By Peter May

Click here for Peter May's view on day one

CLOSE: England 1st Innings 319 for seven

1800: Over 88 Lee begins with one wide of off and then forces Giles into two defensive shots. He switches around the wicket for the last couple, Giles pushes a single and Jones ducks a bouncer. Bowden calls time and another fascinating day draws to a close.

1755: Lee replaces Warne at the Vauxhall Road End.

1755: Over 87 Gentle enough from McGrath but coming back to bowl two overs is obviously a thankless task. Jones is happy enough to play out the over and we will obviously not see all of the 18 remaining balls to bowl tonight.

1750: Australia take the new ball and bring back McGrath at the Pavilion End.

1750: Over 86 Warne is patently tiring now, offering each batsman a full toss which they can take for leg-side singles. Giles has to bear the majority of the remaining balls but looks mostly comfortable.

1746: Over 85 Jones is really playing very nicely given the circumstances, keeping Tait at arm's length until he sees a ball worthy of the treatment, hitting away for four through cover. Nicely judged from England's new number eight though it does leave his predecessor on strike to Warne.

1741: Over 84 A close call for England as Jones takes a very tight single with a dab to the off, sliding home just ahead of a direct hit. Giles survives a decent lbw appeal to see out the over under the close inspection of men at silly point and short leg.

1736: Over 83 Jones and Giles look comfortable enough to Tait though of course one absolute jaffer is only ever 0.6 seconds away. The former takes a single to fine leg in the middle of the over and Giles blocks out.

1732: Over 82 Warne keeps plugging away, Australia delaying acceptance of the new ball. Giles is on strike initially and takes one to leg for a single, Jones mirroring the trick to keep things moving and alleviate a little pressure.

1728: Over 81 Jones swings high and hard outside off, edging high over the vacant second slip area for four down to third man. The wicketkeeper allows Tait five dots to follow, blocking and leaving as required.

1724: Over 80 Ashley Giles comes to the crease, sees out the over and Warne salutes his 'five-for' to the crowd in the way invented by this Australian side. England have a real problem now - another 75 runs are essential, another 125 about par following the toss this morning but no batsmen left to get them.

1720: WICKET!
AJ Strauss c Katich b Warne 129 Strauss' defiance is ended as he plays forward to a stock ball but fails to get fully on top of it, pushing back down the wicket and offering short leg Katich a sharp diving chance which is duly taken.

1717: Over 79 Jones is fed a half-volley on off and consuming with relish, hammering through is favoured point area to get off the mark. Tait mixes up the rest of his over well, bouncer and full balls combining to prevent any further runs from the over.

1713: Over 78 Strauss is happy to contribute to Warne's excellent figures, blocking out a maiden. A tough last 13 overs for England now since any further twists can only be to the fielding side's advantage. Warne is bowling superbly, the new ball is imminent and these are the last two remaining recognised batsmen. Make no mistake, Strauss and Jones would take the light now: if only they were not bathed in glorious gold on a perfect late summer afternoon in London.

1709: Over 77 Collingwood walks off trying not to wince (it must be preferable to take an anvil to the big right toe) and Geraint Jones comes to the crease. He gets the a tame introduction as Tait once again loses his bearings in welcoming the new batsman.

1707: WICKET!
PD Collingwood lbw b Tait 7 Tait continues with his customary variety, not all of it intentional. But after a couple of long hops a beauty of an inswinging yorker traps the batsman in the crease and hits him on the toe outside off, it will definitely go on to hit all three but by the laws of the game Koertzen's decision is tough on Collingwood.

1706: Over 76 Warne is giving it one last push with the new ball imminent. One straightens nicely to hit Strauss on the pads just outside the line but Bowden again rightly turns down a big shout. A maiden from England and suddenly Strauss doesn't quite look as assured.

1703: Over 75 Solid return to the front line from Tait as Collingwood acclimatises to one of fast bowling's more unorthodox actions. There are no runs off the bat but another no-ball edges England closer to their desired target of 400.

1658: Tait takes over from McGrath at the Vauxhall Road End.

1658: Over 74 Collingwood looks anything but fazed by the prospect of Warne, jabbing back through mid-on for four. He blocks the next and then pads one over Hayden at first slip, Gilchrist appeals for a catch but Bowden signals legbye for the single. The cry of "Catch!" in Australian cricket has comparable reasoning to that of "Get In The Hole!" at Augusta as Tiger drives down a 550-yard fairway and the New Zealand umpire seems comfortable enough with his decision.

1654: Over 73 Ponting remains reluctant to crowd Collingwood who ducks a couple of two bouncers and then sees off-side drives smothered by fielders. He does get a single to keep the strike as England keep it simple. The new batsman's arrival has changed the dynamic of the evening session since he, like Strauss, is a cautious performer. But he is also one with an incentive - following failures from Bell and Pietersen this morning England will have to consider changes to the middle order in Pakistan and there would be no better way to make your case than a big score here.

1649: Over 72 Warne continues from the Pavilion End and cuts away stylishly for four runs despite the best efforts of boundary fielder Clarke. A single later in the over puts Collingwood on strike to the spinner for the first time and he clips one away for fine leg for three to get off the mark and keep the strike.

1645: Over 71 Paul Collingwood comes to the crease and Ponting is most accommodating, neglecting to add to his one slip and allowing McGrath to bowl out the over with limited support. But Australia have the breakthrough now and we're back to our own stock delivery for the day, that old chestnut "delicately poised". More than six wickets down would leave England vulnerable overnight and the bowling side have been visibly boosted by the departure of Flintoff.

1641: WICKET!
A Flintoff c Warne b McGrath 72 McGrath tucks Flintoff up nicely with a narrow line and the batsman can't get the ball away as he'd like, directing a thick edge low to the right of Warne at gully and he takes a fine catch.

1640: Over 70 Flintoff remains circumspect to Warne, taking a single in the middle of the over but otherwise watchful. England must be hopeful that the veteran is due another break in the near future.

1635: Over 69 McGrath drops it short and Strauss angles the bat into that favoured back-of-square area on the off side. The bowler returns to his mark shaking his head ruefully, normally only mortals bowl one bad ball per over. There are no more runs but one boundary in six to McGrath with suit England nicely at this stage.

1630: McGrath returns to the attack at the Vauxhall Road End.

1630: Over 68 England again dodge the bullet of that tricky post-drinks over. Strauss cuts hard backward of point but is denied a four by Ponting, taking a single in compensation. Flintoff continues to make giant strides (both literal and figurative) against Warne, planting the front foot according to pitch and using his bat intelligently when required. Still a potential two hours' play to come today so plenty of scope for twists and turns but England definitely on top.

1624: Over 67 Lee continues at the Radcliffe Road End but finds Strauss sobered by the previous over. A single to leg, the left-hander's stock target, meets his ambitions and Flintoff sees out the over to take this fifth-wicket partnership to drinks on 137.

1620: Over 66 Five dot balls from Warne begin to suggest that this Australian surge may continue but Flintoff promptly hits his first six of the day off the final ball and those residing in seats beyond the long-on boundary scramble to try and collect - an unusual reaction since my inclination would be to get as far as humanly possible from the line of a Flintoff offdrive.

1614: Over 65 Lee charges in for what must surely be the last over of his spell. Strauss swings wide and wild an outswinger and edges behind far from his body. The popular instinct is that this is an edge but Gilchrist neglects to appeal with Lee. Koertzen turns down the appeal and that looks another piece of umpiring fortune for England. Australia's best over for some time - a maiden, Strauss looks tired and sloppy and there should have been wicket. There wasn't though, so the left-hander can make amends though the tourists look less than happy at his continued reluctance to walk.

1610: Over 64 Strauss is now batting with great confidence even against Warne, biding his time before a sweep for four and a square cut for one. Flintoff gets forward often and well to play out the over.

1607: Over 63 England pass 250 in two lusty blows from Flintoff, a poor bouncer thick-edged through the fingertips of a desperately leaping Ponting at point and a better ball given an accordingly better shot through cover. Four dots surround those boundaries in the scorebook and England have little to be unhappy about at present.

1604: Over 62 Flintoff takes his time too, pushing and prodding to more expertly applied pressure from Warne before working a single off the penultimate ball. Strauss is luckier, getting a short wide one duly dispatched to the third man boundary for four.

1600: Over 61 Maiden over from Lee whose enthusiasm for the challenge appears undimmed by a day of minimal reward in the London humidity. Strauss' discipline remains impeccable and he offers respect for a good over of bowling by declining to try and force the issue.

1554: Over 60 Warne switches around the wicket to Strauss but is immediately taken for two as the left-hander plays with soft hands to angle between slip and silly point. The next ball makes England mighty relieved that they should not have to bat for survival on the final day, turning a foot from well outside off stump. Strauss pushes the next two to safety, works a dot ball to the leg side and takes another single to keep the strike.

1548: Strauss: 149 balls, 13 x 4s

1548: Over 59 If you're unbeaten on 97 and feeling it then there is no better gift than a first ball full on leg, Strauss accepts Lee's generosity by whipping away for four through mid-wicket. A single puts the right-hander back on strike but he has split his bat and is unable to continue. James Anderson earns his supper by trotting out with a selection of three, Flintoff picks one and puts it to good effect by blocking out the over.

1544: Flintoff 50: 79 balls, 9 x 4s

1544: Over 58 Flintoff picks up an early one and sweeps off the front foot to the square leg boundary for four. The next is a bigger, more ambitious shot and lifted to mid-wicket for four. That brings up his 50 but was a touch risky, there is no such criticism about the third successive four as he pushes back down through mid-on before blocking out the last of the over.

1539: Over 57 Strauss continues to unsettle the opposition with an early push to leg for one. Flintoff pushes back past the bowler for a tighter single and Strauss finishes the over in style with a classic cut for four. He is now 97* while his partner is 44*.

1535: Lee returns at the Pavilion End.

1535: Over 56 Warne produces an over of typical quality though Flintoff does pick up on delivery full on the legs before crunching it over mid-wicket for a one-bounce four. The bowler won't be too worried about that as it's a high-risk shot but the crowd favourite is now closing on a half century.

1530: Warne is brought back into the attack after a decent rest. Flintoff will be on strike.

1530: The players return to the field led by umpires Koerzten and Bowden.

1029: The players take the field to a corporate-sponsored rendition of Jerusalem.

1005: Ponting calls incorrectly and England win the toss. Vaughan elects to bat and there is a huge cheer of relief from The Oval crowd.

1000: So, here we go: England's most important cricket match in 18 years. Again.

Each match of the series thus far has carried that moniker, but neither side has anywhere to go from The Oval.

As you may already have heard, the home team must avoid defeat to reclaim the Ashes urn for the first time since their 1986/7 tour of Australia but they must do so without fast bowler Simon Jones, ruled out on Tuesday with an ankle injury.

Michael Vaughan and Duncan Fletcher have replaced the Welsh Waqar with Paul Collingwood, who will offer depth to the batting without adding anything new to the bowling attack.

This decision is a gamble which partly on the toss, which England now desperately need to win, and the form of Collingwood's Durham colleague Stephen Harmison, to whom England now turn to help Andrew Flintoff take the 20 wickets required to secure series success.

That role might have been played by James Anderson, who instead is consigned to the home dressing room where he will fight with Kevin Pietersen for the right to preen in front of the mirror.

For their part Australia have their strike bowler, Glenn McGrath, back in the fold after he passed a fitness test yesterday afternoon.

The result of this game will not be decided on the toss with some rain expected today and tomorrow. But the MET office do not foresee the kind of conditions which make a draw inevitable so both sides will be keen to bat first on a typically hard, bouncy and true SW11 track.