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By Peter May
Click here for Peter May's view from day two at Edgbaston CLOSE: England, 2nd Innings 25 for 1, lead Australia by 124 runs
1801: Over 7 Warne pitches the first two balls outside leg and Hoggard pads up. The bowler tries to respond with a straight slider but doesn't quite get it right and Hoggard can again pad up. The final ball is an inside edge via the pad but evades short leg.
1758: Matthew Hoggard comes out as night watchman with six catchers around the bat virtually holding hands.
1756: WICKET!
AJ Strauss b Warne 6 The over begins with a huge turner and Warne immediately alters his field with two close catchers in front of the bat as well as a slip, gully and leg-gully. That confidence is justified as the second delivery pitches well outside off, draws Strauss across and bowls him behind his legs onto middle stump. Strauss will not enjoy seeing it again but the level of movement is astonishing.
1752: Warne enters the attack.
1751: Over 6 Strauss keeps the scoreboard moving and Trescothick hammers another four through cover for four to move to 19*. The England batsman plays out the over.
1747: Michael Kasprowicz replaces Gillespie.
1746: Over 5 Warne goes over to offer Lee a rallying cry and the paceman begins to find his range from around the wicket, firing a couple past Trescothick's nose at 90mph. But the England batsman bides his time and gets a short ball which simply doesn't climb, taking advantage with a high pull over mid-wicket for four.
1742: Over 4 Trescothick takes a single straight away from Gillespie, chipping off his legs to square leg, and the bowler switches to around-the-wicket to Strauss. The move does not pay off immediately as the batsman gets forward to hit through cover for four.
1738: Over 3 Trescothick begins Lee's second over as he began the first, by driving Lee to the cover boundary. The England vice captain then looks convincing outside off stump but Lee finds the fire of which we know he is capable, lifting a bouncer into the ribs to finish the over and the batsman's response is poor, fending the ball to vacant leg-gully for a single.
1735: Over 2 Strauss takes an early single to give Trescothick the strike but the Australians are not moving the ball remotely as well as their England counterparts. The Somerset man also takes a quick run by dropping the ball to his own feet and responding quicker than any of the fielders.
1731: Jason Gillespie to bowl from the Pavilion End.
1730: Over 1 Trescothick picks up a full, wide first delivery and hammers it through extra cover to the delight of the crowd. The England opener then leaves a couple of wide ones and gets bat on ball with a good block. The fifth ball sees a strange one with the vice captain blocking, calling for a run, being sent back, dropping his bat and having to hop Bob Beamon-style into his crease. Luckily for the hosts Clarke misses the stumps and the over ends with England 4/0.
1726: Brett Lee starts at the City End.
1725: The players return to the field. Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss have a maximum of 35 minutes to survive against the McGrath-less Australians in a mini-session with huge potential implications for the match and thus the series. The key man to watch will be Shane Warne, who will be able to exert pressure on a dry surface.
1715: Australia 1st Inns 308 all out. England lead by 99 runs
1715: WICKET!
MS Kasprowicz lbw b Flintoff 0 Flintoff removes Kasprowicz first ball with an identical delivery except there is no doubt this time about the decision from Rudi Koertzen. Flintoff will bowl on a hat-trick in the second innings but first England must bat with a lead of 99.
1713: WICKET!
JN Gillespie lbw b Flintoff 7 Gilchrist fends the first ball of the over away for single to move on to 49* but finally pays the price for overexposing his partner. In truth Gillespie is unlucky to be given out lbw to a spearing, inswinging yorker which is going well down leg but he is any case beaten all ends up.
1709: Over 75 God bless the man who invented cut and paste. Gilchrist takes an early single off Giles and Gillespie blocks happily away. A silly fielding error allows four in overthrows and reduces the arrears to 100 runs.
1705: Over 74 Flintoff resumes around the wicket but starts loosely and Gilchrist flicks off the legs for a single to bring up the 300. Flintoff tries to unsettle Gillespie but the self-styled tail-end irritant is an excellent judge outside off. The bowler issues an excellent riposte with a snorting bouncer fended off less than convincingly but the tailender takes a single last ball to keep the strike.
1701: Flintoff returns to the attack.
1700: Over 73 Gilchrist finds a rare two on the off side and follows this with a single. Gillespie bats out the over.
1657: Over 72 Gilchrist's belief in his team-mates is now beginning to look like laziness. He takes yet another early single to leave Gillespie to face Jones but the number 10 shows far greater restraint than his two predecessors and sees out the over in relative comfort.
1655: Over 71 Once again Gilchrist allows Gillespie the strike and the tailender remains technically excellent to the left armer over the wicket. He squares his chest and gets a big stride forward with excellent judgement on pitch and bounce. We're almost reaching the stage now where England ideally wouldn't want to bat in fading light tonight but rather time their bowling out of Australia to coincide with the close.
1650: Over 70 Jones beats the outside edge of Gilchrist's bat first up. He almost gets the key wicket next ball, catching the outside edge of a wild swing but Vaughan has committed men to the boundary allowing a four to sneak through vacant second slip. Gilchrist then blocks and takes a single out to deep square-leg to leave Gillespie two balls to face. Both are blocked and Jones also gets an official warning from Koertzen for running on the pitch. Given the havoc wreaked by Giles, Warne will be the pivotal figure in England's innings so it is difficult to see the value England might have in damaging the batting surface.
1646: Over 69 Giles bowls to Gilchrist with five fielders on the boundary and limits the batsman to a single. He uses the same four close catchers to Gillespie as Lee but 'Dizzy', who made half-century last week against Worcestershire and also has a Test 50 to his name, blocks out with relative comfort. Vaughan even moves the field out to offer the tailender a single but the Aussies aren't falling for that one.
1642: Over 68 Gillespie takes a single but Gilchrist's faith in his team-mates remains and he takes one straight back. Gillespie plays out the over with three slips and a gully.
1638: Jason Gillespie takes his time getting to the crease and umpire Koertzen seems to be considering his watch with great deliberation amid the crowd's wolf whistles but no action is taken.
1635: WICKET!
B Lee c Flintoff b SP Jones 6 Jones strikes first ball after the drinks break, sending down a superb, swinging delivery which draws Lee into a poor shot away from the body and an outside edge to Flintoff at second slip. The Lancastrian grimaces - he was obviously injured in Jones' last ball - but the other England players are all smiles. They must now turn the screw on Gilchrist.
1632: Over 67 Gilchrist again takes a single and Giles thinks he has pinned Lee lbw with the second ball of the over. But the ball has pitched outside leg stump since Giles is bowling over the wicket and the brilliant Bowden rightly rejects. He then goes close again as the right-hander chops the ball between back leg and leg stump for an undeserved single. Gilchrist plays out the over. Drinks are taken.
1628: Over 66 Jones starts the new over with a wicked, in-swinging yorker to Gilchrist and a bottom edge to backward square leg is a lucky let-off for Australia. It does, however, allow them five balls at Lee: the first two beat the bat and the third finds an edge to offer the sharpest of chances to Flintoff's right hand but the ball jams out as the second slip goes forward and low to his right. A chance but hardly a drop, though England might move the cordon closer. In any case Vaughan adds a third slip and then sees a short, wide one despatched to the cover boundary. Jones responds superbly with a fast straight one which rattles Lee's pads and it's smiles all round at the end of a fascinating over.
1624: Over 65 Brett Lee takes strike for the remainder of the over and Vaughan goes on the offensive with a slip, a gully and a close catcher in front of the bat on either side. But the paceman plays out the one ball and the crowd voice their backing for the local hero Giles.
1622: WICKET!
SR Warne b Giles 8 Again England allow Gilchrist a run, preferring to concentrate on Warne. and this pays immediate dividends thanks to a brainless charge and swing from the batsman who misses a straight one by some distance and sees the ball skip on the hit middle and leg.
1616: Over 64 England offer Gilchrist an easy single and he accepts. Warne tires to club a full ball from Jones over mid-wicket straight away but catches the bottom of the bat. Jones then beats the outside edge with classic, late away swing twice in a row but sees the final ball of the over sent through extra cover for a boundary.
1612: Over 63 Gilchrist takes a single with a miscued pull and Giles sets up the field with three close catchers and another four on the boundary. Warne justifies the decision with a series of wild slashes, he rides his luck with a couple but finally gets hold of one and claims a four through cover off the final ball of the over.
1608: Over 62 Jones has really got up a head of steam now, sprinting in and hurling down three late swingers - two of which beat the bat - to new arrival Shane Warne.
1605: WICKET!
JL Langer lbw b SP Jones 82 Jones starts the new over with a wild ball down leg side which swings away from GO Jones behind the stumps for four byes. But he responds magnificently with a real effort ball, angling the delivery away from the opener before moving the ball back in on the bounce to pin the back leg.
1600: Over 61 Another solid six balls from Giles, he has responded better than many might have expected from this criticism. One more victim and the day will be an unqualified success.
1600: Over 60 Jones struggles to find the off-stump line as he starts over the wicket. Gilchrist, who has kept the scoreboard ticking nicely since tea, plays the ball with ease off his legs and the Baggy Greens are just beginning to gain parity once again on this fascinating day.
1556: SP Jones replaces Flintoff at the Pavilion End.
1555: Over 59 Gilchrist and Langer trade singles from Giles but it is noticeable that Australia's attitude to the spinner has been adjusted following today's performance. Gilchrist takes one off the final ball of the over to bring up the 250.
1550: Over 58 England mostly keep up the pressure but a rare half-volley from Flintoff allows Gilchrist to relieve the pressure with a four down the ground. He moves onto 19*.
1546: Over 57 Langer comes forward and well outside off stump after Giles gives it more air, GO Jones whips off the bails but the batsman always ensured he was in his ground. More solid stuff from Giles follows and Langer is happy to play it out. He has shown great judgement today with a really old-fashioned Test innings.
1542: Over 56 Pietersen and Bell give chase as Gilchrist takes two square of the wicket. Flintoff is again bowling around the wicket but his opponent's stance and foot movement have changed dramatically from Lord's. The England all-rounder is now tipping the speedometer over 90mph, alas to no avail as a typical Gilchrist shot wide of Pietersen's despairing left hand at cover races away for four.
1539: Over 55 England and Giles start well in their supression of Gilchrist, limiting his runs with some tight fielding in two circles. Another single keeps the wicketkeeper on strike to face Flintoff.
1534: Giles continues from the City End.
1533: Over 54 Langer gets straight off the mark with a fantastic pull through mid-wicket for four and then takes a single to put Flintoff and Gilchrist back in opposition. The Australian has clearly been practising against the troublesome line since he plays a far better, straighter line and even gets off the strike thanks to a Pietersen fumble at cover. Langer plays out the over.
1530: Flintoff to continue from the Pavilion End.
1529: The players return to the field.
1510: End of session
Australia 1st Inns 219 for five trail England by 188 runs For the second successive session England claw their way back in front despite less-than-helpful conditions.
Ashley Giles has bowled superbly with control and precision to frustrate the Australians, receiving alternate help from the similarly minded Matthew Hoggard and contrasting, inventive aggression of Andrew Flintoff.
Two more wickets were the afternoon reward and all eyes now turn to Adam Gilchrist. The wicketkeeper has been well beaten by Flintoff so far this summer but excels in turning around situations such as this.
England put a lot into his dismissal at Lord's and will doubtless do so again. It is a duel with huge potential consequences for the rest of the summer.
1510: Over 53 Giles bowls through his over as quick as he can to try and squeeze in more from Flintoff but it isn't to be as Gilchrist shows rare restraint to block out the over and make it to tea.
1507: Over 52 Flintoff gets the crowd on their feet with a working over of Gilchrist, taking one past the outside edge and hitting the pad with another. But the wicketkeeper has obviously been practising against the around-the-wicket line and keeps the ball at bay.
1503: Over 51 Giles continues against Langer with two close catchers keen but the batsman unwilling to bend. Either of these batsmen would represent a magnificent scalp now.
1500: Over 50 Gilchrist arrives at the crease and promptly hammers a four through the covers before the end of the over. England put a lot of store in getting the wicketkeeper at Lord's and succeeded both times - it is no exaggeration to say that this innings could well prove the most influential of the match.
1454: WICKET!
SM Katich c GO Jones b Flintoff 4 England answer the question in fine style to get firmly back on top. Flintoff remains around the wicket and lifts the ball away from Katich who swings a little extravagantly and edges to Jones going down low to his left.
1452: Over 49 Giles' variation is excellent and the batsmen are each reticent with two close catchers now employed. At lunch it was agreed that two wickets would just about make it England's session, anything less and it's Australia's. So, can Vaughan find that key dismissal, preferably that of Langer, to remain in control?
1448: Over 48 Flintoff is beginning to get some reverse swing from the ball now, angling the ball into Langer and then sweeping it away. He is happy to get off the strike and Katich, with Langer the only circumspect operator in this touring side, is back on strike. He leaves ball after ball and remains unbeaten on 0.
1444: Over 47 Giles begins with a ball behind Langer's legs and Jones does his best for the stumping but the batsman never leaves his ground. The bowler then really whips one in from well outside off stump but it misses the stumps as well as Langer's bat. The penultimate ball also does a lot and Langer is pleased to take a single off the final ball to also bring up Australia's 200.
1440: Over 46 Flintoff begins around the wicket, the action which has brought joy against the top seven and particularly Adam Gilchrist this summer. He begins well with a sharp-rising ball to Langer, catching the outside edge but seeing the ball fall well short of Strauss at second slip. And the ever-reliable Lancastrian continues to test the opposition with consistency rather than his preferred approach of variety.
1436: Flintoff returns in place of Hoggard as Vaughan looks to re-assert the pressure.
1435: Over 45 Giles again takes the applause after seeing Simon Katich play out four balls without incident.
1430: WICKET!
MJ Clarke c GO Jones b Giles 40 England's persistence pays off again as Giles pushes a quicker one through across Clarke and the right-hander offers an unusually lazy waft at the ball, making a big outside edge which is caught behind.
1429: Over 44 Clarke continues the policy of increased agression but promptly loses the strike to Langer. It is of no harm to the run rate as Langer executes a sublime cover drive for four, only his fifth boundary from 61 runs.
1425: Over 43 Clarke takes the attack back to Giles with a quick dance down the crease and push through the leg side for four. There are more singles in it for both batsmen though Langer needs luck for a push outside off to avoid the man at silly point. Clarke ends on 39* with Langer 57*.
1422: Over 42 Hoggard steams in with a smile on his face, clearly relishing these punishing mid-afternoon spells in a battle of mental strength with the batsmen. Like Giles he is capable of supressing the run rate but wickets remain a question of waiting for a mistake and exploiting it.
1418: Over 41 Signs of a change in the batting approach with a couple of more aggressive shots well smothered by the ring of fielders. Giles is looking good for 'tying up' an end but there's no obvious suggestion that a wicket is coming.
1414: Over 40 Hoggard continues to get some movement into the right-hander as he trundles in to a seven-two field but Clarke is not to be tempted into a loose shot outside off stump. A real, old-fashioned war of Test cricket attrition in the first half of the middle session.
1407: Over 39 Another solid over from Giles including an edged arm-ball through GO Jones and Trescothick for four. England skipper Vaughan engaging in a patience endurance test with a team used to imposing their will on the opposition.
1401: Langer 50: 94 balls, 4 x 4s
1401: Over 38 First ball of the over goes through Vaughan and down the ground for two to bring up Langer's half century. Superb, cleverly paced innings from the diminutive opener who promptly takes another single to put Clarke back on strike. He meets a full, swinging ball with a textbook cover drive for four and plays out the over.
1400: Hoggard returns for Jones at the Pavilion End.
1359: Over 37 First ball of the new over is tossed up outside off and Clarke drives the ball into the ground and the hands of Pietersen. The Hampshire star holds onto the ball (a first in an England shirt?) but the crowd's hopeful appeal for a catch is ignored by those with a basic grasp of what is going on in the middle. The scoring rate continues to drop but every wicketless over is a boost for the tourists.
1355: Over 36 Jones' late swing continues to vex his wicketkeeper namesake though the Kent man has improved markedly from the shambles at Lord's. Unfortunately for the Welshman he is unable to do much with the ball in front of square with the result that off-side containment remains the limit of his ambition.
1352: Over 35 It's a strong start from Giles despite his insistence on bowling in those wrap-around shades which started and ceased to be fashionable above the well-trimmed moustache of Robin Smith in 1992. The slow left-armer bowls over the wicket and gets a straightish one to bounce on to Langer's pad but is hits outside the line and Billy Bowden shakes his head. Clarke gets a first look at the Warwickshire bowler following a single and he too remains watchful with the bat tucked in behind the front pad.
1349: Giles returns at the City End, replacing Harmison.
1349: Over 34 A rare four from Clarke as he drags a shortish ball from middle stump and through mid-wicket. Jones otherwise sticks to his off-stump line.
1344: Over 33 Clarke and Langer continue to work the singles to a defensive field, in process bringing up the 150. For the first time in the match we are in serious danger of seeing the cat and mouse of 'real' Test cricket as opposed to the bear versus shark tear-up which prevailed yesterday.
1340: Pietersen returns to the field of play and gets a rousing reception from the Eric Hollies Stand as he trots over to field at square leg.
1339: Over 32 Jones begins the over with a wild wide outside Langer's off stump. A single to deep point, where Kevin Pratt of Durham is standing in for Kevin Pietersen, then puts Clarke on strike with a seven-two field. The right-hander's Lord's innings was ended by this combination of outside-off line and off-heavy field, and Vaughan is clearly hopeful of recreating that frustration. A tidy over finishes with the goal of no boundaries once again achieved.
1335: Over 31 Harmison doesn't quite seem to find the rhythm of this morning's excellent spell, and he is not being helped by a far more considered approach from Australia batsmen clearly keen to bat time in the middle. Langer and Clarke each take singles but the big shots of the morning session are absent. This afternoon become predominantly about the fall of wickets rather than the respective totals and run rates.
1330: Over 30 Jones continues to get some movement away from the outside edge but Clarke looks confident in his judgement outside off stump. The youngster of the touring team was buoyed by his 91 at Lord's and is evidently keen to get another quick start here.
1326: Over 29 Harmison tries to unsettle Clarke with an early bouncer but gets hooked to the boundary for his trouble. A single to square leg brings Langer back on strike but the bowler lacks his early-morning menace with the older ball and the opener is looking more comfortable. This is shown when the bowler hits the front pad outside the line and via the bat after a good stride forward - hopeful stuff from England but persistence was rewarded this morning and they will hope it will be again.
1322: Over 28 Clarke shows the lightening running for which he is famous in taking a single to Vaughan at mid-off and Langer maintains the offensive with a crashing four through cover. An attempted follow-up is blocked at point by Strauss though the Middlesex man cannot have been watching the lunchtime fielding masterclass with former Warwickshire favourite Trevor Penney - his throw to try and run out the batsman ends nearer to the bowler's end than the striker's.
1318: Over 27 The consensus on Langer ahead of this tour was that he had thrown off the defensive shackles and liked to lead the Australian attack from the front. That is certainly not proving the case here with a measured performance from the left-hander who begins cautiously against Harmison before taking a single off the penultimate ball. Clarke also helps himself to one and the strike.
1313: Harmison returns at the City End.
1312: Over 26 Jones offers Michael Clarke a hostile introduction with a real beauty that moves away from the outside edge but the newcomer hits back with a four down the ground and a second through mid-wicket.
1308: SP Jones starts in place of Giles at the Pavilion End.
1306: Over 25 Flintoff finishes his over, Langer batting out.
1304: The players make a life difficult for the unprofessional Ashes correspondent, the type who takes too long to eat his lunchtime crisps, by making a prompt return to the field.
1226: End of session
Australia 1st innings 118 for three trail England by 289 runs A competitive session edged by Australia until a piece of fielding brilliance by Michael Vaughan to wrest the initiative back in England's favour.
Earlier the hosts' bowling indiscipline had been costly with Ricky Ponting allowed too many early runs in his favourite leg-side area but they did strike a magnificent psychological blow with the much-maligned Ashley Giles removing the tourists' captain.
Neither that wicket nor the golden duck of Matthew Hayden led to a fall in the run rate so Australia will be close to levelling the scores by the end of the day if they can build one or two decent partnerships.
But the removal of Damien Martyn leaves the tourists with a lot of runs to make and, like England yesterday, they are still waiting for someone to make a really big score.
Justin Langer, unbeaten on 27, may yet be the best bet while a key man for England as the ball gets older and the sun comes out will be Simon Jones.
Can the Welshman begin to master the reverse swing which proves so critical on friendly batting surfaces such as this?
1226: Over 24.5 That wicket brings an end to the morning session.
1226: WICKET!
DR Martyn run out (Vaughan) 20 Vaughan continues to test Martyn's 'vulnerable strength' outside off stump and immediately gets an answer in a cover drive for four. But the captain himself then strikes back as the batsmen try a quick single on the leg side. Vaughan runs away from the wicket to collect, square on the on side and it is clear that Martyn thinks he is running to the safe end but then sees Vaughan pick up and spin before executing a direct hit. Brilliant fielding from Vaughan, the type of which England used to be incapable.
1222: Over 24 Giles continues and almost removes Langer with a clever delivery given flight outside off, the left-hander swings and misses at a ball which keeps low and evades GO Jones' gloves for four byes. There is a big shout as Langer then brushes pad with bat outside off but Rudi Koertzen rightly dismisses the calls and a decent over ends with a dot.
1216: Over 23 Flintoff keeps banging away on his off-stump line and tempts Martyn into a weak shot away from his body. The Australia batsman gets lucky with an edge through slips and gully four, and survives again with a glove down leg and beyond GO Jones to a bouncer. More intelligent cricket from Flintoff but the run rate remains daunting.
1212: Over 22 Giles continues under gathering storm clouds. Martyn immediately takes one to the mid-wicket boundary and Langer also helps himself to a single. Martyn then takes a boundary through cover and Vaughan must be considering the re-introduction of a seamer. Harmison in particular unsettles Langer and the slow bowler is simply allowing Martyn too easy an introduction.
1208: Over 21 Langer takes an early single to put Martyn back on strike and the new batsman picks up his first runs with a flick off the legs for two down to backward square leg where SP Jones shows off his magnificent arm. Flintoff returns to bowling his strict line outside off but Martyn steals a single and the strike with a tight run to mid-off.
1204: Over 20 Damien Martyn plays out the final ball of the over and the people of Birmingham rise to their feet to acknowledge the Warwickshire favourite's achievement.
1203 WICKET!:
RT Ponting c Vaughan b Giles 61 Giles continues to apply the pressure but isn't getting too much movement and then Ponting gives him a helping hand. The Australian tries another stretch and sweep but top edges the ball to Vaughan at leg gully. The celebrations tell their own story as Giles is mobbed by team-mates.
1200: Over 19 Flintoff makes a strong start with a fast-rising ball hitting Ponting over the pads outside off. The lbw appeal is so disingenuous as to make Shane Warne blush and Billy Bowden gives the bowler a stern rebuke but the Lancastrian definitely unsettles the tourists. He continues with a disciplined line outside off stump and finishes with an absolute beauty just past the outside edge. Ponting is no longer leaving the gap between bat and pad, however, and will take some shifting now.
1156: Over 18 A bracing start from Giles who responds to Ponting's agression with four excellent deliveries. But a fifth ball is too wide of and hammered away to the cover boundary while the batsman also works a single off the final ball. Giles took offence at media criticism two weeks ago but it really is as simple as this - you cannot bowl one bad ball an over to batsmen of this ability on a pitch of this timidity.
1153: Over 17 Flintoff maintains the characteristic consistency which so defines his bowling these days but is getting little or no help from the pitch. Langer and Ponting are each made to work for their runs but nevertheless able to steal singles as the tourists begin to fortify this position of strength.
1149: Over 16 Giles begins over the wicket to Langer and the opener continues the cautious approach which has served him well this morning. The left-armer is denied a maiden with a stolen single to point off the penultimate ball of the over and stays over the wicket to Ponting with Bell, short leg to Langer, staying on the same spot to be silly point. The Australia captain takes a big stride and plays a pre-meditated sweep for four. Langer may be happy to push and prod but Ponting is evidently resolved to continue the assault on Giles.
1144: Ashley Giles enters the England attack at the Pavilion End.
1143: Over 15 Langer takes a single straight away and Flintoff begins to Ponting with two slips and a gully in a six-three field with two men out on the leg-side boundary. That obviously indicates a bouncer is coming but Flintoff begins with a solid, outside-off line and the batsman happily sees off the over.
1139: As expected, Flintoff comes on for Harmison at the City End.
1138: Ponting 50: 51 balls, 10 x 4s
1138: Over 14 Ponting sends out a worrying signal that he is getting settled. Having previously relied heavily on leg-stump deliveries for his runs, he attacks Jones with two consecutive drives straight down the ground. The bowler is clearly unsettled and gifts a full toss on middle and leg, Ponting flicks through mid-wicket for another boundary and his half century.
1132: Over 13 Harmison's morning race may be run as the sun comes out and he promptly offers Ponting the chance to show off the world's best pull shot, the Australia captain duly obliges and moves onto 35*. The Durham bowler repeats the crime within seconds and Ponting milks another leg-side four. Drinks are taken and surely Andrew Flintoff must now be introduced from the City End.
1128: Over 12 Jones keeps up the pressure with a second consecutive maiden, hitting the gloves of namesake Geraint pretty hard. The final ball in particular bodes well for the Welshman as it swings violently away after passing the stumps - this is no immediate danger to Ponting, clearly, but it is encouraging that the Glamorgan man is exacting such movement.
1123: Over 11 Langer takes the first opportunity he can to move off the strike to Harmison, running a tight single. Ponting continues to struggle to the ball that moves away with three slips and a gully waiting expectantly but as soon as the bowler strays to leg, as happens on the last ball of the over, Australia are able to add another run.
1118: Over 10 Jones will become a pivotal figure as the day goes on due to his occasional ability to reverse swing the ball. For the moment he is bowling conventional fast-medium, however, and starts well with a maiden of unerringly accurate off-stump seam to Ponting.
1114: Simon Jones takes over from Hoggard at the Pavilion End.
1112: Over 9 Harmison's pace is an obvious problem for Ponting and Langer alike as the England seamer gives the captain a working over. He tempts a play and miss outside off before hitting the body of the batsman but yet another no-ball allows a single to rotate the strike. Harmison then tries to rush one on to Langer and he takes on a risky pull shot, failing to make a good contact but nevertheless earning a four through mid-wicket. The bowler responds by nipping one away past the outside edge. Australia brought up the 50 with that Langer boundary - and off 58 balls! If these guys score at more than five an over when in trouble then they must be a sight indeed once established.
1108: Over 8 Hoggard starts with a decent off-stump delivery but follows up with another no-ball on Ponting's legs. Harmison makes a good save at long leg to avoid the boundary but it does not disguise the problem of England bowling to the Tasmanian's strengths.
1104: Over 7 More good news for Australia as Ponting waits patiently for the bad ball, hammering a short, low no-ball off his legs for a boundary behind square. He leaves two wider ones and waits for another Harmison bouncer, rolling his wrists to hit over the head of Ian Bell at short leg for four. Now it's 39 for one and Ponting can be confirmed as getting his eye in.
1100: Over 6 Another mixed over from Hoggard, who can look dangerous in these conditions but also bowls a sufficient number of bad balls to give the impression that he is respite from Harmison. And incredibly, despite England's bullish start, Australia are still scoring at five-an-over.
1053: Over 5 Langer looks less than comfortable as Harmison begins with another sharp ball angled into his body. The second ball is a little loose and allows two down to the third-man boundary but Langer misses a pull on the fourth of the over and is struck in the midriff by a bouncer. Play is again stopped for the opener to get his breath back, but he gets off strike with a flick off the legs once the over resumes and Ponting finishes with another boundary to square leg. England must cut out these leg-stump half-volleys to the Australia number three.
1049: Over 4 Hoggard begins with the worst possible ball to Ponting, angling a ball onto leg stump. He hardly needs to watch what happens next as the Australia captain offers a trademark flick off the legs for four, but responds well with a shorter, lifting delivery which knocks the Tasmanian's bottom hand off the bat. Two more testing off-stump deliveries follow as the Yorkshireman searches for significant movement on a regular basis but he strays again with a short, wide, off-stump delivery and Ponting smashes a boundary through cover. Hoggard looks menacing this morning but it is imperative that he cuts out the loose balls. Ponting has already almost run himself out and is notoriously edgy early in an innings, but he effectively received two free four-balls in that over and as a result the pressure has already eased.
1045: Over 3 Ponting takes a single off the first ball of the over, flicking off his legs but Harmison fails to offer Langer the slightest respite with a sustained five balls of accurate, hostile fast bowling.
1040: Over 2 Ricky Ponting comes to the crease and immediately gets a look at a ball moving more in the air than we saw at any stage yesterday. After allowing a couple past they try to a quick single on the off side and Kevin Pietersen gallops round from point to collect and take a shy at the non-striker's end. The Australia captain is well out of his ground so it is worth a go but the throw misses by some distance and, with no-one backing up, shoots away to the boundary. Five off the over, then, but one wicket and one very near miss for the hosts.
1035: WICKET!
ML Hayden c Strauss b Hoggard 0 Hoggard's first ball is a loosener, pitched up outside off on. Hayden read it as a half-volley and tries a front-foot drive but hammers the ball straight to Andrew Strauss at short cover and the Middlesex man catches over his head to remove the opener for a golden duck.
1034: Matthew Hoggard to start in tandem with Harmison.
1034: Over 1 Harmison's start is a promising one indeed for England. The first two deliveries start outside off and come back into Langer's body, the left-hander fails to deal convincingly with either. He then takes his eye of the third of the over, a bouncer which rises sharply and rattles the batsman on the helmet. Play is suspended for Langer to remove his helmet, smile ruefully and shake his head as hit by a cartoon frying pan. Birds twittering around his head are sadly absent. Langer sees out the second half of the over without incident but it is an excellent start from Harmison, pitching six in the right area to make the batsman play and set the tone for the day.
1030: Harmison to open from the City End.
1029: The players take the field.
1000: Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer this morning begin Australia's first innings after being saved a tricky 20 minutes in the failing Edgbaston light by rain last night.
England made 407 yesterday, a total which has impressed many in the Friday morning press but, tellingly, not the bookmakers.
The hosts are currently the same price to win the second npower Test as they were this time yesterday, a reaction indicating that the exuberance came at a price and the record-breaking total may yet be sub-par.
The failure to convert five good starts into a single century may yet come back to haunt Michael Vaughan and co as they face a top seven who rarely fail to cash in when conditions allow.
The pitch is certainly in the tourists' favour and the weather forecast good, though there is some cloud cover over Birmingham this morning and there was some overnight rain.
Vaughan will be looking to Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff to get among the wickets with the new ball early this morning, or Australia will be hopeful of closing with a first-innings lead.
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