CLOSE: England 2nd Innings 156 for five need 264 more runs to win

1736: Umpires off England the light amid some light drizzle and they accept.

1736: Over 48 Warne switches to around the wicket in the hope of perplexing Pietersen but he simply allows the balls to hit him on the body in the knowledge he is immune from lbw and then clubs the penultimate ball for four.

1732: Over 47 Gillespie continues to bowl perfectly respectably, but there is a sense he is simply being given a chance with the match result sewn up. Whether bowling to Pietersen or Jones, he is decent enough without excelling.

1727: Over 46 Jones gets his own chance to take the fight to Warne, cutting away for a magnificent boundary and clearly enjoying the experience. As they did 48 hours ago, these two are just allowing English fans something to cheer on the inexorable march to defeat.

1724: Over 45 Gillespie starts respectably enough though Jones takes a couple of runs and England creep up on 150.

1718: Gillespie returns to the firing line with Lee getting a rest.

1717: Over 44 Pietersen continues to hog what few headlines England are making, thumping Warne through cover for a magnificent four. Warne switches to around the wicket and Pietersen calls off the attack dogs to inspect this new development.

1711: Over 43 Lee continues to bowl at pace but Pietersen pulls the fast bowler for six as England try to make a counterattack to quell the flow of one-way cricket and at least survive until tomorrow.

1707: Over 42 Pietersen takes a single and Ponting crowds Jones but a rare poor ball allows rotation of the strike again. Pietersen plays a pre-meditated slog-sweep over mid-wicket for four but is lucky to get away with it. A single on the off side brings Jones back on strike and he misses a full toss which hits him full on the leg, Warne again flirts with dissent in questioning Dar's quite correct assertion that the ball was drifting down leg.

1703: Over 41 Lee hurls a full toss striking Pietersen above the knee. He's plum lbw but Koertzen ignores the pleas and an argument between batsman and bowler ensues. The ball was a reaction to Pietersen's magnificent cover drive for four, and the Hampshire man keeps the strike too.

1658: Over 40 Warne crowds the fielders around Geraint Jones' bat and promptly sends down two which almost turn at right angles out of the foot holes. Jones survives because Warne is doing too much with it.

1654: WICKET!
A Flintoff c Gilchrist b Warne 3 The master leg spinner continues his destruction of the England middle order, pinning Flintoff back and then tempting him out with one that moves away slightly and catches the outside edge before ending in the wicketkeeper's gloves.

1652: Over 39 Lee continues from the Pavilion End, still generating mean pace with that right arm. Pietersen ducks a couple of bouncers and maintains his discipline, staying straight and calm.

1648: Over 38 Warne applies his wiles to Flintoff but the England all-rounder plays the spinner with relative calm, buying England something approaching breathing space for two minutes.

1644: Over 37 Flintoff gets off the mark in false style, lobbing mid on with a fullish ball. Lee takes his revenge with a fearsome bouncer which skims the neck of Pietersen and prompts the latest in a long line of ludicrous Aussie appeals. Lee finishes the over with a wicked off-cutter which beats Pietersen totally but is doing too much for lbw and even Gilchrist and co have the sense to keep quiet.

1639: WICKET!
MP Vaughan b Lee 4 Lee returns to the front line in style, beating Vaughan all ends up with an absolute beauty which pitches on middle and off and moves away a fraction. Vaughan picks and plays the wrong line so his off stump goes flying and the game is all but up.

1639: Lee returns at the Pavilion End.

1638: Over 36 Vaughan flails at one outside off and the ball almost reaches cover but doesn't quite carry. England are really under the cosh here.

1635: Over 35 Pietersen takes McGrath for a couple of runs as England look to re-build from the post-tea collapse but the Pavilion End overs are now the quiet ones.

1629: Over 34 Pietersen arrives at the crease and gets off the mark. Vaughan plays out the over.

1622: WICKET!
IR Bell lbw b Warne 8 Bell's struggles with Warne come to an inevitable conclusion. The Warwickshire batsman leaves a straight one and is as plum lbw as one can imagine.

1620: Over 33 McGrath bowls to both Vaughan and Bell but lacks the menace of Thursday. With the pitch hardening to bounce with some reliability, and the ball ageing it is Warne's day now one feels.

1616: Over 32 Bell takes advantage of the close field to take a big stride up the field and push the ball through cover to bring up the 100 for England. He goes on the attack the next ball, too, but sees the ball blocked at point. The third ball rips away off the pitch and some inches past the outside edge. He gets more bat on the remaining balls but looks anything but convincing.

1612: Over 31 Again the field are close around Bell but he gets the ball away and Vaughan is back on strike. The England captain defends well and almost ends the over with a stylish four through the covers but sees a firm drive blocked.

1608: Over 30 Ponting crowds fieldsmen around the bat of Ian Bell but he manages to grab a single. The "respite" is to now face McGrath from the Pavilion End.

1605: WICKET!
ME Trescothick c Hayden b Warne 44 Warne's perseverance pays off as he sends the slider across the left-hander. The batsman takes a swipe but finds the outside edge and Hayden catches at slip.

1604: Over 29 No joy for McGrath though Vaughan does look uncomfortable, his 1st-innings dismissal playing on his mind.

1601: McGrath returns for a duel with Vaughan, Lee looks predictably disappointed.

1600: Over 28 Warne drifts one down leg for Trescothick and he sweeps for two. A block follows before the trademark slog-sweep for four from the West Countryman. He blocks again before driving a full ball down the ground. The final ball is again a straighter one which raps the pads but the left-hander is well down the track and Dar is unmoved by appeals. Great stuff from Trescothick, though he should be careful - England can ill afford his dismissal now.

1554: Over 27 Magnificent from Lee, who we have never seen at his best in Tests in this country before. Today it is easy to see what all the fuss is about. Vaughan gets off the mark straight away, but in less than convincing fashion down leg side.

1550: WICKET!
AJ Strauss c & b Lee 37 Lee finally gets his deserved reward but not without controversy. He fires a lightening bolt of a bouncer at Strauss and the batsman gets an attempted hook wrong. The ball skies off towards point but looks set to fall safely but Lee shows great athleticism to chase down the ball and scoop up. The ball appears to touch the ground for a second but tv replays prove inconclusive and, in any case, Strauss is back in the pavilion.

1548: Over 26 Warne sends down a flipper first up and it evades Strauss' bat, off stump and Gilchrist's glove. There follows another controversial exchange between Dar and Warne. Strauss goes down on one knee and thinks about a sweep but then leaves. The ball strikes him on the leading knee prompting a huge appeal, the rejection is met with outright dissent from Katich and Warne. There is no justification for this pathetic behaviour, exacerbated by Ponting and Gilchrist hounding Dar in between overs, but the fielding side are unlucky in this instance.

1543: Over 25 Lee continues to bowl fast and full for little reward. No need for Australia to panic just yet with Warne weaving his magic at the Nursery End.

1538: Over 24 Warne is left wondering what he has to do to get a wicket after sending a straight one on to Strauss which strikes at shin height. But umpire Dar has perceived, correctly, an inside edge and correctly rejects. The leg spinner holds the key for Australia, surely.

1533: Over 23 Trescothick gets a strong start to the final session, pushing a leg-stump ball down to fine leg for four. Lee is really impressing as an athlete - he is obviously desperate to impress on his first Test appearance in some time.

1531: Lee to begin from the Pavilion End.

1530: The players return to the field of play.

1512: End Of Session
England 1st Innings 65 for 0 needing 420 to win This was England's session though there is a huge amount of work still to do.

Simon Jones worked over Glenn McGrath but a string of dropped catches meant that Steve Harmison had the chance to dismiss Simon Katich to wrap up the innings.

We said that England's top three had to produce and they could not have done more early on, playing Glenn McGrath with great intelligence.

Yet Shane Warne should have had Marcus Trescothick lbw at least twice and the movement extracted from the Nursery End does not bode well for a team who still need another 355 runs to win the first Test.

1512: Over 22 Warne continues to cause the biggest problems of the Australian quartet, pinning Trescothick lbw on the ball before tea. The Somerset opener brings his bat down on the ball after it hits the pad but it may be that which confuses Dar into rejecting an absolutely nailed-on 'OUT!'.

1508: Over 21 Lee bounds in in search of revenge for that appeal but Strauss ducks two short ones and plays a third with soft hands for a four behind square on the off side. A single offers Trescothick the strike and he too claims a boundary before ducking the bouncer treatment. The crowd is energised now as England race past 50.

1505: Over 20 Trescothick is lucky to avoid an lbw shout, the second of the over. He pads up well outside off, offering no shot and survives an appeal. But he repeats the trick to a much straighter one and is very lucky indeed to survive. Australia look mutinous but Trescothick responds with a wonderful cover drive for four through cover.

1501: Warne takes over from Gillespie at the Nursery End.

1500: Over 19 Lee is really steaming in now, watching his run-up is like seeing a thoroughbred horse in action. The best ball of the over beats Trescothick and catches the outside edge but fails to carry to Shane Warne at first slip. It sneaks through and looks sure to be four but Langer makes a miracle stop having given chase from the cordon.

1456: Over 18 Another over which is no disgrace to Gillespie but his pace and rhythm are clearly lacking and his confidence has suffered accordingly.

1452: Over 17 Lee pitches the ball in the right place but Strauss looks happy enough until one skims very low under Strauss' bat. The Middlesex batsman wisely decides not to worry about it, picking up a short one next up and pulling through square leg for four.

1447: Lee replaces McGrath at the Pavilion End. The latter is visibly unimpressed at the decision from Ponting.

1446: Over 16 Gillespie's over suffers at the hands of very tight umpiring from Dar, who fails to give the benefit of the doubt on a marginal no-ball call. That is the talking point of an over in which England continue to take their time.

1442: Over 15 Strauss adds a run and Trescothick rises to the challenge of McGrath now, opening the face for four to the off-side boundary. He then takes another run and Strauss is similarly comfortable against McGrath, playing him down to third man with soft hands.

1438: Over 14 Trescothick claims a welcome boundary, his second of the innings with a well executed square cut off the first ball of Gillespie's second over. The bowler bounces back to hold him down for the over.

1432: Over 13 Strauss continues to play positively, racking up another four with a bottom edge down the leg side. A little frustration is creeping into Australian faces with both batsmen playing well. Strauss gets a lucky escape with one play and miss, however.

1426: Over 12 Strauss gets a great start by pulling a poor, short ball for four but then chops one downwards off a bouncer and is glad to narrowly miss his stumps. A mixed start from 'Dizzy'.

1422: Gillespie comes on at the Nursery End.

1421: Over 11 Ponting takes away the short leg and puts him in at fourth slip but Strauss punishes the move with a flick off his legs. The fourth slip is immediately moved to short extra cover but the tourists' mind games have little impact on a man of such even temperament.

1417: Over 10 Lee continues to try and intimidate Trescothick with a raft of short bowling but he ducks and dives and even keeps out 95mph delivery at shoulder height before crashing a square drive for four. Lee follows McGrath's example in returning over the wicket but without success.

1412: Over 9 McGrath continues to push the ball up to Strauss as Australia push their belief that he is not a good driver of the ball. But the Middlesex man takes two through cover and looks generally comfortable despite the straitjacket tactics. McGrath switches back over the wicket after a brief experiment around to the left-handers. This tactic almost yields an immediate dividend as the ball brushes Strauss' bat before hitting the top thigh and looping over Katich to safety.

1409: Over 8 England are growing in assurance now though run-scoring opportunities are hard to come by. Trescothick plays out another nerveless over to Lee and both batsmen look bullish at the huddle.

1405: Over 7 Trecothick enjoys a confidence-boosting over, even scoring a run off McGrath, and Strauss is confident in leaving three balls outside off.

1402: Over 6 Lee and Strauss each look to be enjoying their personal duel hugely. The bowler feigns for a shy at the stumps after the opener's first-ball block and then delivers a bouncer. Strauss evades with ease and offers a great riposte, driving through the covers for four.

1357: Over 5 Strauss has settled the quicker and again gets a run early on. Trescothick shows a little more assurance in repelling McGrath and the over passes without real comment.

1352: Over 4 Strauss doubles his tally with a flick through leg which passes worryingly close to the helmet-wearing Katich. Trescothick is then struck on the shoulder by a bouncer having failed to offer a shot or take evasive action. Trescothick is famously vulnerable early in an innings and very difficult to budge once set but this does not bode well at all. The England batsman does at least get bat on ball for a couple but is hit again at the end of the over.

1348: Over 3 Strauss gets a single and moves to the non-striker's end. McGrath finds Trescothick's outside edge for the first time but it doesn't carry to Ponting. This is followed by a play and miss and the England vice captain's facial expression does not inspire confidence. He sees out the over at least.

1344: Over 2 Lee starts smoothly, getting up some good pace and rattling Trescothick with a bouncer. Ponting has put himself the second of three slips and there's also a gully and a point with Katich at short leg. None of the catchers get much business in Lee's first over however with Trescothick leaving most balls alone.

1340: Lee comes on at the Nursery End. He is apparently unhampered by the right-thumb injury he collected earlier in the day.

1339: Over 1 Trescothick blocks the first ball and leaves the second as McGrath tries to find his rhythm down the slope from the Pavilion End. The Somerset star flicks the third ball to leg to get off the mark and the Lord's crowd, which has done a nice line in ironic cheers today, produces another one as England begin their long attempt on the imposing summit of 420. Strauss eases himself in for three balls and the hosts breathe a quiet sigh of relief.

1335: Australia take the field in fine shape with Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss opening for England. McGrath takes the new ball for the tourists.

1324: Australia 2nd Innings 384 all out. England require 420 to win England finally wrap up the innings after a shambolic fielding display which casts major doubts over their ability to compete at Lord's or indeed for the rest of the summer. The hosts have never successfully chased 400 in a Test meaning that history will have to be written or the heavens will have to open if the result is to be anything but another Australian victory. All eyes will now be on the top three, who need some runs for this match but also for their confidence following Thursday's abject collapse.

1324: WICKET!
SM Katich c SP Jones b Harmison 67 Katich flashes at a wide one outside off and skies the ball down to third man. It is strangely appropriate yet unjust that Simon Jones is down there to deny himself that deserved wicket but finally wrap up the innings with a straightforward catch.

1321: Over 100 Jones starts off with a very strong off-stump line to McGrath. If any England player deserves this wicket it is surely the Welshman, though he rather spoils this line of thought with a poor one to middle and leg and McGrath flicks it away for four on the leg side. Jones responds with a snorter which McGrath plays all around and deflects up behind the stumps of his right thumb. GO Jones races is to catch, reaches at full stretch but fails to hold onto it. The wicketkeeper's second big error of the day and the third dolly dropped off Simon Jones' bowling today.

1317: Over 99 Harmison allows Katich a single and then sets his field for McGrath with three slips and a gully. McGrath plays as if oblivious, driving the ball through mid off for two and Katich has to quell his groundless enthusiasm for a third. Katich is soon back on strike, however, as a bouncer evades GO Jones. The left-hander angles a ball into the ground and to Flintoff at second, who receives a huge ironic cheer with a rueful smile.

1314: Harmison returns at the Pavilion End.

1313: Over 98 Jones continues from the Nursery End but hands McGrath a short, wide one which is duly sent to the off-side boundary, square of the wicket. He nearly makes a real mess of the follow-up but just keeps out a yorker after allowing himself to be squared up. And then things get worse for England. Jones bangs one in and McGrath opens the face, angling the easiest of catches to Flintoff at second slip but the Lancashire star spills it. If Flintoff has lost the knack then there is little room for optimism left.

1310: The players return to the field of play.

1230: End of session
Australia 2nd Innings 372 for nine lead England by 407 runs On Thursday morning we started with the fact England have not won an Ashes Test at Lord's since the Maginot Line neared completion, and that seems worth repeating after watching the hosts' meek submission to surely inevitable defeat this morning.

Michael Vaughan's men are surely incapable of overturning 71 years of history after a session which belonged solely to Australia, who stretched their lead beyond 400 thanks to the calm stewardship of Simon Katich.

The left-hander was the tourists' best batsman in the first innings and arguably in the second too after this morning's performance.

England still need a wicket before they can set about this mammoth total on a pitch which is difficult to weigh – it claimed 27 wickets on a mischievous first two days but is relatively fresh for a fourth-innings chase.

Certainly the top three will need to make the best part of 200 between them if the first Test is to even approach competitive, since the hard-hitting middle order can hardly be expected to mount a challenge against Glenn McGrath with the new ball in hand.

First, however, England need to get the 500-wicket bowler out of his pads.

1230: Over 97 Giles bowls an over of respectable slow left-arm but it is all too easily kept out.

1226: Over 96 McGrath initially struggles to cope with a Jones bouncer but it is soon business as usual with each batsman helping themselves to runs as the tourists' lead passes 400. McGrath even scoops out a yorker from the pick of England's bowlers.

1223: Over 95 Giles begins modestly but it is an improvement on yesterday's vastly disappointing showing in which he was out-fought by Michael Clarke. The 'King of Spain' can hardly have had his confidence boosted after being swept by McGrath however.

1219: Flintoff leaves the field with an injury, and Ashley Giles takes over at the Pavillion End.

1217: Over 94 McGrath is back on strike with runs still flowing and he still fends off to square leg for another run. Jones responds with a fierce rap on the gloves for Katich, who leaves the remaining balls of the over.

1214: Over 93 Katich continues to play a second beautifully judged innings despite Flintoff's best efforts. Another single brings McGrath back on strike and he takes a wild swing at a bouncer, missing widely and offering a rueful smile.

1209: Over 92 McGrath flicks Jones' first ball casually off his legs for four to the delight of the visitors' balcony. He nearly repeats the trick mid-over but Harmison slides to stop a carbon copy shot down at long leg. Katich takes a single to Bell at mid on and the scoreboard ticks on.

1206: Over 91 Katich takes a single off Flintoff for his 50, exposing McGrath to the strike. But the new batsman is unfazed with a single on the off side. Katich obviously espouses Steve Waugh's "back your team mates" approach to batting with tailenders as he promptly takes another quick one and McGrath returns in kind. The Australia number 11, who averages a little over seven, always enjoys batting despite his negligible aptitude for the task. Katich hammers the final ball of the over through cover for four and Australia pass 350.

1203: Over 90 Jones takes a wicket with the final ball of the over, and it is nothing more than he deserves.

1202: WICKET! JN Gillespie b SP Jones The Glamorgan bowler's misfortune initially continues as Gillespie unconvincingly fends off his body and down to fine leg to bring up the 50 partnership. But the Welshman, so good on Thursday but erratic on day two, responds magnificently with a zipping leg-cutter at 90mph which beats the outside edge to hit off stump.

1156: Over 89 Flintoff looks to raise home spirits but for maybe the first time under Michael Vaughan, England have the beaten look of too many previous teams. Freddie is usually the man to affect these kind of changes but the match increasingly look beyond them.

1152: Over 88 Geraint Jones blots his copybook for the first time this summer. The much-maligned England wicketkeeper was excellent on Saturday but makes a bad drop here, failing to react to a big outside edge from Gillespie. He gets a right hand out to it but cannot close his glove around the ball. England are visibly deflated but almost get a reprieve the next ball as SP Jones spears one into the right-hander. There is a big shout for lbw but the excellent Aleem Dar is right again, divining that the ball would miss wide and above leg stump by a moderate margin. A good start from Simon Jones, but to no avail.

1149: SP Jones replaces Hoggard at the Nursery End.

1148: Over 87 Gillespie fends a sharp one off his legs well and Simon Jones makes a dreadful fielding fumble at backward square leg to allow the single. Katich has little trouble farming a wide one out to third man and Gillespie continues solid resistance, but the last ball of the over keeps ominously low.

1144: Flintoff is brought back into the attack at the Pavilion End.

1143: Over 86 Hoggard draws one wild swing outside off from Gillespie and the ball zips through to Geraint Jones. But it is another demoralising over for England. The Aussies must be approaching odds-on to bat through to lunch now.

1139: Over 85 Harmison continues from the Pavilion End, peppering Katich and Gillespie without reward. Australia have seen out the early danger period and now playing with assurance on a pitch which somehow seems to be improving.

1130: The players and over-by-over update correspondent are united in their desire for drinks.

1129: Over 84 Hoggard begins solidly but then drops one in horribly short and Katich hooks away for two. Some comfort for England in the consistent bounce this morning but they are fast looking at the biggest run chase in Test history.

1124: Over 83 Gillespie gets a fast-riser from Harmison and enjoys good fortune to edge down behind his stumps. That luck doesn't hold, however, as he takes one in the box soon after. There is a bout of childish sniggering around the famous old ground as England are given something to smile about for the first time since tea on Thursday.

1119: Over 82 Hoggard continues, taking the new ball for the first time. His first ball is hit square of the wicket on the off side as Katich edges towards 50. There scoreboard continues to tick and Vaughan is becoming visibly concerned.

1116: Over 81 Harmison tries to bounce Katich first up but sees the ball hooked away to the boundary. A touch down to fine leg brings Gillespie back on strike but he remains resolute despite taking the final ball to his stomach.

1113: England take the new ball.

1112: Over 80 Hoggard begins with a 7-2 field, bowling full and outside off but Katich reads his intentions and plays across the line and over mid-wicket for three. Gillespie continues to look solid in repelling the Yorkshireman.

1110: Matthew Hoggard is brought on following Katich's flaying of Flintoff.

1109: Over 79 Australia continue to ride their luck with a boundary flicked off Gillespie's legs. Harmison responds with a perfect yorker but the dogged tail-ender, who has a reputation for driving opposing bowlers to distraction with his refusal to go cheaply, blocks well. He survives two straighter, fuller deliveries and a half-hearted lbw appeal for an off-cutter drifting down leg.

1105: Over 78 Flintoff tries to bang them to Katich in from around the wicket but two dashing cut shots later and Australia race past 300. A bat-pad flick off the legs down to fine leg draws a third consecutive boundary to end the over.

1059: Over 77 Katich takes a single to put Gillespie back on strike. The Aussies must be wondering whether to cut loose with the new ball imminent but resist the urge as yet, Harmison's deliveries studiously left alone by the tourists' number 10.

1054: Over 76 Katich uses his height to get on top of one bouncy ball from Flintoff, taking two through the covers, but then tries an ill-advised hook and is fortunate to see a skied top edge fall safe at square leg. Gillespie also gets to face a couple and the strike rotates, with Katich set to face Harmison.

1050: Over 75 Katich negotiates the remainder of the over with watchful skill, stealing a single to take strike.

1046: WICKET!
B Lee run out (Giles) 8 Lee fends off a roaring first ball from Harmison to point with his right glove but hesitates in taking a single because of the pain in his hand. Katich keeps coming but Lee pays for his indecision as Giles executes a perfect pick-up and left-handed throw to dismiss the diving batsman with a direct hit to the non-striker's end. Gillespie comes to the crease with Katich on strike.

1045: Over 74 Flintoff relishes the chance to get at Lee, particularly as the batsman is in obvious pain after being struck on the index finger of the left hand by Harmison. Lee is obviously relieved to get some revenge after chopping an inside edge down and past leg stump for two to fine leg but Flintoff will be pleased with the over, even if Lee skies another through the slips for one more off the final ball.

1041: Over 73 Harmison seeks to bowl just short of a length at Lee in the hope of unsettling the number nine. The batsman flails at one lifter early on and takes another on the glove, biting his lip in obvious pain, but takes a single to Vaughan at mid off. Katich receives a wide bouncer for the final ball and ducks, but Harmison has started with menace.

1037: Over 72 Flintoff tries to put Katich under pressure from around the wicket but he plainly doesn't discomfort the number six in the way he does Adam Gilchrist. The Australian takes two early in the over but otherwise remains watchful to deliveries outside off stump.

1033: As expected, Flintoff will begin proceedings from the Nursery End.

1032: Over 71 Harmison is plainly only getting loose but immediately exacts good pace and bounce, drawing an outside edge to the third man boundary from Lee and also sending down a couple of bouncers.

1030: Play begins on time despite the drizzle, though the weather is forecast to deteriorate. Harmison will begin from the Pavilion End, with four balls to bowl after the 71st over was aborted last night.

1000: The first Test resumes amid light drizzle at Lord's this morning with Australia on 279 for seven after a flurry of wickets in the final hour of day two handed England a slender hope of victory.

The tourists lead by 314 runs with Simon Katich the last recognised batsman and the fast-bowling trio of Brett Lee, Jason Gillespie and Glenn McGrath still to come.

Despite there being so much time remaining, England know that they will need to bowl out the opposition as soon as possible to prevent the winning target spiralling any further out of control.

There have been some strange developments in Test cricket in recent years but chasing over 300 – and likely more than the aggregated first-innings scores – on a wicket which claimed 17 victims on day one would be a new one on us.

Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff plainly worry most of the Australian batsmen and it is those two who must get into the wickets as soon as possible.

Katich is a stubborn competitor who played superbly on Thursday, only getting out to a dreadful shot as the tail crumbled.

He has the ability to steer Australia back out of sight, and that is before McGrath and Shane Warne go to work on a crumbling wicket under overcast skies.