Red Hot Aussies Too Much For England

Resuming 95 runs adrift, on 247 for two, Australia established a 210-run first innings lead by reaching a commanding 552 for nine declared with Ricky Ponting hitting a brilliant 154, Damien Martyn scoring 95 and Adam Gilchrist a quickfire 54 off only 67 balls.

Facing 13 overs before the close, England crumbled against new ball pair Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie and slipped to 17 for two before Andy Bichel strengthened Australia's stranglehold even further by removing Nasser Hussain just four balls before stumps to leave the tourists on 36 for three.

Needing a solid reply if they were to stand any chance of saving the game, England lost opener Marcus Trescothick after only 10 deliveries when he was trapped leg, playing across the line, by Gillespie.

Only six balls later Mark Butcher also fell in identical fashion, only this time to McGrath, while Michael Vaughan could also have gone having edged just short of Shane Warne at first slip earlier in the over.

Vaughan received another reprieve in the very next over when he fended off a short delivery from Gillespie to Darren Lehmann at silly mid-on and although he got his left hand to the ball he failed to hold the catch.

Hussain also had a nervy start but survived an appeal for a catch behind off Gillespie before he had scored, only to fall in the final over when Bichel struck with a delivery which seamed away late.

Earlier Gilchrist spearheaded Australia's relentless progress towards a major first innings advantage with another assault on England's attack.

Gilchrist's assault halted England's impressive fightback which was led by Craig White after he claimed his first four-wicket Test haul in two years during the afternoon session.

White dismissed Ponting, Lehmann and Australian captain Steve Waugh in quick succession as Australia lost three wickets for 26 runs in only six overs to claim his first four-wicket return since grabbing four for 54 in the opening Test against Pakistan in Lahore in November 2000.

Ponting and Martyn had earlier shared a 242-run third-wicket partnership spanning 84 overs as Australia dominated the first session of the third day despite England taking the new ball.

Martyn fell just five runs short of his century when he was caught at backward short leg by Hussain off a short delivery from Steve Harmison and Ponting followed five overs later - but only after he had progressed to a brilliant 154.

The Tasmanian batsman spent 349 minutes at the crease and hit nine boundaries during his epic innings before becoming White's first victim when he pulled his first delivery after returning to the attack straight to Richard Dawson on the mid-wicket boundary.

Lehmann, playing his maiden home Test, made only five before falling to brother-in-law White when he slashed straight to substitute fielder Andrew Flintoff, on the field for Vaughan, at slip.

Australian captain Waugh was the final victim in White's spell when he cut fiercely and Butcher took a superb diving catch at the gully - a display of fielding which was matched by Dawson when he took a superb return catch off his own bowling to remove Warne shortly after tea.

Bichel then hit a Test-best 48 off just 56 balls before a Matthew Hoggard delivery came off his body and gently hit the stumps.

And Gilchrist's run-blitz came to an end when he was caught behind by Alec Stewart after getting a fine edge when attempting to hook Harmison and the declaration followed immediately.