By Peter May

Click here for Peter May's view on day two

CLOSE: Australia, 1st Innings 122 for 0, trail England by 251 runs

1750: There will be no more play today.

1715: There is no official news but the rain is now falling quite heavily and the time getting late in the day. Don't expect any more play today but, on the other hand, don't totally rule it out either. All clear?

1615: Not too much rain falling at The Oval but it remains gloomy and there is no immediate cause for optimism.

1600: Vaughan leads England down the steps but they are stopped short by a shake of Koertzen's head as the rain falls as the covers return to the field. The 1605 start was a false alarm but we live in hope.

1550: The thunder and lightening make their entrance but the storm clears as quickly as it arrived. Play will resume at 1605.

1535: Early indications are that a clearer period is to follow. Heavy rain is expected late in the day but there should be more play in the near future. Stay with us for official updates (and, no doubt, more idle speculation) as and when.

1530: The players return to the field in spitting rain and the batsmen are offered the light. Incredibly, Langer and Hayden accept and head to the pavilion with the covers rolled out. It is a bizarre decision - Australia are on top and need to win this match so with delays likely later today and tomorrow, you would have thought that they would want to maximise batting time.

1511: End of session

Australia, 1st innings 112 for 0, trail England by 261 runs

Australia's afternoon here with England lacking ideas and inspiration in unhelpful conditions.

It certainly benefits no-one to say "I told you so" at this stage but it might help to pass the next 20 minutes - what was the plan which prompted Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher to change to a four-man bowling attack?

Bear in mind that this is the situation after winning the toss, it would be a right fine mess had Australia had the chance to bat first.

A breakthrough will come eventually of course and England will have to exploit it with further wickets once this partnership is broken.

But for the moment they might be happy to see the rain get heavier over SW11, providing a chance to rest Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff and review their options with the deficit dwindling.

Australia will be desperate to get back out there for a full session and get that lead down to 100 by the close, and for the loss of no more than two wickets.

The salient question here is: who is going to stop them?

1511: Over 33 Flintoff bowls six balls under gathering clouds and, finally, spitting rain. He cannot make the breakthrough to force Ponting to the crease however, three singles in quick succession followed by a big hook for four from Hayden. He plays out two dots and the players leave the field with rain in the air.

1508: Over 32 Hayden blocks twice and then hits back down the ground for one. Langer works a single square of the wicket and will take strike for the final over before the break. Giles is performing as his critics feared he might all summer, with a lack of bite and imagination that makes England a vulnerable proposition against established partnerships.

1503: Over 31 Flintoff is back around the wicket now, trying exploit the reverse swing which has belatedly begun to figure. But with so little pressure at the other end it is clear that he lacks his previous menace and there are more comfortable runs, a single apiece.

1500: Over 30 Australia bring up the 100 despite Giles' best efforts, five runs all to Langer with the diminutive batsman keeping the strike to face Flintoff. Three more overs til tea so no risks from Australia.

1456: Over 29 Some light for England as Flintoff gets reverse swing for the first time. He bowls a maiden to Hayden and will get two more overs before the tea break, the fielding side's best hope of a wicket.

1450: Flintoff replaces Collingwood at the Pavilion End.

1450: Over 28 One from the over for Giles, the highlight for England a big lbw appeal to a clumsy Langer sweep which Bowden harshly rejects. The slow bowler has reacted well to his earlier hammering.

1445: Over 27 Collingwood begins with an attempted yorker but Hayden picks it and drives on the full past Hoggard at mid-off. The batsman leaves a tempter outside off alone and then digs out a better yorker to mid-wicket for a single. Langer copies the trick exactly and Hayden blocks out the final ball. Maybe Pietersen's offbreaks might be needed after all.

1441: Over 26 Giles re-asserts his authority to Langer after Hayden works a single first ball. The diminutive left-hander is beaten by one nicely rushed through down leg but there isn't time for Jones to stump, he takes this as a lesson and tones down his approach for the remainder of the over.

1436: Over 25 Langer continues to look perplexed by Collingwood, as lively in the mind as he is the covers. The all-rounder begins with one that swings into Langer and almost beats the bat. But the batsmen then chase a hard single and Hayden then takes his turn with a positive cover drive for one. Another two from the over, then - where are those thunder storms John Kettley seems so frightfully sure of?

1432: Over 24 Hayden works a single to mid-wicket off the first ball of the over and Langer continues his assault on Giles with a skip down the wicket and crash through the covers. England will not be too unhappy if Australia match or even exceed their score, providing it comes at a sufficiently slow rate. But these two are set now and are picking holes even in this defensive field.

1429: Over 23 Collingwood begins well with surprising pace and bounce generated from the arm, Langer plays and misses at the first. He should learn from this but offers a shot to an identical follow-up ball, edging behind but Trescothick puts down a chance for the first time this summer, spilling a sharp chance high to his right at first-and-three-quarters slip. We have seen Vaughan gamble with this spread-out cordon all summer and it doesn't pay off here with four runs the result. There are no other runs from an excellent over.

1425: Over 22 Giles cleverly pitches his first ball right up and Langer misjudges the flight, almost getting yorked. A single to long-on puts Hayden back on strike and he is forced to keep up the defences for a good over from England's slow bowler.

1421: Giles comes on for Harmison at the Vauxhall Road End, the end where Warne enjoyed such success yesterday.

1421: Over 21 Langer pushes one back and then hits out through the off side, Strauss in the deep keeps it to one. Hayden is delighted to see the ball pitched up into this favoured area and a powerful drive brings two more, the only further runs from the over. Perfectly respectable start from Collingwood but how long before they work him out?

1416: Collingwood comes on for Giles after one inauspicious over.

1410: Over 20 Three more runs, though only one off the bat with a no-ball and a leg bye further embellishing the total. Hayden and Langer head to drinks in fine spirits.

1407: Langer 50: 63 balls, 6 x 4s, 2 x 6s

1407: Over 19 Langer looks to set a new tone, charging Giles' second ball and hitting an apparently effortless six over long-on. He blocks the third and launches the fourth over deep midwicket, there is a fielder out there but he'd have to be in corporate hospitality to catch that one. Another dot and he hits down the ground to Flintoff taking a cheeky three to bring up his half century out of a total of just 66.

1403: Giles comes on for Flintoff.

1403: Over 18 Hayden is playing like a different batsman here, happy to leave alone outside off and wait for the bad ball. It duly comes off the final delivery and the left-hander brings up the 50 partnership with a powerful pull to the square-leg boundary.

1358: Over 17 Whenever there has been a lull in the fielding spirits of the England team and their fans this summer, it has been Flintoff who has provided the spark for Vaughan. He seems short of inspiration here though, the ball still isn't reverse-swinging and Langer looks comfortable whether he bowls over or around. Two more from the over and suddenly The Oval seems as interesting as its most famous regular, the Right Honourable Sir John Major, KG.

1354: Over 16 Harmison continues with his leg gully and tries to find a way through into the Langer ribcage. He starts well enough but sees the batsman fend one off to leg for a single to keep the strike.

1349: Harmison returns for Hoggard at the Vauxhall Road End.

1349: Over 15 Another safe over for Australia and England have a problem here. Langer takes two to mid-on and another off his legs to Flintoff and Hayden blocks the last. Giles is back on the field so is an option for Vaughan as he considers further changes.

1344: Over 14 Langer starts the over with the shot he and Strauss share between them, the soft-hands push through gully for four. A single follows to Pratt at point and Hayden sees out the over. It is almost role reversal here with Langer taking the fight to England and his partner apparently happy to shoulder arms all day long.

1339: The biggest cheer of the day comes as Gary Pratt, England's able 12th man from Old Trafford, takes the field to replace Giles in the field. If indeed this is all about toilet breaks then Gilo evidently had too much Ribena at lunch, he's only been back on the field for half an hour.

1339: Over 13 Flintoff began around the wicket but has now changed over to give Hayden something new to think about. The batsman leaves alone initially to try and adapt to the new line and Flintoff switches back around without tempting a shot. He's bowling in the right area but Australia are beginning cautiously here, they know they only have one chance to make the 450-plus required to win this game.

1334: Over 12 Hayden continues to bat with a surprisingly relaxed air, keeping things single and pushing a single through cover. Langer's defences looks impenetrable as ever in seeing out the over.

1328: Over 11 They say that Flintoff empties the bars, and here is the evidence. He raps Langer on the pad just outside the line and a big lbw shout is rightly rejected. He then gets an inside edge missing the stumps by inches, bowls a no-ball and gets hit for four to third man as the former Middlesex batsman shows a shot he surely taught to Andrew Strauss during his time at Lord's.

1322: Vaughan's concerns are sufficient that he decided to take action, Flintoff replacing Harmison.

1322: Over 10 Hayden hits Hoggard for four through cover, waiting on a good-length ball rather than chasing it. He backs this with solid defence and Vaughan looks concerned.

1318: Over 9 Harmison starts well, digging one in short to Langer and a streaky push to off bisects third slip and backward point for a four down to third man. A single to leg rotates the strike and Hayden follows suit with a well-controlled pull, rolling the wrists over the ball and pushing it out to Pietersen. Langer blocks out the over and Australia have begun with confidence and authority.

1314: Harmison to continue from the Pavilion End.

1314: Over 8 Hayden shows no sign on altering his approach despite eight successive failures this summer. He is keen to get on the front foot to Hoggard and drive down the ground but needs some time to atune to the new session and is forced to play out a maiden.

1310: Hoggard to continue from the Vauxhall Road End.

1310: Umpires Koertzen and Bowden lead the players out with no sign of the aforementioned weather.

1230: End of session

Australia, 1st Innings 19 for 0, trail England by 354 runs

Australia head to lunch on top after surviving a tricky 30-minute period in the run-up to lunch.

Justin Langer and in particular Matthew Hayden have looked uncomfortable against Matthew Hoggard's swing but there is nothing to fear in this pitch and the tourists will fancy their chances of a first-innings lead after earlier bowling out England for 373.

The home team looked in serious trouble when Geraint Jones fell to Brett Lee in the second over of the day but Hoggard and Steve Harmison maximised their contrasting styles to support Ashley Giles.

The Warwickshire left-armer made a priceless 32 while Hoggard's (2 from 36 balls) and Harmison (20 from 20) offered able support.

England have plenty to do this afternoon with Andrew Flintoff the key bowler and the unknown value of thundery showers still to be factored in.

1230: Over 7 Harmison starts with a short ball on leg and Hayden flicks to Pietersen at deep square leg for one. Langer plays out the over in understated style, happy to make it to lunch with the wickets column in perfect order. The bowler does beat the bat twice but sees the pressure created by this pitch as the last ball of the session, full and wide, is sent fizzing to Langer's favoured cover boundary.

1226: Over 6 Langer has to work quickly to keep out Hoggard's first ball, a vicious inswinger, but plays the next with better confidence in pushing a four through cover. The third of the over swings in to beat the bat again, inside-edging onto the pads and Hayden has to send back his partner who his looking for a non-existent single. This is a funny over, Langer pulling another four with a mis-cue through mid-wicket and Australia have added eight despite not liking the look of the Yorkshireman one bit.

1222: Over 5 Harmison too gets a reprimand for encroaching onto the central area of the wicket but it is a better over, if only because Hayden is so patently short of confidence. There is a play-and-miss, two inside edges and a big lbw shout (rightly rejected) as England continue to try and work over the big left-hander.

1218: Over 4 Hoggard continues to cause Hayden problems, almost getting a wicket with an aborted hook bottom-edged just past off stump. The batsman responds by trying to dominate but gets a jaffer which swings into the left-hander before jagging away past the outside edge. A single off his legs gets the opener off the mark but even here he seems uncertain, almost running himself out before sending Langer back for a second to the arm of Harmison. A no-ball also adds to the score while Bowden has words about running on the protected area.

1214: Over 3 Langer starts by working a full ball on middle stump through mid-on for two. He then offers Collingwood the chance to showcase those fielding talents, hitting into the ground and wide of point only to be denied runs by a flying Geordie. As usual when the ball is in the air the crowd assume it is a catching chance but the increasingly erratic ICC have not yet introduced a regulation covering that playground classic "one hand, one bounce". The over ends without incident and it is difficult not to feel a little anxious even at this stage with so little in the pitch for England's strike bowler.

1209: Over 2 Langer drops an early delivery into the vacant short cover area and chases a sharp single. Vaughan moves himself into silly mid-off to try and crowd Hayden. The big left-hander gets bat on a couple and leaves one with authority but the final ball reminds batsman, bowler and crowd of the story of this duel this summer as it zips across and beats the outside edge of a loose attempted drive.

1205: Hoggard to bowl from the Vauxhall Road End.

1205: Over 1 Harmison begins with three slips, a leg gully and Paul Collingwood patrolling backward point. The first ball is a bouncer which easily clears the diminutive Justin Langer and three more are left alone before the batsmen scamper a single to leg. Matthew Hayden takes strike under great personal pressure and blocks the only remaining ball. Rather disconcerting to see Harmison retreat to fine leg holding his elbow, this is hardly the time for England to call upon the medium pace of Marcus Trescothick or Kevin Pietersen's deceptive offbreaks, which turn much less than he thinks.

1200: Harmison to open the bowling from the Pavilion End.

1200: England take the field with Andrew Flintoff the key man once again. Harmison has an excellent record at The Oval but will not have been encouraged by the efforts of Lee and Shaun Tait, neither of whom received any help on a true pitch. Flintoff's main asset here should be reverse swing, and in the absence of Simon Jones and James Anderson he is the only exponent of the art. Hoggard and Giles will be required to keep it tight for long periods as Michael Vaughan tries to compensate for his four-man attack.

1150: England 1st Innings 373 all out

1150: WICKET!
AF Giles lbw Warne 32 Giles gets an absolute stinker from Bowden, Warne pitching a legspinner on middle and the batsman taking a big stride down. It is going to miss off by six or eight inches but after Koertzen's earlier error there can be few complaints. These things do work themselves out in the long run and England have done very well to get something approaching par after losing Jones first thing.

1146: Over 105 Giles works the ball through the off side from the first ball of the over, a neat little shot and one which moves the batsman onto 32*. England have now added 64 since he came to the crease and that contribution has been enormous. Harmison takes a couple to get his eye in and is then fed one right in the slot, he is a powerful man with a good eye and proves it with a big hit over mid-off for four. Lee responds with a bouncer and a top-edged hook skies the cordon and races away for another boundary. The bowler is less than happy and that mood is hardly helped when he is hooked for another four to long leg off the last ball. Frustrating times for Lee but then he did twice hit Harmison into the Trent a fortnight ago.

1142: Lee returns for McGrath at the Pavilion End.

1141: Over 104 Giles gets forward well to Warne, declining a single for fear of exposing Harmison to a bowler he plainly struggles against. A push square on the off in the middle of the over is taken, however, and Harmison seems more assured in blocking out three to a big cheer.

1137: Over 103 Giles begins the over in unorthodox fashion, charging McGrath and missing a ball which whistles past the off stump. He changes his approach with a push through mid-wicket for two and then takes a single down past mid-on to keep the scoreboard ticking. Harmison has developed delusions of grandeur after that hook for four, trying to repeat the feat to a full ball on off. Giles walks down the crease to offer some advice and Harmison tries his hand at the drive, mis-cueing for a hard-run two to mid-on and pushing straight no mid-off for no run. That special 10th-wicket atmosphere is spreading now, England have nothing to lose and every run is an embarrassment to the bowlers and an irritant to the Australian batsmen while also pushing the total onwards.

1133: Over 102 A maiden over from Warne, who beats Harmison six times in a row with legspinners, flippers and lord only knows what else. Certainly the England number 11 couldn't tell you, and his rueful grin to the bowler acknowledges as much.

1128: Over 101 Steve Harmison comes to the crease and does little to ease the furrows on McGrath's troubled brow. He hooks his first ball, a bouncer, top edging to vacant mid-wicket and Simon Katich cannot race around fast enough to take a one-handed, diving catch. The batsmen scamper a single and Giles returns Harmison to the strike immediately. The big Geordie gets another bouncer and hooks a four, working the final ball for a single to square leg and England are past 350.

1123: WICKET
MJ Hoggard c Martyn b McGrath 2 Justice is served as McGrath deceives the batsman beautifully with a slower ball, drawing an early shot from Hoggard who scoops straight to the safe hands of Damien Martyn at mid-off.

1123: Over 100 The runs are flowing from Hoggard now as he cruises onto 2*, offering no shot to three balls and working a single to square leg. Giles puts up the shutters to Warne but England are really riding their luck here.

1118: Warne enters the attack for Lee at the Vauxhall Road End, surrounding the batsman with four close catchers.

1118: Over 99 Australia are frothing at the mouth after an infuriating over. Giles is now doing an excellent Andrew Strauss impression, following the opener's example from yesterday in simply remaining patient and being happy with a single when offered. Once again this comes to the sweeper out on the cover/point boundary and Hoggard is back on strike. Then the real fun and games start with Hoggard playing and missing twice before nicking one to first and second slip, it is a sharp chance but Ponting will be disappointed to see it spill out of his left hand as he dives across Warne. England scamper a single and their number 10 is off the mark from his 30th ball faced. McGrath is plainly furious and responds with a short, loose ball given as a wide by Koertzen. And his opinion of the South African is not improved when Giles swings outside off to nick behind to Gilchrist, the umpire inexplicably rejecting appeals.

1114: Over 98 Lee is already bowling well enough without getting reverse swing but sure enough he begins to do so in just the 10th over of the day, the 12th with this ball. Giles is almost beaten by a beauty of a yorker but is then gifted welcome respite when Tait fumbles a simple job at cover - does no-one teach the long barrier any more? - to allow an easy three. The crowd are already delighted with that and their spirits are raised again as Hoggard gets bat on ball for the third successive delivery to a huge ironic cheer. He sees out the over and Shane Warne is beginning to warm up in the slip cordon.

1110: Over 97 Giles is once again foiled by Michael Clarke sweeping on the off-side boundary, a strong cover drive picked up to keep it to one. Hoggard again plays and misses outside off so McGrath decides to pitch it up where the batsman has to offer a shot and he digs out two yorkers to see out the over.

1106: Over 96 Lee continues to charge in, swinging the ball away from the right-hander and beating Giles' outside edge. The England number nine picks one up well to work a single through cover - Ponting is keeping up the defensive fields so there is a man on the cover boundary and only two slips - to put Hoggard back on strike. Lee then bowls Hoggard three balls which fall into the "too good for thee" category, beating the outside edge as the batsman fails to move his feet or read the flight. He's still there, though, and time as much as runs will help shift the respective spirits of these teams.

1102: Over 95 The first boundary of the morning brings a big cheer from the crowd, McGrath continuing to bang in the odd bouncer and Giles picking up the ball beautifully to deflect very fine down the leg side for four, through the air but always safe. Buoyed by this success the batsman clubs one through mid-wicket, failing to get hold of the ball but running a single. Hoggard is cut in half by one beauty but the Oval bounce saves his stumps as the ball flies through to Gilchrist.

1057: Over 94 Lee is really finding his line this morning, putting all six outside off just short of a length and moving the ball a touch either way. Giles takes a single backward of square on the off side to the second of the over and Hoggard see out the over with his customary lack of panache.

1053: Over 93 Giles blocks two stock balls from McGrath but plays and misses with an exuberant cover drive to the third. He is then able to scramble a single with the veteran bowler still throwing down one leg-stump ball an over and Hoggard again blocks out, accumulating dot balls as other men collect stamps, beer mats and other bric-a-brac.

1049: Over 92 Giles gets bat on ball to the first two deliveries, something which will help his confidence against a bowler he has seldom played well this summer. He then takes two through cover and ducks a bouncer before flicking a single to fine leg. Hoggard expertly blocks the final delivery and it is all about crease occupation for England now. Hoggard cannot hit the ball off the square and Giles is no Lance Klusener but the total will continue to creep up as long as they are in the middle.

1045: Over 91 Giles is now the senior batsman but shows little inclination to spoil Hoggard, scurrying an early single to square leg to go into Boycott-like hiding at the non-striker's end. McGrath digs the ball in short of a length to Hoggard and the batsman is squared up pushing a forward defensive, he misses the ball and it flicks off the arm guard for a simple Gilchrist take. The well-rehearsed appealing routine follows from the cordon and Warne looks appalled as if Koertzen is telling him there will be no bourbons at tea rather than a simple, and quite correct, "not out". The resultant four balls are all a touch short of McGrath's typical length too and, unusually, wide enough that Hoggard needn't offer a shot.

1040: Over 90 Hoggard joins fellow Trent Bridge finisher Giles in the middle and looks less than convincing in playing out three balls of frighteningly quick bowling from Lee.

1037: WICKET!
GO Jones b Lee 25 Lee drops the first ball a little short on off and Giles drops his hands on the ball to chase a hard single behind point. The next is even shorter and asking to be cut, the right-hander doesn't need to be asked to play that shot twice and sends the ball flying to the boundary. But the next ball removes Jones' off stump, pitched up and simply beating him for pace past the outside edge to give Australia the perfect start to day two.

1034: Brett Lee to bowl from the Vauxhall Road End.

1034: Over 89 Giles takes strike and plays out five balls before stealing a single and the strike off his legs from the final ball of the over. There is some early swing for McGrath but little to encourage bowlers in a bald, hard surface.

1030: Glenn McGrath to bowl the first over from the Pavilion End.

1029: Umpires Koertzen and Bowden lead the players out under cloudless south London skies with the temperature already passed 20*C.

1025: The crowd reprise yesterday morning's rendition of Jerusalem. This comes courtesy of the good people in the npower marketing department but we must stress that other equally patriotic domestic energy suppliers are available.

1000: England resume this morning on 319 for seven, some 80 runs short of the minimum acceptable target Michael Vaughan will have set after winning the toss yesterday.

Geraint Jones and Ashley Giles are at the crease and, with just Matthew Hoggard and Steve Harmison to come, those two will have to score the majority of the runs if England are to break par.

Australia will certainly fancy their chances of rolling the tail over as Glenn McGrath and Brett Lee take control of a ball which is as good as new.

If they fail to make the desired breakthrough then Ricky Ponting can still turn to Shane Warne, who re-iterated once again his unique talents in taking five wickets on day one.

The big unknown is the weather, beautiful at present but predicted to mirror England's first-innings batting in starting well but deteriorating markedly as the day goes on.