By Peter May

Click here to read Peter May's view on day one

CLOSE: England 1st Innings 341 for five

1802: WICKET!
MJ Hoggard b Lee 4 Hoggard takes strike for the final over of the day. Lee has the field set for an over of short, aggressive bowling but Hoggard picks the first ball up well and taps back down the wicket. Obviously he is not looking for a single so just blocks away, each time managing to get some bat on ball except when dodging the bouncer. The penultimate ball is a yorker well dug out but final delivery is on a full length and knocks the off stump out of the ground.

1758: Over 88 Bell is beginning to show the tourists what all the fuss is about here, picking up the first ball of the over and smashing a stylish four through cover. He blocks out the next two but has to be wary of the slower one, keeps his eye out well and survives the over.

1755: McGrath comes back on at the Brian Statham End.

1754: Over 87 Matthew Hoggard has the thankless task of being night watchman to Lee in full flight with the new ball in hand. Three slips, a gully and a leg gully are in place but the first ball is poor. The second finds the outside edge but doesn't quite carry to Justin Langer at third slip and Hoggard finishes the over by digging out the yorker and Langer fails to scoop the chance resulting in a four for the new batsman.

1750: WICKET!
KP Pietersen c sub (Hodge) b Lee 21 Pietersen flicks the first ball off his legs and takes a risky two but the throw from Hodge is poor. The substitute makes amends immediately though as Pietersen recklessly tries to hook a Lee bouncer and hits straight down the throat of deep square leg.

1747: Australia take the new ball and re-introduce Lee at the Stretford End.

1746: Over 86 Warne is back over the wicket and Bell picks one up beautifully on off, driving back down the ground for four. He switches back around but Bell blocks out, it would be silly to give anything away tonight when he could come back for a century tomorrow. Bell 55*, Pietersen 19*.

1743: Bell 50: 135 balls, 6 x 4s

1743: Over 85 Pietersen's attitude has matured magnificently in the last couple of overs and he takes a single to put Bell, 45*, back on strike. A rank full toss outside off allows a four through the covers to leave the Warwickshire batsman on the brink of a half century. He blocks a couple to hold his nerve and then picks the flat, faster one onto this legs to bring up the 50.

1740: Over 84 Warne switches back around the wicket to Bell and Pietersen goes down for a quick word. The bowler then warns his Hampshire colleague about over-keen backing-up, though Pietersen's smile and shake of the head suggests this is just mind games. Bell is unmoved at the other end.

1736: Over 83 Pietersen displays a new intelligence in calming this down, playing straight and simple to the equally straight and simple bowling of Katich.

1733: Katich comes back on, presumably to maximise the time Warne will have bowling at the other end and to keep him with an old ball which will be easier to grip.

1732: Over 82 Bell almost gets the ball through cover but substitute Hodge, on since the second over, blocks. He then tries to skip down the crease but is lucky to get away with a forward defensive and plays out the over to keep Pietersen out of Warne's sights.

1728: Over 81 Lee sticks to his task with the old ball, seeking some reverse swing. But Bell's patience is well rewarded with a magnificent four square of the wicket on the off side. He sees the over out and even takes a single but this match is now about Pietersen v Warne until further notice.

1724: Ponting, Gilchrist and McGrath engage in conversation on whether to take the new ball. Have the Australians not realised that the new ball is available after 80 overs? In the end it is not taken, presumably to allow Warne more of a chance at Pietersen.

1724: Over 80 Bell and Pietersen continue to get after Warne in a modest fashion, steering singles square of the wicket and then the Hampshire batsman almost ruins it with a needless, brainless attempted slog-sweep over mid-wicket which is sliced just wide of point for a single. Warne almost pouches a caught-and-bowled off Bell and a single is taken, Pietersen hammers straight at Katich and it doesn't stick so there's another run there. Could have been four wickets in the over.

1719: Over 79 Lee starts wild and wide but Pietersen doesn't really get hold of it, hitting a single which at least carried England to 300. Bell shows the cricket intelligence for which he has been famed since a young age, pushing a single to cover where there apparently was no run. Back on strike, Pietersen uses his famed power to just nudge Lee back down the ground for four and complete an expensive return to the attack for the Meteor.

1714: Lee returns for Katich at the Stretford End.

1712: Over 78 Pietersen immediately vindicates our analysis, taking a wild swipe to one outside off and is lucky to avoid a dismissal. He then works two to leg but has to knuckle down to some hard runs here. In fairness, the 25-year-old does then recall the wonderful technique which has served him so well to Warne, pushing defensively with bat in front of pad. A single off the final ball keeps the strike.

1709: Over 77 Bell takes a single and Pietersen looks to get straight after Katich. He is initially frustrated with a drive stopped at cover but then takes a single through the same area. Each batsman helps himself to another one and England look good though Pietersen's aggression is perhaps a little too much against these slow bowlers with this tired ball. The new ball, and the pacemen, will be on in two overs' time.

1705: Over 76 Pietersen misses his first ball from Warne but pushes the second to mid-wicket for a single. Bell, whose continued occupation of the crease now boasts even greater importance, continues to exhibit the patience of a saint as his strike rate teeters just above 30.

1701: Over 75 Kevin Pietersen therefore comes in at a crucial stage - two more wickets before the close will put Australia right back in this game but seeing out the day would leave England with the chance to dominate another day tomorrow. But it is Bell who sees out the over after crossing with his captain with the wicket ball in mid-flight.

1658: WICKET!
MP Vaughan c McGrath b Katich 166 Of all the ways to get out, this was surely the most improbable. Katich tosses up a full toss on middle and leg and Vaughan can pick his spot anywhere in the ground but chips straight down the throat of McGrath at deep mid-on.

1656: Over 74 Warne pushes mid-off deep and drops one short but Vaughan's square drive is blocked at point. A single to square leg puts Bell back on strike and he edges a big turner just short of Hayden at slip. The batsman responds with one to cover, keeping the strike for the over. He has batted very well as a foil to Vaughan but must now see out the day at this scoring rate. He's only just on 30* so has probably not done enough to convince himself, the selectors or the Australians of his quality if he doesn't build on this foundation to go on and make a score.

1651: Over 73 Bell takes a single behind square to put the fast-scoring captain back on strike. He plays out a couple and then shows wonderful footwork to skip up the crease and a chip over mid-wicket for four. Katich responds with a straighter top-spinner but pitches too short and Vaughan hits away for two. A single from the final ball keeps the strike.

1647: Katich returns to the attack at the expense of the hapless Gillespie.

1647: Over 72 Bell continues to work hard for his few runs, blocking out a couple from Warne and then taking two to fine leg and a single from the final ball from the over.

1642: Vaughan 150: 201 balls, 19 x 4s, 1x 6

1642: Over 71 Gillespie pitches the first ball up a bit too much and Vaughan strikes it through mid-off, the next is whipped through mid-wicket for the personal 150 and the third of the over goes to mid-wicket too. A single to mid-on becomes a two when McGrath's throw from mid-on hits a footmark and evades Gilchrist. Vaughan turns the ball behind on the off and is sent back for a tight single, Katich has a shy from backward point and Vaughan would be out to a direct hit but it misses and instead hits Ponting backing up and mid-wicket.

1639: Over 70 Warne does not re-start well after drinks, lobbing one straight up outside off and Vaughan promptly pushes away for four. The next ball is hit hard by Vaughan and a sharp chance straight at first slip Matthew Hayden but he puts it down. A single then puts Vaughan, who is certainly getting back any due good fortune back today, at the non-striker's end. Bell remains tied down but looks relatively happy.

1633: Over 69 Vaughan's timing remains exquisite, picking up the first ball of the over on leg and whipping it through square for four. He gets away with one later in the over, failing to move his feet and inside-edging the ball onto his pads. Bell chases down for the single, one of three in a row off the over. Bell is therefore back on strike, on 21*, and narrowly avoids a dismissal when a late, swinging yorker slips through the batsman's defence and, via an inside edge, skips past leg stump and away for a four on the boundary. Drinks are taken.

1629: Over 68 Bell's respite at the non-striker's end last only one ball as Vaughan sweeps a single to long leg. Warne immediately comes back over the wicket and Bell is pinned down initially. But he works a ball square on the leg side for two to a huge cheer and then misses a big turner outside off. A block finishes the over and it is another little victory for England.

1625: Over 67 Vaughan remains on the offensive to Gillespie, pushing the ball through leg for a four and a one. Bell then blocks out the over and, though there were no real scoring opportunities in the over, must be wondering whether he'll be stuck on 18* at Old Trafford until the sky caves in.

1622: Over 66 Bell hasn't scored for 20-odd balls and added only four in well over an hour since tea. He remains watchful to Warne, bowling over the wicket, and keeps any danger at arm's length.

1618: Over 65 Vaughan picks up a short ball on leg stump and hoiks the ball high into the mid-wicket stand. He follows that with a four wide of point and England once again have reason to be grateful for the return of the out-of-sorts 30-year-old.

1614: Gillespie returns to the attack at the Stretford End.

1613: Over 64 First ball of Warne's over is dropped a touch short and Vaughan's patience pays off as he rocks back onto the back foot and swats the ball through leg for three. Bell has three close catchers including slip and Warne is back over the wicket. The batsman continues to play with solid technique and good patience but has hardly added to his total since tea.

1610: Over 63 McGrath has another chance to get at Bell but the batsman initially looks assured, pushing ball to the off and the leg on it merits. He blocks out the over with the kind of confidence which reassures England fans, but where are the runs coming from?

1606: Over 62 Vaughan continues to offer the pad as Warne perseveres around the wicket. Great discipline from the England captain, but the run rate is now grinding to a halt.

1602: Over 61 Bell is just getting a little too bogged down against McGrath, who is bewildering the young batsman with a series of slower balls. A solid start from the England man is now turning into a really scrappy effort with too few runs off the bat since tea.

1557: Over 60 Vaughan patiently waits for the bad ball and, when it comes, despatches it through mid-wicket for four. The rest of the over is spent padding up but his judgement outside leg stump is excellent.

1552: Over 59 McGrath can't blame anyone for the fourth missed opportunity of the day. Bell doesn't pick the slower ball and chips it back to McGrath but the bowler doesn't see the caught & bowled coming and fails to react, allowing England a single.

1549: Over 58 Bell again takes the single - he's working the ball around very nicely - and Vaughan happily pads up to the spinner as he bowls around the wicket, pitching it outside leg.

1544: Vaughan 100: 163 balls, 12 x 4s

1544: Over 57 Bell takes a couple of dots and then a single to put the captain back on strike. Vaughan whips the next ball he faces through the on side for four and becomes the first centurion of the series.

1539: Over 56 A rare full toss on leg stump from Warne and Vaughan whips the ball through mid-wicket for a four and onto 99. The next four are padded up, the England captain will not be rushed here. He blocks the final ball of the over to leave Bell on strike.

1535: Over 55 Vaughan doesn't know too much about the first ball but blocks downwards and Bell calls positively for a clever single. Bell then takes one through cover and the pair repeat their trick of a quick single for Vaughan to keep the captain on strike.

1531: McGrath to bowl from Stretford End.

1530: Australia return to the field, followed by Vaughan and Bell.

1512: End of session

England 1st Innings 195 for two A captain's innings from Michael Vaughan keeps England in control of the first day of the third Test at Old Trafford.

He heads to tea just seven short of the first century of this Ashes summer while Ian Bell, another batsmen in need of runs, has played himself in nicely to build a score in the final session.

Shane Warne claimed his 600th Test wicket in unorthodox fashion, getting Marcus Trescothick caught off the back of his bat long after the England vice captain had exhausted his good fortune, but it was the only dismissal of another long session for the tourists.

The legspinner has extracted some movement but the true bounce has allowed the batsmen to meet his wiles with assurance and England must now be looking for a minimum target of around 500.

1512: Over 54 Vaughan blocks the first four and looks invulnerable despite Warne's theatrics. He gets off strike with a leg bye and Bell plays out the final ball.

1509: Over 53 Katich keeps the batsmen careful but Vaughan is able to work the ball through mid-wicket for one closer to his century. Bell blocks the final ball of the over and there will be one more from Warne, and it is imperative that Vaughan survives.

1506: Over 52 Bell plays his best shot of the day so far, whipping the ball away through mid-wicket for four to move on 14*. The bowler responds with a wicked legspinner which beats the outside edge by some inches.

1504: Over 51 Katich is a strange, marginal bowler doing very little with the ball yet helping Warne stem the flow. The easy boundaries have certainly dried up.

1501: Over 50 Warne keeps the silly point catcher but no short leg to Bell. Still no close calls to speak of but the run rate has been nicely slowed.

1457: Over 49 Katich keeps it simple again, trying to suffocate rather than blow away Bell who remains patient and pushes the ball around.

1453: Over 48 Warne continues to press Bell with his usual variety but the new batsman continues to pick him well, taking a leg-side single off the fourth ball. Vaughan blocks out the over with marked confidence and the England captain, who has the fifth best 50/100 conversion rate in history, will begin to eye three figures from the vantage point of 87*.

1451: Over 47 Katich makes a reasonable start, keeping his chinamen on the spot and Vaughan takes his time to get a good look at the newcomer.

1447: Simon Katich's slow left-arm is introduced into this Ashes series for the first time.

1447: Over 46 Warne continues from the Brian Statham End but Vaughan and Bell each pick him with increasing certainty and keep the scoreboard moving.

1443: Over 45 Bell gets off the mark with a push through the off side and Lee treats Vaughan to a bouncer. The England captain resists the temptation to try and hook, a decision justified by the exceptional bounce the bowler continues to extract from this old ball. He's still bowling with real pace, too, but Vaughan uses that to his advantage by helping a leg-side ball around the corner for four.

1439: Over 44 Vaughan is playing Warne well today and keeps blocking out despite there being significant movement off the pitch. But England don't want to be too bogged down and must look to keep scoring.

1435: Over 43 Vaughan takes a run and Lee charges in at Bell, banging in a bouncer. He follows this with a decent block to point and misses one down leg side. Solid start from the new batsman but he too is under great pressure today.

1431: Over 42 Ian Bell comes to the crease and there are close catchers on both sides with a slip. But the batsman plays the ball back where it came from and the crowd rises to its feet to acknowledge the first bowler to 600 Test wickets.

1427: WICKET!
ME Trescothick c Gilchrist b Warne 63 Warne takes his 600th Test wicket as Trescothick takes a big stride outside off and tries to sweep, hitting the ball into Gilchrist's chest off the back of this back and the wicketkeeper takes at the second attempt.

1425: Over 41 Lee tries to work over Trescothick with bodyline bouncer, wider off-stump pitch and the slower ball. But the left-hander remains watchful.

1421: Over 40 Trescothick continues to capitalise on his earlier good fortune, waiting on Warne to deviate in line and length and then swiping a short one through mid-wicket. England are on top at the moment and their focus should be calm pressing of the advantage.

1429: With Hodge still on for Clarke, Kasprowicz comes on for McGrath. England will keep an eye on that as the bowler entered the match with an injury and therefore should not be allowed a replacement.

1416: Over 39 England are now beyond 150 and this is the best second-wicket partnership for England against Australia on this ground. Lee tries to mix it up to Trescothick, offering a bouncer and a yorker before the wide one but the latter delivery is picked up and hammered through cover for four. One of those per over and England are happy.

1412: Over 38 Warne continues from the Brian Statham End in the spell which will shape this Test match. Trescothick sweeps early in the innings and takes two after a fumble by Lee. The batsmen refuse to get carried away, however, and are playing with fine judgement. England are now favourites with the bookmakers for the first time.

1408: Over 37 Lee starts superbly with fast, straight bowling which Vaughan sees away. He only goes for one big shot but sees a straight drive blocked by the non-striker's stumps and the Meteor returns with a maiden.

1404: Lee takes over from McGrath, who started well but has rarely taken such punishment as currently illustrated in his figures of 13-1-61-0.

1404: Over 36 Warne owes Damien Martyn a favour for the brilliant stop which limits Vaughan to a single rather than a four from the first ball. Ponting re-arranges the field for Trescothick but a flick for a single on the leg side straight up rather ruins the illusion of pressure. Vaughan takes another single straight away through cover. The ball is turning more than enough, whatever some experts claimed pre-match, but England are playing him superbly. Trescothick hammers the point home by hitting the slider through the leg side for four.

1401: Over 35 Vaughan gets off to a fine start next over, angling a fuller ball through backward point for four. He follows this up with the trademark cover drive to an off-cutter and picks up four more. McGrath responds with more accurate off-cutters but Vaughan gets another run as Lee fumbles an on-drive. Trescothick plays out the over.

1357: Over 34 His first ball is not quite as big a turner as the corresponding delivery 12 years ago, but it moves nonetheless. Vaughan works the second ball away to leg for two, blocks three in a row and takes a single off the final ball. Even on an unhelpful surface against two settled batsman, Warne still gives the impression that he is about to make a breakthrough.

1352: Warne is introduced at the Brian Statham End.

1350: Over 33 McGrath continues to work over Vaughan with the usual metronomic line-and-length and still the England captain needs a touch of luck as the veteran bowler continues to extract some movement off the pitch. A maiden.

1346: Over 32 Gillespie must be ripe for change. He's bowling adequately but totally without any kind of threat and Vaughan is able to leave alone before working a single off the final ball to keep the strike and perpetuate his duel with McGrath.

1342: Over 31 McGrath trundles into Vaughan and keeps the ball on off in an attempt to repeat last over's no-ball 'dismissal'. But the England captain shows good judgement in leaving alone and allows the bowler a maiden over.

1337: Vaughan 50: 64 balls, 7 x 4s

1337: Over 30 Gillespie perseveres from the Brian Statham End and Trescothick flicks a single off his legs. Vaughan takes a single himself through mid-off to bring up his half century. Trescothick plays out the over. Though both batsmen have their half centuries they also have had their luck and need to buckle back down to try and dominate this middle session and put England in control before exposing the brittle, vulnerable middle order.

1332: Over 29 Consecutive lifelines for England. McGrath pushes one up wide outside off and Vaughan waves at it, edging high to Gilchrist's right but the wicketkeeper spills the catch in front of an airborne Warne. McGrath responds with a beautiful off-cutter and tempts Vaughan's bat away from the front pad, bowling him through the gate but celebrations are curtailed as umpire Steve Bucknor signals no-ball. Vaughan pushes the ball away on the off for two, moving onto 49* for the end of the over.

1326: Trescothick 50: 88 balls, 6 x 4s

1326: Over 28 Gillespie finds the right area on the pitch again but is still hampered by a lack of movement off pitch or in flight. He moves one away from the left-hander and then nips one back in only for an inside edge to neutralise an lbw appeal. Trescothick responds on the final ball of the over with a powerful drive through extra cover to bring up his half century.

1321: Over 27 A dot ball to start and then Trescothick gets the afternoon scoring started in earnest with a push back down the ground, generating extraordinary power by simply dropping a heavy bat on the ball and seeing it race away to the mid-on boundary. McGrath pitches one much better, up on middle and leg and jagging away, but Trescothick gets a thick outside edge wide of second slip for another boundary to bring up England's 100. McGrath moves around the wicket but gets no immediate rewards as Trescothick skies a miscued hook over mid-wicket for three to move onto 46*.

1317: McGrath returns at Lee's expense.

1316: Over 26 Gillespie is bowling a decent enough line but still can't get any movement under blue skies and off a flat, unhelpful track. Vaughan remains watchful throughout, playing out the over. No runs off the bat but one extra.

1311: Gillespie resumes at the Brian Statham End, a very surprising move from Ponting after the decision to spare both McGrath and Warne into the lunch break.

1310: The players return to the field.

1232: End of session

England 1st Innings 93 for one It has been a while since a partnership between Marcus Trescothick and Michael Vaughan topped the England agenda but it is the captain and vice who have put the hosts on top after winning the toss this morning.

Trescothick was dropped early by Adam Gilchrist when facing his nemesis Glenn McGrath but began to get his eye in as the morning progressed and, with his reputation as an immovable object once established, will be expecting and expected to go on and make a big score.

Vaughan came to the crease under great pressure, a situation exacerbated by Brett Lee's brilliant dismissal of Andrew Strauss with the scoreboard on just 26, but has batted beautifully for his 41 not out with the trademark cover drive in full view.

Australia will not be too disheartened after seeing McGrath and Lee bowl superbly following late fitness tests but this looks a good toss to have won and the tourists would be delighted to limit the hosts to anything around the 350 mark on a hard, bouncy pitch.

Ricky Ponting is also yet to use 599-wicket star Shane Warne and though the pitch does not suit, the legspinner's impact after coming on in the first hour at Edgbaston speaks for itself.

He may yet hold the key to the day.

1232: Over 25 Lee still getting reverse swing and also tries out Trescothick with a slower ball. But England are in no mood to gamble and see out the session with just one wicket down.

1227: Over 24 Gillespie produces his best over to date, pinning Vaughan back with some excellent line-and-length discipline. But Vaughan, one wild swing aside, plays out the over without offering hope to the bowler.

1222: Over 23 Vaughan works a single off Lee first ball and Trescothick soon follows suit. The bowler is beginning to generate a little reverse swing, and that is expected on an abrasive pitch surface.

1217: Over 22 Vaughan flashes hard and high at a wide ball from Gillespie and it evades gully to race away to the cover boundary. Gillespie straightens his line and pitches the next couple up but he strays outside off to allow the England captain a four through cover. A flick off the legs to long leg takes Vaughan to 38*, and at more than a-run-a-ball.

1213: Over 21 Lee continues to generate magnificent pace and punches an early bouncer into Trescothick. He follows that up with more of the same but a full, wide ball releases the pressure as the left-hander pushes the ball away to the boundary behind square on the off side. The 50 partnership is therefore up and England must now avoid losing a wicket before lunch.

1209: Over 20 Vaughan plays a lovely back-foot drive through cover for four as Gillespie's tough time continues. But the bowler offers a superb riposte, beating the outside edge and bowls out the rest of the over without allowing the single which will bring up the half-century partnership.

1203: Over 19 Lee still charging in but Trescothick and Vaughan used to build big partnerships in the days when the Yorkshire batsman scored runs and they are showing signs of doing so again. Trescothick flicks a full ball off his legs through mid-wicket to keep the scoreboard ticking over and then Hodge, still on for Clarke, has a shy at the stumps as Vaughan sends back his vice captain for a quick single.

1159: Over 18 Gillespie's search for real bite continues without reward. Vaughan and Trescothick each takes singles off the first two balls and then moves a wicked ball away from the right-hander which does too much. Some movement for the bowlers, then, but now is the time for England to establish their dominance by continuing to score runs without the loss of another wicket before lunch.

1154: Over 17 Vaughan immediately takes a single to Lee to keep his strike rate over 100 with 25* off 24. Trescothick is now finding his rhythm too and pushes a fuller, wide ball through to the cover boundary. Lee responds by beating the bat with one that nips back through the gate off the pitch but the batsman plays out the over.

1150: Lee replaces McGrath at the Stretford End.

1150: Over 16 Vaughan begins the over beautifully, bringing up the 50 with a four through cover and following that with a nicely-timed two through mid-wicket. Another single puts Trescothick on strike and the left-hander gets in on the act with a two hooked down to McGrath at long leg.

1146: Over 15 McGrath continues but Vaughan gets a strong start with a four through extra cover, Brad Hodge's best efforts failing to stop the ball from the boundary while the batsmen run four. Vaughan plays a couple more with confidence and then drops bat on ball for a single.

1141: Over 14 Gillespie begins with a ball across Trescothick which swings back in after the wicket and drops low to Gilchrist's right, the wicketkeeper doesn't get there and four byes follow. The bowler's line remains excellent but one inside edge onto the pad is as close as 'Dizzy' gets to a chance and he continues to lack the menace and penetration of his colleagues.

1134: Over 13 Vaughan remains straight and correct to McGrath, avoiding any risk in what may be the veteran's last over. But Vaughan still looks uncomfortable to the 500-wicket man and with a dismissal only ever one ball away will be glad to see the back of him. Drinks are taken.

1130: Over 12 Gillespie starts reasonably but pitches a ball up outside off and Vaughan plays it well with soft hands, angling wide of the cordon and away for four to third man. The England captain gives the last ball of the over the same treatment to keep up the impression that Gillespie's introduction is a release for the hosts. Ten off the over.

1126: Jason Gillespie replaces Lee at the Brian Statham End.

1124: Over 11 Vaughan begins positively, trying to get forward to McGrath after losing his wicket from in his crease at Lord's and Edgbaston. The batsman remains straight and correct and plays out the over. Brad Hodge is on as a fielding replacement for Michael Clarke.

1120: Over 10 Michael Vaughan comes to the crease and immediately works a single. Trescothick is treated to a fast bouncer rather harshly given as a wide by umpire Billy Bowden. He keeps up this excellent display of fast bowling and there are no more runs off the over. Lee's precision this morning has been such that he has the economy of just six off five as opposed to McGrath's 22.

1115: WICKET!
AJ Strauss b Lee Lee follows up last over's barrage of bouncers with a brilliantly executed slower ball off-cutter. Strauss doesn't pick it at all and plays above and outside the line, exposing his off stump.

1114: Over 9 McGrath's disciplined line remains awesome but Trescothick is able to push a drive down the ground for two and there is a slight but noticeable change in the relationship between the bowler and the England openers since Lord's.

1109: Over 8 Lee continues to bowl with rare aggression and pushes one vicious bouncer through on Strauss who tries the hook shot, the extra bounce beats the batsman and hits him full on the helmet grill. Play is stopped for treatment and Australia show a sportsmanship hitherto lacking in this series by coming across to check he's okay. Lee follows up with another short ball but the lively, true bounce of the pitch allows Strauss to duck out the way and see out the over.

1103: Over 7 Trescothick pushes a quick single through cover as McGrath still struggles to get anything out of the pitch. Strauss works another stray ball off his legs for two but gets an absolute jaffer of a leg-cutter (to the left-hander) which does too much. A single off the final ball of the over keeps the scoreboard moving and this certainly looks a good toss to have won despite the dropped Trescothick chance and occasional seam movement.

1059: Over 6 Lee maintains the early pressure which has seen Australia on top despite the high run rate. He beats the bat first ball and then forces an unconvincing glove into the ground from a fast-rising bouncer. England release some pressure as Trescothick drops bat and ball and scrambles a rapid single. Lee finishes with another fast one to Strauss and is really motoring this morning.

1054: Over 5 McGrath gets his line back, drawing a play-and-miss first up from Trescothick and keeping up the pressure throughout the over. He then draws a lazy swish and outside edge from the batsman but Adam Gilchrist fails to hold a straightforward chance low to his left. They take a single there, only one from the over.

1050: Over 4 Lee keeps Strauss on the back foot by pitching the ball short of a length. He finds the outside edge mid-over but the ball falls short of Ponting at second slip and Justin Langer at third. He finishes with another quick one into the body to complete a maiden, and still Strauss looks less than convincing against this quality bowling.

1046: Over 3 McGrath strays onto Trescothick's pads first ball and the batsman pushes through mid-wicket for a hard-run three. He re-discovers his line to some extent but Strauss works a single and then Trescothick takes another two through mid-wicket. The final ball of the over gets up on the Somerset batsman but he angles it behind point and away for four. Ten from the over.

1042: Over 2 Lee starts strongly too, passing Strauss' outside edge on three occasions and also forcing a good block from the yorker. England could be forgiven for thinking how much easier life would be if the Australia physio were not so competent.

1037: Lee takes the ball at the Brian Statham End.

1036: Over 1 Any hopes England may have harboured that McGrath is not up to the challenge are swiftly dispelled. He begins with a classic McGrath ball across Trescothick and past the outside edge, and then bangs one in at 88mph - not bad for a 35-year-old - which the England vice captain is lucky to glove the ball over the slips and away for four. He returns to type for the remainder of the over, hitting off stump four balls in a row.

1030: McGrath to take the new ball.

1030: The Australia players take the field with Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss opening the batting for England.

1005: Michael Vaughan has only won one third of tosses as England captain but does so today and that is an enormous boost. Not only does batting first offer the chance for the hosts to set the tone, it also minimises the Warne factor and forces McGrath to bowl from the first ball rather than spend two days watching Ricky Ponting and Adam Gilchrist hit it to the four corners.

1000: England face Australia in the third Test at Old Trafford with some standard to live up to after last weekend's thriller at Edgbaston, a match which some are simply calling the greatest ever.

England have the momentum following their two-run victory but Australia have rather struck back this morning by recalling stricken pace bowler Glenn McGrath ahead of schedule.

The veteran replaces Michael Kasprowicz while Brett Lee also passes a late fitness test.

If that weren't enough England also have to contend with Shane Warne, who begins the Test on 599 wickets.

This of course is a return to the ground where Warne announced his arrival on the scene with that ball in 1993, a delivery which achieved the previously unimaginable feat of turning the breadth of Mike Gatting.

The pitch is hard and bouncy, and expected to therefore offer more help to seamers than spinners though the team to win the toss will undoubtedly bat.