England swagger halted as Aussies battle back

ENGLAND’S desire to make a statement of intent in the fourth test backfired as Australia battled back impressively at Trent Bridge.

Following a two-run defeat at Edgbaston and a draw at Old Trafford, the tourists needed to improve to stop England taking control of the series.

The loss of pace spearhead Glenn McGrath to an elbow injury before the start of play was a blow for an Aussie attack featuring 22-year-old debutant Shaun Tait.

Showing nerves from the start, Australia allowed England a 105-run opening stand, with 18 of the day’s 22 no-balls delivered in the 27 overs of the opening session.

Rain disrupted the afternoon, allowing Australia to regroup, and by the close of a day reduced to only 60 overs England had been pegged back to 229 for four to leave the pivotal test very much still in the balance.

England initially carried the swagger of a confident team - and none more so than Marcus Trescothick, who dominated the opening stand with Andrew Strauss and seemed certain to end his wait for an Ashes century. Trescothick picked up his third half-century of the series, giving England the foundation for a major first- innings total after Michael Vaughan won the toss and opted to bat.

But when Strauss was dismissed five overs before lunch - he mistimed an attempted sweep off Shane Warne and got a bottom edge on to his boot which looped up to Matthew Hayden at slip - England lost their confidence.

Left-hander Trescothick almost fell three overs later when he benefited from Australia’s over-stepping problem, chopping Brett Lee on to his stumps on 55, only to be reprieved by umpire Aleem Dar’s no-ball signal.

However, he added only 10 more before becoming Tait’s first victim when the fourth ball after a rain delay pierced his defences and hit middle-stump. Tait claimed his second wicket for eight runs in nine balls when Ian Bell pushed forward to an outswinger and edged behind.

With ideal conditions for swing bowlers, the advantage shifted back towards Australia but they wasted two opportunities in the next seven overs.

Kevin Pietersen had only 14 when he provided Australia with their first chance, Michael Kasprowicz missing a sharp caught and bowled opportunity.

That miss could still prove costly, with Pietersen progressing to an unbeaten 33 by the close, but Australia’s miss off Vaughan was not as expensive as it could have been.

He had progressed to 30 when he tried to be positive against Kasprowicz and drove off the back foot, only to be dropped by Hayden in the gully.

Vaughan teamed up with Pietersen in a profitable 67-run stand which seemed to regain the momentum before Australia captain Ricky Ponting introduced his own medium-pace.

The change worked, as Ponting worried England’s batsmen into defensive submission and then nicked a wicket.

He claimed the scalp of Vaughan (58) who pushed outside off-stump and edged behind to Adam Gilchrist only four overs before the premature finish for rain.