By Peter May

Click here for Peter May's view on day five

1845: RESULT: Match drawn

1847: Over 107.6 Full toss hit away to long leg for four.

1846: Over 107.5 Off-stump ball but a touch too high, left alone by Harmison. No run.

1845: Over 107.4 Wasted again by Harmison, arrowing it down leg side and Jones does well to collect behind the stumps. No run.

1845: Over 107.3 McGrath has run his race, deflecting the ball through mid-wicket for a single.

1844: Over 107.2 Far better from Harmison, beating the outside edge with a beauty. No run.

1844: Over 107.1 Wasted ball. McGrath stands out of his ground and sees an attempted yorker drift leg side. No run.

1844: The over is delayed as 12th man Stuart MacGill runs out with a message to McGrath. Hoggard then talks to Harmison and Vaughan to Flintoff.

1843: Over 107 No excuses for England. They were desperate for Flintoff v Lee when Ponting was in and now have their wish, albeit with McGrath at the other end. The first two are blocked and then Lee survives an lbw shout after being hit outside the line. Fourth ball fails to force a shot. Lee blocks again to leave Flintoff one ball. He flicks through mid-wicket and the ball rolls to the rope in super-slow-mo to force McGrath to take strike again. 6 balls remaining - follow it live ball-by-ball!

1838: Over 106 Harmison v McGrath is cruel and unusual on paper but the batsman holds his own as the bowler struggles for yorker length. He even flicks a four off his pad as Harmison fails to tempt employment of the seven-strong cordon. 12 balls remaining

1834: Over 105 No luck for Flintoff as he steams in at Lee, beating the outside edge a couple of times but getting hit for four last over. 18 balls remaining

1829: Over 104 That is the last ball of the over so Lee will face Flintoff with Glenn McGrath at the other end. 24 balls remaining

1828 WICKET!
RT Ponting c GO Jones b Harmison 156 Harmison is bowling at the tailender with a cordon of six and two close catchers but the batsman digs out a yorker for a single. Ponting picks up the next ball quite easily and hits away through leg for four. Harmison then hits the batsman on the pads with one jagging in from off but Ponting jumps as it hits and Bowden correctly judges that the ball was going over the stumps. The umpire then gives another correct decision, giving out Ponting as he gloves behind a bouncer and the stadium goes mad.

1823: Over 103 Flintoff bounds in, Ponting standing his ground and blocking well. The Australia captain won't have a go at anything off his stumps and it's another hurdle jumped but Lee is on strike. Now 30 balls remaining today

1818: Over 102 Jones pulls up with cramp in the middle of his run-up for the first ball, 12th man Peters comes on. Harmison takes over bowling duty and raps Lee on the forearm with a bouncer first ball. Second ball cuts in hugely, raps the pad on middle and flies away for a single amid frantic appeals; the throw from cover hits direct at the non-striker's end but Lee is in his ground. Ponting takes a couple of leg byes but runs are irrelevant now. He then pushes to Peters at cover and rushes a single, Lee is well short but the throw misses. Harmison finishes with a yorker, dug out for four to square leg.

1813: Over 101 Ponting is obviously in no rush to let Lee face Flintoff, batting away a couple and then playing and missing. The bowler has really found his rhythm at the Brian Statham End and the crowd are behind him, and a leading edge from Ponting falls safe on the off. Ponting leaves the final ball outside off, and Lee is on strike.

1809: Over 100 Jones keeps Ponting pinned for four balls but an elaborate re-structuring of the field fails to stop a single off the final ball though Lee has to slide in to avoid a run out. Jones then bowls with six slips and finds an outside edge but it drops short of Giles.

1806: Over 99 Flintoff does it again and takes the applause as his due. Brett Lee is in for Australia and England can sense victory.

1802: WICKET!
SK Warne c GO Jones b Flintoff 34 Warne's luck runs out as he plays as a wide, fast one and edges to second slip. Strauss fails to react quickly enough and it hits the top of his thigh, popping up, out and to the ground but England's much-maligned wicketkeeper responds to scoop with his right glove.

1802: Over 98 Ponting takes two off Jones' first ball and that brings up his 150*. The reverse swing is coming though and he gets the better of the captain twice, including the final ball of the over which almost breaks through the batsman's defences.

1758: Over 97 Flintoff begins with two wide ones and is then flicked through mid-wicket for one by Ponting. Warne plays out the over, quelling fears that Australia are set to try for a win.

1754: Flintoff returns to the attack yet again.

1753: Over 96 Ponting hits out at Jones again, taking four over cover and then chases very hard for two. Another single to mid-wicket and the score keeps ticking over. It's 24 off the last three overs, though surely Australia are not thinking of chasing 86 off 72. Are they?

1747: Over 95 Hoggard is getting some decent away swing and beats Warne's bat with one but promptly sees the next sent to the cover boundary. Hoggard is now hiding the ball as well, apparently fancying his chances of reverse swing but in truth not doing much with it.

1741: Over 94 Jones digs it in to Ponting early in the over and he gets his body rather than his bat in the way of it. But as soon as the bowler strays to leg the ball disappears through leg for four. He then gets it too straight again, sending it down leg for another easy boundary to the centurion.

1734: Over 93 Hoggard puts in a decent over, allowing a single to Ponting and pressing Warne for five balls but a couple of ineffectual waves of the bat outside off do not get an edge on the ball. Drinks are taken.

1728: Over 92 Warne remains mostly defensive but picks off a four through mid-wicket when Jones strays. A leg-side full toss is flicked straight to Pietersen at short mid-wicket and a good dive to the right is not matched by the catch. The ball goes down, his fifth drop of the series.

1724: Simon Jones returns for Flintoff.

1724: Over 91 Giles begins with five around the bat and the first finds the edge. The fourth bowl is dropped short and hit away for four through cover and another block prompts the bowler to go around the wicket. He slog-sweeps the first ball from this line of attack to finish the over with a three.

1721: Over 90 Flintoff continues over the wicket despite his concerns over footholes and promptly digs one right into the batsman's ribs. The second is also bodyline but the third chipped over point to bring up the 300. Ponting almost goes final ball of the over, playing over the top of one that doesn't really bounce but it misses off stump to the bowler's disbelief.

1718: Over 89 Decent return from Giles who has a big lbw appeal shout for a ball which bounces just before Warne's toe. But Bucknor rightly rejects.

1715: Giles comes on over the wicket with Strauss at silly point and Bell at short leg.

1713: Over 88 Warne uses a life as he fails to fend a bouncer with conviction, spinning around in his crease to try and see the ball and getting his bearings only as Flintoff arrives a fraction too late for the caught & bowled with a rueful smile. GO Jones then makes a superb stop to stop a wild bouncer over the ducking Warne and the batsman takes a single off the penultimate ball.

1709: Over 87 Ponting suddenly looks a little troubled once back on strike, playing and missing a beauty which just clears off and resisting the urge to hook a bouncer. A single puts Warne back on strike but he looks happy enough and takes another single.

1706: Over 86 Flintoff is bowling with two slips and two gullys to Ponting and thinks he has Ponting pinned with an off-cutter but the ball strikes just too high and Bowden makes yet another good decision. Flintoff remains concerned by the huge foothole created at the Stretford End.

1703: Over 85 Maiden over from Harmison keeps Ponting on the back foot but no breakthrough. The Australia captain is obviously the prized wicket but it has been a chanceless 126*.

1700: Over 84 Two slips and a gully but no short catchers. The first ball finds Warne's outside edge but falls just short of Strauss at second slip. He plays inside the next one and then chips away the yorker to leg for one. Ponting plays away a couple as Flintoff struggles to cope with the growing foothole and the batsman eventually takes a single. Warne blocks the last and it's 293 for seven with 24 overs remaining and 130 more runs to win.

1655: Flintoff comes back on for Jones with 25 overs remaining.

1655: Over 83 Ponting takes an early single and Warne remains fearless to Harmison, taking a wild slash over point for four. He is straighter, defending on the back foot to see out the over.

1651: Harmison returns at the expense of Hoggard as England look to use this new ball.

1649: Over 82 Jones gets some good lift on off to Ponting, doubtless trying to conjure a memory of Friday's first-innings dismissal. The bowler then pushes one too full and the right-hander hits down the ground to the boundary rope. Ponting keeps the strike.

1644: New ball taken and Jones is given first use to Ponting.

1644: Over 81 Hoggard still getting a little swing but he lacks the pace and movement of his three comrades and as such is not beating the bat. The dismissal of Clarke has ended speculative talk of an Australian victory with 150 still to get at almost six an over. It's three wickets or bust for England but plenty of time to play.

1640: The new ball is available but England do not take the option as yet.

1640: Over 80 Jones looks really pumped as he whistles one past the outside edge of Ponting's bat with the first ball after drinks. The Australia captain takes a single and Warne gets an absolute turning over, the ball moving both ways and beating the bat with a jaffer last up. Too good for Warne, it beats the bat.

1632: Over 79 Hoggard is bowling with real conviction now, swinging the ball both ways and beating the bat. But Warne is no mug and survives to take drinks.

1627: Over 78 Ponting continues to meet the ball with his pad outside off and Jones raps one on his glove, appealing alone and with no obvious cause and Bowden looks away, probably in embarrassment on the Welshman's behalf. The Australia captain responds with a boundary to leg and then leaves an inswinger in the style of Clarke, but this ball misses off stump. He blocks out the final ball with no apparent interest in protecting Warne from the strike.

1622: Over 77 Warne's first ball is a no-ball and as that is called he's already trying a cover drive. His second ball, the last of the over, is played more prosaically with an off-stump block.

1620: WICKET!
JN Gillespie lbw b Hoggard Jones and Flintoff may have been imparting some of the secrets to their colleague. He starts one out on off and swings it in fast and late, pinning the batsman and bringing up Bucknor's finger.

1614: Over 76 Jason Gillespie has been promoted ahead of Shane Warne and comes out at number eight. Jones keeps moving it in wickedly and, though Gillespie blocks well, the decision to take the new ball will surely be delayed. Gillespie is capable against sheer speed but this big movement is almost impossible for batsmen to read. Jones gets an official warning over stepping on the protected area from Bowden.

1612: WICKET!
MJ Clarke b SP Jones 39 Jones offers a primeval scream to the heavens as he pitches one up outside off and nips it back against the expectations of Clarke, who has offered no stroke in anticipation of it moving away.

1609: Over 75 Hoggard begins with another no-ball and Ponting takes a single. Clarke soon puts his captain back on strike with a push-and-run to mid-on. Hoggard deceives Ponting with a well-disguised slower off-cutter, missing the outside edge by not much. Ponting blocks the final ball and that is over.

1605: Over 74 The unorthodox cordon structure is Jones' undoing as a thick edge goes between first and third slip through vacant second. Clarke tries to re-assert himself with a wild swing but misses the ball and tries not to catch Ponting's furious eye. Vaughan puts a second slip in but no further edge is forthcoming. Good over nonetheless from Jones.

1601: Simon Jones comes back on for a three-over blast with the old ball.

1601: Over 73 Mixed start from Hoggard, he puts the ball in the right sort of area though a reasonable over is marred by a no-ball.

1557: Hoggard comes back on for Giles.

1556: Over 72 Clarke continues to bat with plenty of aggression and the scoreboard ticks over 250. The fifth 50 has been comfortably the quickest of the innings, suggesting perhaps that victory is not yet out of the tourists' grasp. Harmison is not doing anything with the old ball and Simon Jones must be wondering whether Vaughan can remember his name.

1552: Over 71 Clarke hits big down the ground and Ponting also takes runs off Giles. Time for a change in the bowling with minimal bowling threat since tea.

1548: Ponting 100: 169 balls, 10x4s, 1x6

1548: Over 70 Ponting begins the over on 97* and is initially watchful, picking up a wide one on off and driving through cover for a boundary. There are no other runs off the over but Harmison's bounce no longer frightens the Australia captain, who is notoriously tough to shift once set.

1544: Over 69 Clarke sweeps a poor, wide first ball and catches it with his forearm, directing the ball over the wicketkeeper for a leg-bye. Ponting takes another two and a single and Clarke then gets very lucky, playing all around one that spins from outside leg to off but clipping it with the top of the back pad to avoid being cleaned bowled.

1540: Over 68 First ball of the over goes through mid-wicket for two and Ponting then moves to 94* with a single down to fine leg. Harmison bowls a good length to Clarke but the batsman is unruffled and takes a single off the final ball.

1535: Harmison to continue from the Stretford End.

1535: Over 67 Ponting works a single off his legs first ball and Clarke immediately chips a toughish caught & bowled low to Giles' right but the bowler can't hold on. A missed chance for England, but Clarke changes the momentum of the over by driving the next down the ground. He survives the remainder of the over.

1530: The players return to the field. Giles will continue from the Brian Statham End.

1513: End of session

Australia, 216 for five, need 207 more runs to win The game remains finely balanced but it is perhaps advantage England with 42 overs to be bowled in the final session.

Ricky Ponting has batted beautifully for his 91* but has received little help from his team-mates, though Damien Martyn will be excused after a poor lbw decision.

Michael Clarke looks comfortable despite his back problems and is the last remaining recognised batsman with a proud tail to follow.

Australia can no longer win, but it is impossible to split the remaining two possible results with conviction and there will certainly not be any 'dead' play in an extended final session.

1513: Over 66 Harmison delivers one to put Ponting right off his tea, jagging one in and up from a good length and hitting the batsman in the stomach. The next ball is fired straight and hits the batsman full on the pads but Bowden rejects an impassioned lbw appeal: rightly so, it was going over the top. One single off his legs exposes Clarke to the penultimate ball but he takes a clever single past cover. Ponting takes a push and run ahead of tea to end the session on 91*.

1509: Over 65 Clarke feels the pressure in the run-up to tea, continually playing at balls which could be left alone. He even begins to chase down the crease to a couple and a thick edge falls short of point.

1507: Giles returns after just one Hoggard over.

1507: Over 64 Harmison is still bowling with the impression of being at 90% capacity, putting the ball down in the right sort of areas but without any real zip. Clarke plays out five and takes a single for the strike.

1504: Flintoff is indeed rested with Harmison coming on instead.

1503: Over 63 Clarke takes a four off the first ball, cashing in on Hoggard's obligatory leg-stump half-volley. A single paddled to fine leg put the captain back on strike and he blocks a couple before moving into the 90s with a two backward of square on the leg side.

1458: Hoggard returns at the Brian Statham End.

1458: Over 62 Clarke continues to look good, the batsman we saw in the first two Tests rather than on Friday. He flicks two to leg and another single while Ponting takes two to go to 89*. Time to rotate the bowlers and rest Flintoff perhaps.

1454: Over 61 Vaughan continues to bowl himself, surely as an exercise in variety rather than because he is the best man for a breakthrough to two right-handers. He does turn it quite well but Ponting looks comfortable enough and comes down the wicket to hit a four off the final ball.

1449: Over 60 Flintoff continues to bowl, he's certainly doing his part for the cause today. Clarke looks reasonably happy against the movement but fends one just past Bell for a fortuitous couple.

1445: Halfway stage for the day and England have half of the required wickets.

1445: Over 59 Ponting takes a single to put Clarke on strike against the spinner and England crowd the bat. Interestingly he does not have a runner and promptly shows his new freedom of movement with a couple of boundaries, but the England captain beats the bat last up.

1442: Vaughan takes over from Giles.

1441: Over 58 Michael Clarke comes to the crease at the earliest time available after his absence during the fielding. He gets a beauty swinging and full first up but digs out.

1439: WICKET!
AC Gilchrist c Bell b Flintoff 4 Flintoff keeps plugging away at Gilchrist and tempts a wayward drive outside off stump, a thick edge flying straight to Bell at gully.

1435: Over 57 Giles wheels in again in the trademark glasses. He's moving the ball out of the rough and into Gilchrist but failing to bowl enough in the most threatening areas. Vaughan is back on the field as the left-hander takes a leg-side single and Ponting looks comfortable enough in playing out the over.

1431: Over 56 Flintoff gets a go at Flintoff after bowling mostly to the captain's partners in this spell. It's another very intelligent display from Flintoff but the right-hander works a single. Gilchrist is beaten by a fuller, faster ball outside off but it does nothing in the air and skips through to GO Jones.

1427: Over 55 Ponting continues to pushes one square of the wicket for a single to keep the strike after another day of trying to get on top of Giles. The spinner doesn't look terribly like taking a wicket at present, but then he never does. We'll trust the 'King of Spain' to do what he thinks best, and, while being careful to remain impartial, don the Juan Carlos II beard-and-crown combo as soon as he strikes.

1422: Over 54 Flintoff continues with three slips, a gully and a short cover. Gilchrist appears determinedly unimpressed and keeps it simple, allowing the Lancastrian a maiden.

1418: Over 53 Giles continues after the drinks but drops his second delivery short and Ponting pulls for four. There are no other runs from the over and Trescothick takes charge with Vaughan off the field for the second time today.

1415: Over 52 Another strong over from Flintoff, peppering both Ponting and Gilchrist with bowling just short of a length with the grip kept well hidden in his run-up. The ball is continuing to do a bit and we are now entering the Flintoff-Jones time zone. The problem is that both have already bowled plenty today, but the fresher Hoggard will do very little with it. Of course, the new ball is also going to be available for the last 90 minutes or so of the day so there is plenty for Vaughan to ponder as drinks are taken.

1409: Over 51 Ponting rotates the strike and England pile the off side with a slip, silly point and silly mid-off as well as a short leg. But there's a single for Gilchrist off his legs immediately. Ponting then inexplicably takes a single to Vaughan and Gilchrist is saved from a run out only by a wayward throw. The left-hander plays out the over.

1405: Over 50 Adam Gilchrist comes to the crease and bats out the over to Flintoff around the wicket. This is the decisive remaining partnership. Only remaining batsman Michael Clarke is injured, but the Australian captain and vice captain have a record of batting very well together.

1400: WICKET!
SM Katich c Giles b Flintoff 12 Flintoff continues his battle with Katich and, as expected, comes out on top. With the left-hander still expecting one that nips back in, the bowler sends down more that move away and a thickish edge flies high to the right of Giles at third slip and he takes a good catch.

1359: Over 49 Giles is milked for another successive boundary by Ponting, his line isn't disciplined enough in this spell.

1355: Over 48 Katich is initially unfazed, taking a big step forward and pushing through cover for two. But one swings away from the left hander and simply does too much to catch the edge. Katich is then expecting the in-swinger but gets another away-swinger and just misses that too. The third away-swinger in a row is a no-ball and Flintoff finishes with yet another into Jones' gloves in front of Trescothick. A real battle of wits developing on the back of Katich's sensational first-innings dismissal.

1351: Flintoff comes back into the attack to have a go at Katich, perhaps a bit earlier than might have been expected. Vaughan has certainly been heavily reliant on his all-rounder and others are going to have to get wickets at some stage.

1350: Over 47 A modest return for the slow left-armer, taken for two behind square on off and then for four through mid-wicket. The right-hander hammers the last into the back of silly point and Giles signals his gratitude.

1347: Giles is re-introduced to the attack.

1346: Over 46 Ponting takes a single and Jones switches around the wicket to the left-handed Katich. Four dot balls are promising enough for the home team but a flick off the legs is too fast for fine leg Harmison and there's a boundary from the final ball to double the new batsman's score.

1341: Over 45 Ponting works a single and Katich is soon off the mark with a boundary thanks to a half-volley on leg stump. The bowler changes around the wicket and beats the bat with the final ball.

1336: Over 44 Jones beats the outside edge of the bat first ball and Ponting is very late. A single then puts Katich on strike with four in the cordon and Jones reverse-swings successive balls away past the left-hander's outside edge. He gets bat on the final ball of the over but there is no dampening the England spirits at present.

1332: Over 43 Simon Katich faces out the over.

1330: WICKET!
DR Martyn lbw b Harmison 19 Harmison continues his best spell of this match with some hostile, short-of-a-length bowling outside off. He is trying to tempt Martyn into an unnecessary, extravagant cut and succeeds first delivery but the right-hander's Kookaburra is some way from the ball. Vaughan has a seven-two field with four in the cordon. And Harmison then delivers the wicket, hitting Martyn low on the pads in front of the stumps via a tangible inside edge. Bucknor raises the finger and Ponting immediately makes his feelings known in the style we have just talked about.

1328: Over 42 Jones starts one out on middle and moves it a touch away and Ponting plays a false shot through mid-wicket which gets a thick edges down to third man for four. Jones then hits Ponting high on the front leg and makes an empty lbw appeal. The final ball swings in and Ponting offers no shot and Jones appeals again but Bowden continues his excellent day. Ponting can have few complaints after his poor behaviour around umpires this summer but it doesn't put England in a very positive light.

1324: Over 41 First run of the session comes via another no-ball but Harmison responds well with a fast-rising bouncer into Ponting's grill, the batsman reacts well by fending beyond Bell for a single. Good cricket, is that. Martyn fares less well against Harmison, thick-edging just past gully for two and surviving a hopeful lbw shout off the last ball.

1319: Over 40 Second successive maiden with Martyn watchful to a bowler who is always dangerous after breaks.

1315: Jones to continue from the Brian Statham End.

1315: Over 39 Maiden over to start the middle session, finishing with a hollering lbw appeal which must be audible in the batsman's native Tasmania but umpire Bucknor rightly shakes his head as the ball struck outside the off-stump line.

1310: The players return to the field with the sun out and Harmison to continue from the Stretford End with Ponting, 41*, on strike.

1232: End of session

Australia, 2nd Innings 121 for two, need 302 more runs to beat England The first session of the final day is probably drawn on points.

England took two of the 10 wickets required but have at least limited Australia to such a point that defeat is now all but unthinkable.

Though Michael Vaughan would doubtless have set a target of three wickets this morning, he will remain hopeful with Michael Clarke set to bat injured and the prospect of reverse swing at the tail.

Opposite number Ricky Ponting has grown in stature throughout the session and will take heart from weathering the storm from Andrew Flintoff to stay on course for a draw to keep the series level.

Still all to play for this afternoon.

1232: Over 38 Jones takes the game with lunch with a mixed bag of attempted swing but a marked failure to beat the bat.

1228: Over 37 Harmison starts with a couple of loose and wide ones but finishes in some style with a powerful blow to the shoulder, Martyn happily taking the blow rather than risk putting his bat neat a 90mph ball.

1225: Harmison re-enters the attack for Giles as Vaughan looks for another wicket before lunch.

1224: Over 36 The over begins with Martyn getting the slightest of edges from Jones and the wicketkeeper catches but there is no appeal. The over plays out in modest style, the Welshman will get more movement as the day goes on but is not at his best just yet.

1219: Over 35 Martyn sweeps Giles for four first up and then takes a single. Ponting is playing well now and sees out the over. The right-hander scored his first 25 at almost a-run-a-ball but has slowed to a more measured approach since. Obviously hugely important for the Australians to get to lunch without losing another wicket.

1215: Over 34 We have almost come to expect Jones taking a wicket with his first ball and he almost does so here, tempting Martyn into a high and wide cut behind square which finds a gap for four. Jones rushes a couple on to the batsmen and has a big appeal against Ponting off the fifth ball, hitting the front leg outside the line with a big in-swinger. Good technique from the Australia captain, who plays out the over.

1212: Simon Jones comes on for Flintoff at the Stretford End.

1212: Over 33 A better over for Australia, Martyn hitting a four through mid-wicket and both batsmen taking runs to keep the score moving.

1209: Over 32 Martyn takes a single for the second successive ball to double his score and Ponting gets bat on each of the five remaining balls, taking a single behind Kevin Pietersen at point off the final ball.

1205: Over 31 Ponting takes a single first ball, exposing Martyn to a potential five from Giles. Martyn makes a shaky start, pushing the ball to Bell and getting caught out of his ground but a wild, instinctive throw from short leg misses not only the stumps but also GO Jones' gloves to allow the batsman back into his ground. Good stop from Bell though and more pressure for the hosts despite a single off the final ball.

1200: Over 30 Damien Martyn gets a no-ball first up and then blocks two in a row to see out the over. The crowd is buzzing now.

1157: WICKET!
ML Hayden b Flintoff The inevitable demise of the left-hander at Flintoff's hands finally arrives with the bowler back over the wicket. Flintoff continues his policy of peppering off stump. Hayden is shuffling across to protect that area from the one that nips back but has gone too far and exposes his leg stump, allowing a fast straight one to rip through behind the batsman's legs and provide a much-needed wicket for England.

1155: Over 29 Ponting picks one up on a good length and sends it to the cover boundary, Giles cleverly pushes the next one up and tempts a narrow play-and-miss. A good over from Giles with a ring of close catchers all in fine voice to the Australia captain's weaknesses.

1151: Over 28 Flintoff moves over and back around the wicket to Hayden and the bowler's wiles remains a mystery to the left-hander. He leaves the final ball of the over, an in-swinger, and it hits the top of the pad to prompt a big lbw appeal, rightly rejected. Flintoff is applying the pressure but England need a wicket now - three would have been the target for lunch and two is surely the minimum required.

1145: Over 27 Hayden tries to sweep Giles but gets it all wrong and the ball hits pad before rolling inches past off stump, the lbw appeal is rejected. Giles continues to mix up his flight, angle and bounce and Hayden appears to lose the plot for the moment, smothering the final two balls with his pad in an unorthodox and slightly desperate approach which may well be exposed if he pursues it.

1142: Over 26 Another good, searching over from Flintoff but the batsmen have benefitted more from the drinks break and have now re-discovered the knack for strike rotation.

1138: Over 25 Giles makes a largely solid return from the drinks break but Hayden picks up one loose ball and launches it for six over mid-on. The left-hander plays out the over and thus won't have to face Flintoff immediately.

1132: Over 24 Hayden remains uncertain to Flintoff outside off and flashes at another off-stump ball for another edge through the cordon. Vaughan reacts by putting a fifth man into the line with substantial gaps between hand meaning the line stretches from point to wicketkeeper. Another outside edge beats the slips for four and a straight block ends the over to bring the drinks break.

1128: Over 23 Ponting pushes one just past Bell at short leg and calls for a single but Hayden is rightly uninterested, sending his captain scrambling back just ahead of Giles' throw. Ponting is obviously anxious to rotate the strike but can't get the ball away. But a full toss off the final ball allows some relief with a four through mid-wicket.

1125: Over 22 Flintoff continues around the wicket to Hayden, hammering down the ball on a strict off-stump line with a little away swing. Later in the day he will hope to bring one back in with reverse swing but it may be a bit early at present. The batsman looks uncomfortable enough as things stand in any case.

1121: Over 21 More tidy if unremarkable fare from Giles with Ponting toning down his approach, getting forward well and often but sticking to strictly defensive shots.

1116: Over 20 Hayden flicks the first loosener down to fine leg for one. Ponting defends one off the back foot and then picks up a short no-ball angled in from off stump and hooks for six over square leg. The Australia captain takes a single to put Hayden back on strike and he edges a shortish ball wide of Strauss at second slip and through the vacant third slip area before seeing out the over. Decent start from the all-rounder.

1112: Andrew Flintoff is introduced for Hoggard at the Stretford End.

1111: Over 19 Giles continues over the wicket and turns a big one from middle and past the outside edge early on. A caught-behind appeal is rightly rejected. Ponting continues to look scratchy against the left-arm slow, Andrew Strauss at silly point and Bell at short leg, but sees out the maiden over.

1108: Over 18 Ponting continues to play around his pad to Hoggard and is patently short of form. But the Yorkshireman is still susceptible to the odd leg stump ball and this allow the Australia captain to bring up his team's 50 in his favourite area.

1103: Over 17 Ponting has looked to get after Giles all summer and is apparently unbowed by a conspicuous lack of success thus far. He plays too far forward to the second ball of the over and sees it beat the outside edge but slides his back foot back into the crease before GO Jones can whip off the bails. The next delivery is given more air and Ponting skips forward, slashing a thick outside edge wide of slip for three. Hayden is more circumspect for the second half of the over, taking his time against a bowler with the capacity to cause left-handers real problems today.

1100: Ashley Giles is introduced early at the expense of Harmison.

1059: Over 16 Six dot balls but one four off a no-ball in a consistent but hardly threatening over from Hoggard. Hayden looks comfortable throughout and has certainly improved from the first two Tests, possibly buoyed by a solid display in the first innings here.

1054: Over 15 Harmison feeds Hayden two tame bouncers early on, hooked for four and one respectively. Vaughan sets a special field for Ponting with two slips, two gullys and a short leg. But the ball is into the Australia captain's body and comfortably fended off for two. The right-hander plays out another disappointing over from England's fast bowler.

1050: Over 14 Hoggard's biggest weakness this summer has been a tendency to drift the ball onto Ponting's legs and he makes the same mistake here, punished with a punch through mid-wicket for four. But he responds well, moving a couple off the pitch and into the right-hander, a promising sign on a surface which has proved timid throughout the previous four days. The fifth ball of the over gets up off a length and raps Ponting on the gloves, the ball spinning wide of the right hand of Ian Bell at short leg. And he finishes with a fast inswinger which hits the batsman on the pads provoking a big appeal rightly rejected as going down leg by Billy Bowden. Good over for the hosts.

1046: Over 13 Harmison produces a decent enough over to Hayden but lacks the fire and rhythm which make him such a threat. Six balls chucked down at around 85mph, and mostly outside off stump, does little for the morale of the crowd or the England team.

1042: Over 12 Ricky Ponting takes a single off his first ball, flicking off the legs for a single. Hayden prods at a couple and then takes one himself and Ponting plays out the over. Rarely can a Yorkshireman have received such an ovation in Manchester as the crowd rises to its feet at the end of the over.

1035: WICKET!
JL Langer c GO Jones b Hoggard 14 England's happy habit of collecting wickets early in a spell continues. Hoggard's first ball is beautifully angled across Langer's body, drawing a prod and outside edge and Geraint Jones pouches the simplest of catches. A dream start for England after the frustration of bowling only spinners to the close last night.

1034: Matthew Hoggard to bowl from the Stretford End.

1034: Over 11 Harmison is still lacking the bite and verve of Lord's, though this is of course just a loosener. He beats Matthew Hayden's outside edge with one beauty but otherwise fails to force a shot and a no-ball add to the Australia total.

1030: Stephen Harmison to bowl first from the Brian Statham End.

1030: The England players take the field to a huge reception.

1000: The gates have been closed at Old Trafford with every ticket for the final day of the third Test sold out after queuing began well before dawn.

The skies are overcast but forecast good as England seek the 10 wickets required for a 2-1 Ashes lead against an Australia team who need 423 runs to win themselves.

It isn't yet clear whether the tourists will make a serious attempt to chase that total, but they undoubtedly possess the firepower on a track with few demons, though spin and reverse swing will become increasingly influential.

There is therefore scope for a day of drama to compare with last Sunday at Edgbaston.

Equally Australia may go to tea at 180 for two, inviting a final session of the fielding team joker (Matthew Hoggard?) doing bowling impressions of Bob Willis and Graham Dilley to pass a futile final session.

The joy of sporting theatre at the highest level either way.