Australia v England - 5th Test, Day 3

It was day in which the continued growth and use of technology bought more controversy to the game than it deserves, one in which two glorious centuries were scored, people dressed outrageously in pink and inevitably, England tightened their grip around the throats of Australia and the eventuality of an England 3-1 series victory loomed as a near certainty.

It was also a day of good cheer and the melding of northern and southern hemisphere cultures bought together by the cleverness of a group once despised in Australia but now accepted and loved. News that the Barmy Army had raised in excess of $15 000 for the McGrath foundation through the sale of special edition pink supporters shirts with the message "We look like boobs so look after yours" was the icing on the cake of their performances throughout the series. Once a rabble which provided a haven for the worst yobbos and football hooligans that have haunted English football and destroyed their reputation abroad, one of their original number was tackled by Australian swing bowler Terry Alderman at the WACA years ago, causing his exclusion from the series with a shoulder injury. The current Army have no relationship with those losers and have been an adornment to Test grounds through out the summer and have been a key issue in Strauss' England and their success.

Today, their chants and witty songs added the sort of irreverent commentary on the Australian players that the effigy of Yabba, only 100m away in front of Bay 15, would have happily approved of.

The cricket was damn good also!

England began in a sound position and one that Australia could have undermined had they possessed luck and skill and opportunity. Anderson was accounted for quickly and Collingwood 41 balls later, after an innings which painfully underlined his lack of form. Knowing his contribution to England's rise through years when the team survived on guts and determination and he stood for all that was to be admired, it was sad to watch his scratchy dig which ended with a lame lofted drive which limped its way to Hilfenhaus at a slightly deeper mid on. The only uplifting thing was his wicket delivered a first Test dismissal for the patient and unlucky Michael Beer.

At 5-226, Australia had prised one foot in the front door of the England innings and Michael Clarke must have seen some chance of keeping his fledgling Captaincy career afloat when all about battleships trained their guns on him. Enter Ian Bell, whose pent up feelings about batting against the oldest foe had moved beyond anxiety and past frustration to the point where he just knew he was owed. For the next few hours he batted like a man possessed but not of all the jeers and taunts that Australian cricketers have levelled at him, no a man possessed with the most exquisite shots. First he added 154 with the run machine Alastair Cook, who in scoring 188, totalled the second highest tally of runs by an Englishman in an Ashes series and also set the record for the most time spent at the crease by and Englishman. His 36 hours and 11 minutes mean he has spent an average of more than seven hours batting in ever Test this summer, a rather staggering statistic but one the Australians would know only too well. Too much time has been spent directing all manner of length of delivery at his leg stump and nowhere near enough slanting across his off. His improvement might have been aided by our inept attack but that takes nothing from his achievement. Today he smacked two cover drives that will stay will anyone at the ground.

When Cook left, Prior joined the party. Soon after, the day's moment of contention was served in a manner similar to the infamous Ponting incident last week in Melbourne. The Australians went skyward after the ABC's Allan McGilvray Medalist, Shane Watson, beat Bell on the inside of his normally wide blade and Aleem Dar raised his finger. After a moment's hesitation, Bell called for a review and after more than four minutes, the third umpire Tony Hill, could find no evidence for a dismissal and Dar reversed his call and the game went on. No unseemly display from Australian captain Clarke, just a quiet acceptance, although Watson was quite distressed. An over of two later, ABC radio was reporting what the coverage TV was showing - a faint but apparently unmistakable edge on the soundtrack of the dismissal (Snicko). Such is life but it points to how good is the decision making process of Dar.

Bell went on with a dazzling array of drives, cuts and carefully placed pushes through a field which Clarke had constantly on the change and raised a most deserved hundred - one which he was robbed of in the first Test in Brisbane. Patrons adorned in their various shades and extremes of pink are unlikely to see a better century than this treat from Bell and the man himself is unlikely to ever deserve one more than this.

With Bresnan in, Prior set and England 208 to the good, whatever they can must by or before lunch on the fourth day will be bonus.

The Australian bowling was poor again, with the exception of Watson who bowled an excellent line and was the only bowler to restrict Cook or Bell - praise enough. Michael Beer did a good job on a wicket which is yet to tamper with good batting and turn and there was more than enough in his work to warrant further selection. It's yet to be seen whether he can present a danger on a wearing wicket.

Mitchell Johnson was jeered by the Barmy Army at the start of every spell and rightly so. He mostly picks up wickets with rubbish and he bleeds far too many runs although the ball which finally removed Bell was at least on a good line even if it did nothing. He has regained his pace in this Test but despite taking three wickets, he has hardly been a threat. Siddle again bowled too short and Hilfenhaus has never been less effective. Bollinger should have played in this match once selected, but the chance to blood Victorian's Pattison and the local boy Cameron has been missed.

England hold all the aces, kings and queens and Australia has had the jack all summer. It is enough to explain the Australian position by reporting that Hussey bowled today.

I like Michael Clarke's work. He moved his bowlers around and tried different things in the field, only once resorting to Barn Door captaincy. Give the lad some decent cattle and he might even make a go of the job.

Unless the mood of this match changes dramatically, twenty fours hours will bring Australia to its knees and those about to buy fifth day tickets wondering whether its worth it.