Their opening bowlers, Andrew Caddick (2/97) and Matthew Hoggard (0/102) bowled a better line and length and with a lot more sting to get England back into the match.

Australia went to lunch having lost four wickets in a session for the first time in this match to be 6/429.

Hoggard and Caddick beautifully set-up Matthew Hayden (197) for the first wicket of the morning, tempting him with short balls, though often they had the wrong line. Hayden, keen to knock up his double century, played at a Caddick short ball and caught the top edge. The ball was high and close to the body with Hayden unable to resist the easy runs.

Yesterday Caddick bowled few short balls. Yet the statistics reveal the 32-year-old gets a wicket one out of every four dismissals using the short delivery. Hayden though looked tired and slight of concentration.

Perhaps towards the end of his innings yesterday and during the first session it was his attitude rather than the shots he played which got him through. Hoggard and Caddick were frustrated early in the morning as they continually missed the edge of Hayden’s bat.

The frustration showed through with Hoggard firing the ball back at Hayden after once again getting an edge.

Caddick’s eventual dismissal of Hayden opened the door for England and enabled them to maintain the right line and length with two right-handers at the crease.

Damien Martyn (26) and Steve Waugh (7) found scoring runs difficult. Both appeared scratchy and unable to settle. Martyn took 100 balls to get his runs, though when he got bat to ball he showed the class of player that he is. The runs dried up and England turned some of the pressure, which had built upon them, onto Australia.

Keeping that pressure on Australia was important as Martyn, Waugh and Darren Lehmann found themselves in new territory. Martyn had been promoted up the order and needed runs to cement his position.

Waugh, of course, under increasing pressure for his place needed to keep the runs ticking over to continually justify his position within the side while Lehmann found himself playing Test cricket after three years, 10 months and two days. All three wanted to make a good start and get runs early to give them confidence for the rest of the summer.

With the confidence growing in the field, Martyn tried to force a drive to a ball that took an outside edge. Marcus Trescothick, at first slip, juggled the catch and had the hearts of England once again in their mouths.

Waugh was caught just behind square on the leg side in the trap Nasser Hussain employed. Hussain, after receiving flack for his decision at the toss yesterday, made thoughtful and positive placements in the field today.

Caddick and Hussain worked together with Caddick firing three of the six deliveries at Waugh's rib cage to dismiss him off the last ball of the over. It was the seventh time Caddick had dismissed Waugh in Tests.

Adam Gilchrist did not trouble the scorers and slashed at a ball outside the off stump to a waiting Ashley Giles. Lehmann (16) and Shane Warne (10) will now look to steady the Australian innings and take on an English side growing in confidence and feeling as though there is a possibility of batting out a draw.

After sending Australia in to bat, Matthew Hayden (186*) and Ricky Ponting (123), in their second-wicket stand of 272, have completely dominated the day and the English bowlers. Australia finished at 2/364.

After Hayden secured his century before tea, he then supported Ponting until the one-day captain reached the three-figure mark. It was a tag team effort with each player supporting the other until they reached their desired landmark. Ponting after making his century then took a back seat whilst Hayden took charge and made 150.

Hayden though must have felt like a cat with nine lives during the course of play, as he used up more than one life. On two occasions the English fielders dropped the opener allowing him to dominate. Matthew Hoggard (0/86) dropped him in the first session by not moving quickly enough and losing sight of the ball. English opener, Michael Vaughan dropped an absolute sitter from the Queenslander. Hayden punished this mistake and signalled his intent by dismissing Ashley Giles (1/87) to the boundary.

Fielding was one of the most worrying problems for the English. Once again making the availability of runs and the job of the Aussie batsmen remarkably easy. Fielding caused the English more distress with their first change bowler, Simon Jones (1/32) injured during the course of play. Jones, while trying to stop a four, slid into the ground and as a consequence was hospitalised. A CT scan on his right knee revealed a ruptured anterior ligament which will require a full knee reconstruction. Jones is expected to be out of cricket for the next six months.

Even with the poor fielding, and missing key players, England could not have done much to tame the Aussie batsmen. Hayden posted the highest score on the Gabba pitch by a Queenslander, surpassing Ian Healy’s 161*. Ponting knocked up his 13th Test century and his fourth in 2002. It was also his highest score against England at the Gabba. Ponting has been in good form going into the Test match and with today’s innings he will continue to have his highest Test average since he began as a 21-year-old.

Ponting was finally dismissed when Giles clipped his thigh pad; the ball went to ground and rolled back onto the stumps. The English team looked relieved with wicket-keeper, Alec Stewart appealing with joy.

It was a rare moment of delight on a tough day for the tourists.

The batting display by Ponting and Hayden has been pleasant to watch. Both played with remarkable placement, showed their power and their ability to time the ball sweetly. They played their shots calmly and with calculated decisiveness. Their positive and confident cricket followed on from the opening partnership when Hayden and Justin Langer scored 67 before Langer touched a ball behind from Jones.