Australia v England - Day 4

Lunch

As a sports fan, its always good to see a contest, especially one which is decided on skill and not luck. The previous two days of this Test had the luck running all one way, so in this first session of Day 4, it was pleasing to see England have a few slices of luck. Twenty minutes out from lunch, Strauss came out to drive Doherty, didn't come all the way and hit a catchable ball to Mitchell Johnson at mid off who misjudged his leap and floored it. Strauss, already in the seventies and regularly smacking over pitched balls through the off side had a reminder that the task, well started, is far from over.

Ponting threw all his main resources at Strauss and his 100 run partnership mate Alistair Cook in the first two hours. Hilfenhaus and Siddle were honest but it was Watson who passed the edge regularly. It was only when he felt the need to muscle up and bowl some short stuff that he became unravelled as both openers punished him. Doherty tried both ends for little spin but a good line but his task was made difficult by Ponting chopping and changing the field, setting fieldsman to places where the ball had just been in the hope it might find its way there again. This is a Ponting trait. For nearly an hour the field was undergoing more changes than a room full of 50 year old women.

With ten minutes left in the session, Marcus North came on for the obligatory few overs by the part timer before a break. He should have bowled earlier and he needs to bowl some long spells this afternoon.

Strauss and Cook both have half centuries, mostly with comfort. Cook has looked completely safe and he made a good double here. Strauss, the more adventurous of the two and therefore always the more likely to offer vulnerability, was in fine form before this match with two centuries on tour already so a second innings ton would come as no real surprise.

For all the complaints of the length it takes to gain result in Test cricket, this match has shown again why it is the best form of the game. A "Test" it is and of so much more than skill with bat or ball. This morning, the game tightened up again as the English didn't just survive but batted with purpose to reduce the Australian advantage to below a hundred. They need to start again and keep the runs coming. The pitch is excellent, with no fears for batsmen, so England need to back their form and bat their way from behind and then even possibly set a lead for Swann to have a platform on which to build an atonement.

Sessions: Australia 5, England 2, Shared 3

Tea

England are two thirds of the way to completing a day to establish their pedigree in this country. Many times in the past 25 years we have seen Australia apply the heat at the Gabbatoir and watched as English side wilted. In four hours today, we have seen this side is not like their predecessors.

Strauss was out to a lapse in concentration and hence his bad judgment, although North is a bowler under valued. I wonder if the selectors have stopped to reassess Hauritz in the light of the fabulous, almost pressureless batting by the two English openers, left handers both?

Cook continues to do what he does best - a straight bat at anything that might endanger his castle and pulls and cuts against anything short.

Johnson, who I didn't mention at Lunch for fear I might be accused of harassment, was still very ordinary in this session. Only a slower ball, bowled as a leftie's off spinner, moved of the track. You won't find him placing car keys in the dish because he doesn't swing baby. Yeah! How Bollinger can be omitted for Adelaide if fit will be the big story next week because Johnson has had a terrible match. His bowling has been well below par, he dropped a catch which should have been taken, has misfielded others and made a long duck. If we get serious and realise we have to win more matches than England to take the Ashes, then Johnson must be dropped.

England continue this terrific fightback on a track which is much like the left arm quick - it has nothing.

Sessions: Australia 5, England 3, Shared 3

Stumps

Despite the much slower scoring rate in the last session, during which the new ball was seen off, England have end the day as emphatically as Australia did only twenty four hours earlier. How can one side then the other, be so dominant?

The answer lies in a placid Brisbane wicket which spent too much time under covers in the two weeks leading up to the toss and very little being baked by the Brisbane sun. As a result, its covering is still very well woven together, despite the appearance of the cracks. There was little deviation of the cracks today because the grass cover is still holding, making this in effect, a third day wicket. Tomorrow should be different but is there enough time or enough gamble in either captain to chase a win? Strauss will be happy to bat on and on and continue to build the England lead. He doesn't have to look for victories. A draw in Brisbane, given the Australian record at the Gabbatoir, is as good as a win for England because it is also one less match Australia have to play with to manufacture an Ashes victory.

The batting of England's top three has done more than set up an interesting last day. It has also made a loud statement of the English intent and exposed Australia's most glaring weakness with the ball - apart from Johnson - the lack of a spinner. As much as I didn't value Hauritz, I rather think he would have done a better job than the rookie, whose name Warnie can't pronounce ... Eggzavia. The left arm greek orthodox tried hard but he didn't have the armaments for the battle he was fighting.

Ponting was left with no options but that was by tea. In the last session, the new ball was taken to defensive fields and all but Hilfenhaus wasted it. The Tasmanian has been our best bowler during this Test, regardless of the Siddle first innings effort and will bowl a lot worse in other games and yet take bags full. Siddle again bowled too short - a remarkably poor effort considering the evidence of his first innings length and the result there in. Johnson doesn't belong and won't until he gets his left up closer to the vertical and has his run up running through the crease rather than stopping as he delivers. Read Jesse Hogan's analysis in the SMH for even more detail. North was tried for the only wicket then fell too short himself. Had Katich not been injured, he would have been an option worth trying. At least he spins the ball! On top of all that, the Australians final review was wasted when the ball was clearly missing Trott's off stump.

What of tomorrow? England will bat and bat. Don't expect Strauss to manufacture a declaration even though the pitch will turn tomorrow and jump off those cracks. Swann could be a factor if he is done licking his wounds but a draw looks the most comfortable bet. I'd like to believe an Australian will perform some magic feat with the ball but I'm having trouble dreaming up the culprit. Hilfenhaus is my only thought. If Australia do chase, watch Swann carefully. He couldn't bowl that badly twice in a match.

Read Greg Baum's (SMH) summary.

Sessions: Australia 5, England 4, Shared 3