Aussie fightback but England in control

Australia launched a spirited fightback in the last two sessions but still face an uphill battle to turn around the Fourth Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.

When Michael Clarke (39*) and Simon Katich (24*) took the umpires’ offer of bad light late on day four, the Aussies were 4-222 in their second innings, still 37 runs behind but with some hope of setting England a challenging target to chase, should one or more of the remaining batsmen go on to make a big hundred.

This task has eluded the Australian top order so far on tour- bar Ricky Ponting’s captain’s knock in the Third Test- and it again evaded them on Saturday, though once again most of them got starts.

Having been forced to follow on before lunch, Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer got the Aussie second dig off to the perfect start, scoring freely either side of the long break and taking the score to 0-50 before a probing spell from Andrew Flintoff yielded the wicket of Hayden, caught by Ashley Giles at third slip.

On almost his last chance, the opener was gone for 26, bringing to the wicket Ricky Ponting, keen to atone for his unfortunate dismissal yesterday evening. After an uneasy beginning, the captain grew in confidence and together with Justin Langer, whittled down the English lead.

It didn’t help that first innings destroyer Simon Jones was off the field and in hospital having scans on a strained ankle, but Australia’s second wicket pair went to tea unbroken and undaunted.

Langer reached a typically gutsy half century and a hundred beckoned, until a Giles delivery bounced more than he expected, taking a glove and carrying to Ian Bell at short leg, sending the nuggety left-hander back to the pavilion for 61.

26 runs later, a brilliant piece of fielding from substitute Gary Pratt caught Ponting short and removed the Australian skipper for a composed 48. Almost immediately, Damien Martyn fell caught behind off Flintoff, precipitating a potential collapse, but Clarke and Katich combined for a 61-run stand to end the day and give Australia some faint hope of an improbable recovery.

Earlier, the Aussies resumed on 5-99 and in an aggressive frame of mind, with Adam Gilchrist looking good for one of the few times this English summer. He smashed Hoggard over mid-on for six, and in partnership with Katich, brought the score up to 5-157.

However, the tourists then lost 4-18 as Jones tore through the lower order, dismissing Katich and Shane Warne in successive balls, before bowling Michael Kasprowicz with a perfect out-swinger. He finished with the impressive figures of 5-44.

A late flurry from Brett Lee (47), including a couple of enormous sixes which sailed out of the ground, got Australia up to 218, but still in terrible trouble as England made Australia bat again for the first time in 17 years.

Full scorecard available here.

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