougher. Two runs to Strauss, but some good fortune about it. On the England balcony, Pietersen has his pads on so it looks like he will be next man in.
England 2nd Inns, 44/1: Strauss 16*, Bell 0*

0232: Over 16 Just a leg-bye from a typically metronomic McGrath over.
England 2nd Inns, 42/1: Strauss 14*, Bell 0*

0228: Over 15 Bell is comprehensively beaten by the final ball of Clark's over, but the ball misses the outside edge.
England 2nd Inns, 41/1: Strauss 14*, Bell 0*

0227: Bell is the new batsman for England.

0226: WICKET!
AN Cook b Clark 20 Cook hooks a short ball to the fine-leg boundary for four, but a full, swinging delivery bowls the Essex left-hander off a thin inside edge.

0222: Over 14 Cook pushes into the covers and scampers through for a well-judged single. Strauss punches the ball sweetly down the ground for two runs, and looks in good order here. Strauss forces the last ball of the over into the covers, but hits straight to Michael Clarke at cover, and there's no run.
England 2nd Inns, 36/0: Strauss 14*, Cook 16*

0218: Unsurprisingly it's McGrath to continue from the Members' End.

0217: Over 13 Clark strays in line, and the ball flicks off Cook's pad for a leg-bye. The next ball finds the edge of Strauss' bat but drops will short of Ponting at second slip. The next ball keeps very low, bouncing well in front of Gilchrist. Clark strays in line again next ball, and the ball flicks off Strauss' thigh pad on its way to the boundary. Four leg-byes, gratefully received by England.
England 2nd Inns, 33/0: Strauss 12*, Cook 15*

0213: Clark to continue with the ball.

0212: The players are back out on the field for the afternoon session. England need to get through this one losing no more than one wicket as they try to scale the mountain of a 260-run deficit.

0133: LUNCH
England, 2nd Innings 28 without loss, trail Australia by 232 runs
Well, that has to go down as England's session. They would have had two aims at the outset; pick up the three remaining wickets and then get through to lunch unscathed. They've achieved both aims, although Cook was desperately lucky to survive a clear-cut lbw against McGrath. Having said that, any batsman given out lbw by Koertzen in this match could probably consider themselves pretty unfortunate.

0133: Over 12 A pleasing shot down the ground gets Strauss two runs. Strauss angers McGrath by backing away as the bowler runs in. Strauss is well within his rights to do so, but words are exchanged. Strauss safely negotiates the over, and England reach lunch.
England 2nd Inns, 28/0: Strauss 12*, Cook 15*

0129: Over 11 Ponting brings all the fielders in to form an umbrella field against Cook, who calmly plays out a maiden from Clark. One more over before lunch.
England 2nd Inns, 26/0: Strauss 10*, Cook 15*

0125: Over 10 Runs for Strauss off a thick outside edge. Good running from Cook to get back for a third run< as McGrath chunters on about life's many injustices. Cook flicks the next ball fine on the legside and scurries back for three runs as Clark makes good ground to prevent the boundary. Strauss is beaten again outside the off stump, and McGrath is ticking here.
England 2nd Inns, 26/0: Strauss 10*, Cook 15*

0123: This has been a bad old tour for England, but there's some good news at last. Monty Panesar hasbeaten Fidel Castro into second place in the much-coveted "Beard of the Year" award. The Archbishop of Canterbury was third.

0121: Over 9 Cook pushes firmly into the covers, and a rare misfield from Symonds allows the batsmen to get back for a second run. Tidy, accurate opening over from Clark, but we'd expect nothing else after his efforts in this series.
England 2nd Inns, 20/0: Strauss 7*, Cook 12*

0116: First bowling change of the innings, with Clark into the attack.

0115: Over 8 McGrath beats Strauss again outside the off stump, and this is a very tough opening for the England batsmen. Strauss is squared up by a beauty from McGrath, and there's half a shout for a catch at the wicket, but Strauss just clipped his pad with his bat, missing the ball quite comfortably. Great over from McGrath, who knows he should have made the first breakthrough in his previous one.
England 2nd Inns, 18/0: Strauss 7*, Cook 10*

0110: Over 7 Strauss plays a wonderful straight drive, but is denied runs by the stumps at the bowler's end. He does get three runs however, forcing through the covers off the back foot when Lee offers some width. Cook blocks the over solidly, and there are some welcome rumours from the England camp that Kevin Pietersen has finally been persuaded to move up to number four in the batting order.
England 2nd Inns, 18/0: Strauss 7*, Cook 10*

0106: Over 6 Cook works McGrath to midwicket for a single. Strauss hits harder through the same area and collects three. Koertzen's up to his old tricks again, though, as Cook plays all round a straight delivery from McGrath. It pitches middle-and leg, straightens, and would have rocked middle halfway up. It's another abysmal decision from Koertzen, and he's put this pressure on himself by not giving anything for the first two days. Cook gets two runs with a thick outside edge, but he shouldn't still be there. I described Koertzen as a "friend of the Aussies" yesterday. Clearly I was wrong. What I should have said was "friend of the batsmen", because he has given bowlers on either side nothing in this game.
England 2nd Inns, 15/0: Strauss 4*, Cook 10*

0102: Over 5 Lee drops a fraction short, and Cook is quickly on it and pulls through midwicket for three runs. Strauss works the next ball off his pads for a single to get off the mark. Cook gets another three runs with a force off the back foot, and that brings up 1,000 Test runs for Cook, and still within his first year at this level. Strauss blocks the final ball of the over.
England 2nd Inns, 9/0: Strauss 1*, Cook 7*

0058: Over 4 There's a rarity - a wide from McGrath as he gets one all wrong and bungs it wide of the return crease outside Strauss' off stump. McGrath is quickly back on his line, though, beating Strauss with one that moves away just enough after pitching around middle on a perfect length. Just the wide from the over as McGrath ends the over with another one that moves far too much off the seam and beats Strauss' bat by about six inches.
England 2nd Inns, 2/0: Strauss 0*, Cook 1*

0054: Over 3 Lee's made a fine start here, twice getting the ball past Cook's outside edge in another maiden over.
England 2nd Inns, 1/0: Strauss 0*, Cook 1*

0050: Over 2 Cook is well beaten by a ball that jags away extravagantly off the seam. Almost a waste of effort from McGrath, as no batsman anywhere, ever is going to get a bat on that. Cook and England are under way as the opener works the ball to leg for a single. Strauss defends the final ball of the over to mid-on.
England 2nd Inns, 1/0: Strauss 0*, Cook 1*

0046: Glenn McGrath has the new ball in his hand at the start of an innings for the final time at the MCG.

0045: Over 1 Excellent first over from Lee, beating Strauss with an outsiwinger after moving the majority of the balls back into the England left-hander.
England 2nd Inns, 0/0: Strauss 0*, Cook 0*

0041: Lee will bowl the first over of the England second innings.

0038: Ricky Ponting stirs his troops in the huddle, as Cook and Strauss stride out with England just the 260 runs in arrears. If England have any hope, the same two batsmen must walk off unscathed at lunch. And probably tea.

0029: Australia, 1st Innings 419 all out, lead England by 260 runs
England have actually polished the innings off pretty well there, but they now face a massive deficit. The pitch is definitely pretty good to bat on now, as Warne has shown this morning. But the new ball should swing for Brett Lee, and England will have to bat unbelievably well to get back into this game. A score around 450 is needed just to make this competitive. And it's hard to see it happening. Much more likely is England bat tenaciously and admirably, taking a day-and-a-half to score a largely pointless 350. Cook will probably get a very worthy 100 off 280 balls, Strauss will get a bad decision, Bell will look good before playing a bad shot, and I'll die a little inside.

0029: WICKET!
GD McGrath c Bell b Mahmood 0 Warne pushes a single and pays the price as McGrath squirts a full delivery from Mahmood into the hands of Bell at gully. McGrath apolgises to Warne, but he's all smiles as he trots off with an unbeaten 40 to his name.

0027: Over 108 Warne pushes down the ground for a single, and McGrath plays out the rest of Harmison's over.
Australia 1st Inns, 418/9: Warne 39*, McGrath 0*

0023: Over 107 McGrath survives the one remaining delivery in the over.
Australia 1st Inns, 417/9: Warne 38*, McGrath 0*

0021: Glenn McGrath is in at number 11. How long can he stay with Warne?

0020: WICKET!
SR Clark c Read b Mahmood 8 Dreadful start to the over from Mahmood, but he gets it right in the end. A glorious cover-drive from Warne races to the boundary for four first ball. Mahmood responds with a long-hop that Warne drills through midwicket for another boundary. Warne gets a single with a top edge that drops short of Alastair Cook at deep square-leg, and Clark nibbles at the next one and edges to Read. Never mind bouncers and yorkers, that's just a length ball that did a bit. A lesson there, perhaps.

0015: Over 106 Clark pushes to mid-off for a single, and Warne adds another with a one-legged pull shot to deep square-leg.
Australia 1st Inns, 408/8: Warne 29*, Clark 8*

0011: Over 105 Great bouncer from Mahmood, and a clueless Clark gets a top edge that lands safely between two men out on the hook and the batsmen complete a run. Warne gets a thick outside to a low full-toss, and Flintoff fields well at slip. Warne gets a single with a push into the covers. A very high bouncer from Mahmood is called wide by Koertzen. Another very full delivery is bunted into the legside for a single by Clark.
Australia 1st Inns, 406/8: Warne 28*, Clark 7*

0007: Over 104 Another short ball to Warne, and he dabs it to point for a single. A short ball from Harmison is hoiked over mid-on by Clark for a couple to bring up the 400. Clark gets another single to end the over.
Australia 1st Inns, 402/8: Warne 27*, Clark 5*

0002: Over 103 Another good yorker from Mahmood to Clark, who gets a thick inside edge for a single. England have scattered thefield as if Warne was some kind of batting deity. There's just one slip in place which England will almost certainly pay the price for at some stage. This is highlighted by another ball roaring past a limp defensive shot, but it seems the whole England team have just been duped by the whole Warne Show surrounding this Test. Warne gets a single with a Caribbean-style pull shot off one leg. Clark survives the over.
Australia 1st Inns, 398/8: Warne 26*, Clark 2*

2358: Over 102 Warne plays and misses at a ball outside off stump and then gets a single with a flick to midwicket. It leaves Clark four balls to survive, but he does better than that, getting a single from the last ball to get off the mark and keep the strike. Clearly he feels confident.
Australia 1st Inns, 396/8: Warne 25*, Clark 1*

2353: Over 101 Warne has one good shot, the cut. So Mahmood bowls a short and wide ball that Warne happily whacks through point for four. Another short ball is pulled through square-leg for four, and Warne's scriptwriter appears to have had a word with Mahmood. Better response this time from Mahmood, a yorker that Warne digs out. Another short ball from Mahmood is flat-batted through cover for three runs. Saj, did you not see the plans mate? Mahmood does at least seem to have read the Clark advice, missing the off stump by a whisker with a rapid yorker.
Australia 1st Inns, 394/8: Warne 24*, Clark 0*

2348: Over 100 No sign of that yorker as Clark successfully plays out the over. One suspects Warne will play a few shots now, and I still think he'll get his first Test century. It just has to happen.
Australia 1st Inns, 383/8: Warne 13*, Clark 0*

2345: Stuart Clark is the new batsman. A little bird tells me he's vulnerable to an early yorker. Can't remember where I read that now...

2344: WICKET!
A Symonds c Read b Harmison 156 Read gets his fifth catch of the innings as Symonds chases a wide delivery from Harmison and gets a thin edge through to the keeper. Tame end to a blistering innings from Symonds, who walks off to a huge reception. Another sidenote - that's Read's 500th first-class catch. Well done.

2343: Over 99 Good, well-disguised slower ball from Mahmood, but Warne is ready for it and works to leg for a single. Symonds flicks to long-leg for another single. Warne plays out the over.
Australia 1st Inns, 383/7: Symonds 156*, Warne 13*

2339: Over 98 Warne will definitely get a century today. The script is written. Harmison's first ball absolutely cuts the chubby Victorian in half, somehow missing belly and inside edge. Harmison offers some width to Warne, who cuts hard over the slips for four. That's one of his favourite shots, and poor bowling. Warne turns the next ball to leg for a single, and Australia have made a good, aggressive start here.
Australia 1st Inns, 381/7: Symonds 155*, Warne 12*

2335: Steve Harmison will bowl the second over of the day.

2334: Over 97 Symonds pushes the first ball into the covers for a single. The next ball is very full and hits Warne on the pads. England appeal optimistically, and not just because Rudi Koertzen is the umpire. That one's going well down the legside. Warne plays a hook shot with his eyes closed and collects two fortunate runs as the ball flies off the top edge into the open spaces on the legside. Warne works the final ball of the over into the legside for a single.
Australia 1st Inns, 376/7: Symonds 155*, Warne 7*

2329: Saj Mahmood - who actually bowled pretty well on day two - will bowl the first over of the day.

2328: The England players are out in the middle.Andrew Flintoff is having some words with them in the huddle, but what can he say? Warne and Symonds follow to a predicatbly raucous welcome from the MCG crowd.

2300: Day three in Melbourne, and the only point of debate is when England will lose this Test. Could be today if the tourists can take the three remaining Australian first-innings wickets and then bat the same way as they did on day one. But the pitch looks very flat now, so there's every chance that, as in Brisbane and Perth, England will develop a backbone far too late to get anything out of the game, but soon enough to drag the game pointlessly into its latter stages. Of course, Shane Warne and Andrew Symonds could just as easily extend Australia's innings well into day three and further compound English misery.

Whatever the day holds, it's sure to be painful for the long-suffering England fan. Stay here and follow it live with us!