OVER 79: AUS 238/8 Good length from Finn to Clarke but it's a bit too wide. He overcompensates, and Clarke flicks that off the pads for a couple. Another leg-side ball and another clipped single.  OVER 78: AUS 235/3 And what do you know, Kevin Pietersen is on for a bowl. He gets some moderate spin but Clarke plays him pretty well. A single brings Hussey on strike and Hussey tucks him away fine off the legs for three, to bring up the 100 partnership. Classy, gutsy batting: they have been aggressive, too, playing shots in the face of some good bowling on a tough pitch. MH 44* MC 77*  OVER 77: AUS 230/3 Finn continues, and it's decent stuff: just outside off-stump, slightly short of a length. Clarke pulls one away safely for two, and then takes on a shorter delivery that climbs on him. Hoik! Uppish! But lands safe. They take a single and then Finn beats Hussey with an excellent line and length ball. Finn has done well enough so far, but I think I would rather see spin on this pitch right now.  OVER 76: AUS 227/3 A full toss from Swann to Hussey and he thumps it for six over midwicket. No dental exam for that gift horse. Hussey then sweeps and makes a mess of it, ends up gloving the ball and it misses his stumps by a tiny whisker. Oooooofffff. Say the England fielders. Chastened, Hussey blocks out the rest of the over. MC 72* MH 41*  OVER 75: AUS 221/3 Finn replaces Collingwood but is not so threatening, at least in this over. A single to Hussey and then Clarke leaves five alone.  OVER 74: AUS 220/3 More class defence from Clarke off Swann. He flicks one off his pads that hits Cook at short leg, I am not going to call that a chance. Then one turns big and strikes Clarke on the glove, looping into the leg gully region. The vacant leg gully region. Come on Straussy, attack! Attack! They pick up a single and Hussey then singles in turn. Last ball of the over, Clarke has a wild swing - this spin from Swann has got him rattled - and it hits him in the pads. They appeal, but that hit him outside the line. Really good battle. I just wonder if the pressure is getting to Pup.  OVER 73: AUS 218/3 Clarke gets a single off Colly with an elegant drive and that brings Hussey on strike. Colly's line is not quite so good to the lefty, three balls out of four are too easy to leave outside off.  OVER 72: AUS 217/3 Swann to Clarke. That RIPS off the surface, bringing up a big chunk of it. It turned miles and beats everyone for four byes. More turn later in the over and this pitch has suddenly started to deteriorate rapidly. Not a nice surface to bat on. Clarke is not going to duck the challenge though, and he's down the pitch, slog-driving hard to leg, but that's turned so much he inside edges it and they get a single. Tough, tough conditions for batting. Huss defends the rest of the over. MC 70* MH 33*  OVER 71: AUS 212/3 Not quite so threatening, this over from Colly. Two singles per batsman off the over. A couple are too striahgt and a couple too wide. Nevertheless, he is a very handy bowler on this surface.  OVER 70: AUS 208/3 Swann, Clarke, men round the bat, sharp spin. Nimble forays down the pitch to defend. Maiden. This is tense, exciting cricket.  OVER 69: AUS 208/3 Colly is doing the business here. He gets an off-cutter to jag out of the footmarks and Hussey edges that! But it is wide of slip. Unlucky. Collingwood then gets another to grip and turn away, but Hussey leaves it alone this time. Good over. Old skool cricket: sort of medium pace spinners on a sticky pitch. MH 31* MC 67*  OVER 68: AUS 204/3 REVIEW! NOT OUT! Swann to Clarke, it turns, and they go up for caught at slip. Initially given out. He calls for the review immediately. The ball squeezes between bat and front leg and it doesn't look like he hit that. Pretty clear daylight between bat and ball there, the ball hit the pad and there was certainly a big noise. DId he hit the ground? Clarke is reprieved, which is a pity for Ali Cook, because the next ball, Pup slogs very hard at one and smacks it right into Cook's bottom at short leg. Ow. Heh. Owheh.  OVER 67: AUS 203/3 Interesting choice: here is Colly to bowl. Will his cutters grip on this tacky deck, maybe? He took a wicket with his first ball in First Class cricket, you know. Sadly, the first ball of this over is a pie: short, pull, Clarke four. Prior's standing up. Clarke defends convincingly; ball not doing a lot.  OVER 66: AUS 199/3 Hussey takes a single off Swann, and Clarke is starting to motor here. He jumps down the pitch to Swann and that's four through cover. Shot. Next ball, he's down the track again and whips through midwicket where a brave dive from Broad - I wonder how his stomach muscle is doing - keeps it down to three. After a very long review by the third ump to decide if it was a four or not. MC 63* MH 26*  OVER 65: AUS 191/3 Michael Clarke brings up his fifty with a guide though gully off Jimmy Anderson. He really needed a score here; and indeed Australia really need him to carry on. He has used his feet superbly against Swann, and played the quicks pretty well as well. He celebrates by cracking Jim through point for another four. MC 56* MH 25*  OVER 64: AUS 183/3 Swann to Hussey, he picks up one through midwicket, Clarke then comes down the pitch to flick away for one to mid on. Swann beats Hussey with a jaffer! Goodness how did that miss? Drift, turn, bounce, the whole shooting match, and it just misses the stumps. Well bowled, Swanny.  OVER 63: AUS: 181/3 Clarke takes two with a pleasant cover drive but - oof! - then has a very airy drive at one. He thick edges through where third or fourth slip would be. Only one, wide slip. Wait, what? One slip. Why? And two gullies, fair enough. Not to get all Sir Ian, but surely we could have a few more in the cordon? The ball, which was reversing before tea, is now wet, inevitably. That's not going to help. Michael Clarke 47*, MH 24*.  06:25 Jimmy Anderson will resume to Michael Clarke, who is on 41*. Michael Hussey is 24*  06:20 Right then. England are back out on the paddock. We will be back underway very shortly; not certain for how long, though. Australia resume knowing that they are: a) 200 runs behind; b) very likely to be helped by very bad weather tomorrow but c) only a wicket away from the tail and Brad Haddin. And yep, I am grouping Marcus North in with the tail. Oh, she went there! Burn! He'll probably get a ton now.  06:10 If no further rain, we will restart at 6.25am UK time (4.55pm Adelaide time) and we could go up to 8am UK time.  Hugh Mainwaring in Kuala Lumpur via email says: "Just phoned an Australian army officer friend of mine, Major Allan Hamley, to ask him about the weather and ask him if the Australian Government are seeding the clouds. He responded that it was “a very important thing when waiting in ambush for the surprise attack”. Within 6 months we ought to get the transcripts and proof from Wikileaks or will we given they are Melbourne based." I have nothing to add.  06:01 That was Thought Of The Day with Peter Heskett. Now we turn to cricket. Or rather, waiting for cricket.  Peter Heskett via email: "God is not pro-Aussie or pro-Pommie. He is fair and neutral...more like the umpire. He does not get involved in race and is kind and gentle...with a wicked sense of humour."  05.56 Good news! It's brightening up. But no play, or signs thereof, at the moment.  05.36 Okay, there's the moneyshot. It is tipping it down there now. Right. It goes without saying that I will keep you right up to the minute with any news. In the meantime, get a drink or something, and maybe have a read of Derek Pringle on KP as Alpha Male. Or Simon Hughes on the emerging gulf between England and Australia. Or for something completely different, how about this latest video diary from Two... Unmentionables... At The Ashes. It has bad language in it. If you've still got anything left in the tank after that, you might even be reduced to reading Australia's Plea For Bowlers.  Garry Fitzgerald via email: Adelaide storm is evidence that God is Australian  05:32 The wind has got right up. And it's just starting to spit. Australia are 175/3 and trail by 200. More red hot weather chat as it comes in. Here's the satellite view  Gideon Lupton via email: Big storm about 5 minutes away from you Alan – it’ll pass through within a half hour tho’, I reckon  05:28 THEY ARE OFF. Is it for light? It's not raining. England are not leaving the ground yet! Strauss is talking to the umps, presumably to plead his case, but to no avail. Naturally, Hussey and Clarke couldn't get off their quick enough. This is slightly weird, this: it isn't actually raining. Although, it certainly looks like it will any moment.  OVER 62: AUS 175/3 Ground staff are poised to come on as Hussey plays a maiden off Swann. Light meters are out.  OVER 61: AUS 175/3 Single from Hussey, then a rare release of pressure from the Jim, as a short one outside off gets the treatment from Clarke. Four through point. He plays the rest of the over well. I don't much care for Pup, but he has been impressive so far today. Those clouds are looking worse.  OVER 60: AUS 170/3 Blimey there are some clouds out there. But a lot of the ground is still in the clear. Hussey drives Swann to cover for one, then more skipping and defending from Clarke.  OVER 59: AUS 169/3 Jimmy A is getting some swing here, as the clouds gather. Moving it both ways this over, and beats Hussey twice. This is going to be a stern test for Hussey, this spell. He clips one off his legs to pinch the strike off the last ball.  Matthew Bradley via email: The second new ball will be key I think… Jimmy needs to get that back arching again and skittle a few.  OVER 58: AUS 168/3 Swann to Clarke, four men around the bat. MC skips down the pitch to defend. And then more dancing - ladies and gentlemen, he just can't control his feet - as he picks up a single through mid-on. Huss also singles. Actually, he really can control his feet, Clarke. I like watching him play spin.  OVER 57: AUS 166/3 Jimmy Anderson resumes to Hussey after tea. He's got two slips and two gullys and then one sort of shortish point just forward of square. Hussey pushes for two through cover then defies the field setting by threading the ball through off for four. Shot. Six off the over, but Jimmy might not be too sad to see Mr Cricket willing to take him on outside off.  05.00 Well, imminent plagues of frogs or no, we're back underway.  04:58 Many wise people (i.e. anyone with an opinion and a computer) are saying that the rain might miss the ground.  Jon via email: It will be a draw. Lucky, lucky Aussies are going to be saved by their weather. I reckon it's witchcraft.  04:52 Thank you Jonathan. Alan Tyers here. Morning everyone. I fear the weather. Jim Maxwell has gleefully foretold "hailstones", while Jonathan and I have just been looking a weather website forecasting DAMAGING WINDS. That's never good, is it? Where does everyone reckon the match stands? Mail us. Go on.  04.50 Definitely England's session. They knocked over the Australian top three, and at the moment it seems that only the weather can put the brake on their progress. That, and... SUPER SIDDLE! (Known to his clients as Peter.) Can England make further inroads in the evening session, or will they drop one by one, washed away by 'flash floods' and felled by 'large hailstones'? To find out, here's Tyers to take you through the evening session and, if the weather gets inclement, sing you nautical shanties until dawn. Tyers.  TEA: AUSTRALIA 160/3 (215 behind) Clarke 36* Hussey 14*  OVER 56: AUS 169/3 It's going to be Swann to bowl it, and if the weather forecasters are right (to load the humble word 'if' with a burden far beyond its natural tensile strength), possibly the last over of the day. Hussey comes down the pitch to turn Swann into the leg side for one, before Clarke does the same. Hussey then gathers another single off the last ball of the over, and the players saunter off for tea and Vegemite sandwiches.  OVER 55: AUS 157/3 Finn's getting some real swing, but Australia pick up a single here and a single there, and Clarke flicks it fine for four. England scuttle round to their positions, trying to get another over in before tea...  OVER 54: AUS 150/3 Are we sure that's not just Super Siddle having a little stretch in the dressing room? You do wonder, though, how quickly the Adelaide groundsmen will drag the covers on if it does start pelting down suddenly. "Aw, Bruce, it's stuck." "Is it now, um, Randy? Well, just leave them off. Pitch'll dry itself by next month." Swann just drops a fraction short and Clarke helps it round the corner for two runs. That's the 150 for Australia, but we're pretty much at the point where runs scarcely matter. Wickets and raindrops are now the currency of this game.  Nick Hoult on Twitter: "Lightning flashes around the Adelaide Oval."  OVER 53: AUS 148/3 That really is beautiful bowling from Finn, arc-ing it away from Hussey's outside edge and inducing the stroke. The next one is pitched well up, and Hussey thick edges a drive in the air, past gully, for four! Pietersen was extremely interested in that, but the ball just eluded his dive. This is immensely clever stuff by Finn, who's got a number of tricks up his sleeve.  OVER 52: AUS 144/3 Maiden from Swann. Now, a bit of good news: Broad is back on the field for England. He won't be able to bowl immediately, but will do sometime after tea. And a bit of rather bad news courtesy of John Barnett: the Australian government's Bureau of Meteorology has issued a weather warning in the Adelaide area, predicting "flash floods, damaging wind and large hailstones". The flodds and the hailstones seem pretty worrying, but the damaging wind is hardly surprising, considering Ian Botham's in town. I just have a sneaky suspicion, however, that this weather warning's just an attempt to raise Australian morale and sell tickets for tomorrow. I'm fairly certain there is no such thing as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology, and that if there is, its main tool of weather prediction is a hand stuck out of the window.  Steve James on Twitter: "Top spell this from Finn"  OVER 51: AUS 144/3 Nice shape, and possibly a little hint of reverse, from Finn, who's going round the wicket to Hussey. Hussey manages to drive him through the off-side, but a fine dive by Cook prevents a run. And that's just superb from Finn! Hussey is suckered into playing at that ball, angled in from round the wicket, but it takes a detour and whizzes past the outside edge. That's a top, top over from Finn, who now has 1/6 from five overs this spell.  OVER 50: AUS 144/3 Sky have managed to pinpoint the delivery that did for Broad's stomach muscle. He just pulls up a couple of steps early in his follow-through, and with a grimace, you can see him saying "Ooof." Not good for fast bowlers, stomach strains. For pacemen, it's all in the stomach. Which may explain why Ian Botham was so successful in the Test arena. Hussey works to leg for one, and Clarke pushes it behind square on the leg-side for two. Swann's bowled unchanged all afternoon, and just exhales a little as he takes his sunhat at the end of the over.  OVER 49: AUS 141/3 Word reaches the assorted hacks in the Adelaide press box that a rain shower is building, and is poised to unload on the ground sometime after tea. If there's even a spot of rain, you can just picture the Australian batsmen scurrying back to the pavilion like mice off a hot griddle. They'll be disheartened by that wicket, Australia, but cheered by the sight of clouds in the distance, just over the scoreboard. Finn drops it a little short to Clarke, who slaps it round the corner for two runs.  OVER 48: AUS 139/3 Ah, now this is a real treat. It's Swann to Hussey once more, and these two enjoyed a fascinating duel in the first innings. Hussey's job this time is even more important than the one he had to do in the first innings, if anything. If England can knock him over, you can't really see who's going to get Australia through another four sessions. Hussey's still determined to be positive, and shuffles down the pitch to work Swann through mid-wicket for four.  OVER 47: AUS 135/3 Australia's top three all back in the dressing room. Hussey strides to the wicket, and just takes a single to leg to get off the mark first ball. A fine diving stop by Collingwood at cover then denies Clarke four. End of the over, and England are just chiselling away at the Australian batting here. The downside, however, is that Graeme Swann can no longer take all 10 Australian wickets.  WICKET! Watson c Strauss b Finn 57 AUS 134/3 Oh, Finn's done it! Another low catch to slip! Finn's been probing that line and length throughout his spell, and he's deserved that edge. It wasn't an aggressive stroke by Watson, but even in defending he does tend to go at the ball fairly rigidly, and that may well have made the difference. It carries low to Strauss's left, who gathers it comfortably. Just when it looked like these two were dropping anchor, Finn chips in with the breakthrough! England move one wicket closer!  OVER 46: AUS 134/2 Swann continues, and Clarke comes down the track to drive a ball sumptuously through the covers against the spin for the four. Liquid class from Clarke. Meanwhile, Eoin Morgan's on the field, and it's not good news for England. Stuart Broad, according to the England dressing room, is getting treatment for a strained stomach muscle. He's currently off the field, obviously, and who knows when or if he'll be able to bowl again? "Too much for lunch," Shane Warne chuckles, sounding as chipper as he has done all day. No Shane, that was why you were always off the field.  OVER 45: AUS 129/2 Finn's bowled very well this spell. Clarke's always trying to get on the front foot, and Finn's putting it on the kind of length that is making him think about coming forward before deciding to go back. Not much short stuff from him yet - he doesn't have a short leg, but a short mid-wicket - but just good, consistent line and length. He goes wide of the crease and tries to slip Clarke a yorker, but Clarke gets a little bat on it and turns it down behind square leg for two.  OVER 44: AUS 127/2 It's not easy playing Swann at the moment, and these two deserve credit. They're plunging forward in an attempt to smother the spin, before Watson's had enough of propping and prodding, and takes advantage of a slightly short delivery by Swann and massacres it through the leg-side for four.  OVER 43: AUS 123/2 Finn returns to the attack, and produces a real beauty to Clarke, drawing him into the shot and then sharply changing direction after pitching. Just one run off his over, but you increasingly feel that these short bursts of seam are merely a chance for Graeme Swann to catch his breath.  OVER 42: AUS 122/2 Two singles from Swann's over. As an adjunct to Nick Hoult's tweet earlier, Ted Morris Dawson has sent me a list of famous people from Wantage. These include: King Alfred the Great, poet John Betjeman, a few bishops, Alice FitzWarin, wife of Dick Whittington (not a real person, surely?), actress Frances O'Connor (?) and Lester Piggott. Which is a pretty impressive haul for a town I didn't even know existed. What a marvellously compact and distinguished place Britain is.  Drinks: Australia 120/2 (255 behind) Watson 50* Clarke 17*  OVER 41: AUS 120/2 Clarke slashes it just wide of backward point! Pietersen it was who dived to his left but could only watch it scooting past him for four. He's had no luck at all this series, has Broad. Clarke hooks another bouncer in an unruffled fashion down to long leg for one. Watson defends a couple, before seizing on an overpitched in-swinger from Broad and driving it breezily through mid-on for four. That's his fifty, but it's but half the struggle to him. His fifty-to-hundred conversion rate is something like 15 per cent. Right, drinks. Powerade for the players, vending machine 'tea' for me.  OVER 40: AUS 111/2 Another maiden by Swann, who has Watson jumping, hopping, crouching and in all kinds of undignifying poses. Tell me I'm getting ahead of myself, but he could easily end up with a seriously large number of wickets this innings.  Nick Hoult, Daily Telegraph deputy cricket correspondent, Northants fan and star of Skins on Twitter: "Swann showing the skills learnt at Wantage Road. Birthplace of the great and good"  OVER 39: AUS 111/2 John Barnett feels I may have been a trifle hasty in calling for Ponting to be dropped. "Don’t forget his other contributions," he urges, "like picking which bowler to get hammered or which fielder to fetch leg-side boundaries, etc". Excellent use of the word 'etc'. Broad to Clarke, and predictably Clarke gets a short one early on. He plays it rather well, though, pulling it in front of square for four. Broad responds with a quicker bouncer, though, that has Clarke squirming to take cover! Excellent follow-up by Broad, evoking Andy Roberts in his use of one regular bouncer and then an extra-quick one.  OVER 38: AUS 106/2 Swann to bowl his 15th over on the bounce, and Clarke's determined to use his feet to disrupt Swann's length. Swann responds by firing it in a little quicker and surprising Clarke, who has to go back and block. Clarke's down the track again next ball, and drives it straight into Bell's ankle at silly point. The next one balloons off bat and pad, and over the head of Cook at short leg! Swann's got them in knots here. Maiden.  OVER 37: AUS 106/2 Broad replaces Anderson, and Clarke settles his own nerves with a good straight drive for four. He's ever so good on his front foot, is Clarke, and he strides forward to stroke Broad through the covers for three more. Broad replies with a slower yorker outside off-stump, the kind you dream of producing in the final over of a Twenty20 match but is strangely innocuous in this form of the game. Dropped! Sharp caught and bowled chance to Broad! Watson pushed it back uncertainly to Broad, who only had time to stick a right hand out and hope. He couldn't hold on, though, and there was almost a run-out as the ball narrowly missed the stumps at the bowler's end with Clarke miles out of his ground! Watson gets a life!  OVER 36: AUS 99/2 Ponting's yield for this match, then, is 0 and 9. And it's Marcus North whose place is under threat? An almighty roar of 'catch' as Clarke plunges forward to his first delivery, but it's past Cook before he can react. Superb over by Swann, and he deserves every decibel of that reception.  WICKET! Ponting c Collingwood b Swann 9 AUS 98/2 Yessssssssssssss! Swanny does the business! Ponting gets down on one knee and swipes across the line for four in a shot fraught with risk. The next ball holds up in the pitch slightly, Ponting prods uncertainly at it and edges low to the left of Collingwood at slip. A fine take by Collingwood, and England celebrate like deranged New Year revellers! England have taken a can of Raid to Australia's queen bee!  OVER 35: AUS 94/1 "There you are, good old Swanny comes through," writes Paul Masters. "Are you a fan yet? What's the tactic to dismiss Ponting?" Oh, don't ask me. Never really been an 'ideas' man, you know? Um... bring on Gary Pratt? Watson flicks Anderson off his pads for a hasty three, before Ponting spies a short one and swivel-pulls for one. He was almost through the swivel before the ball reached him, though, and I'm not entirely sure he was looking at the ball as he hit it.  OVER 34: AUS 90/1 Watson vigorously pulls Gatting-style for a single, which gives Ponting another chance to get off his pair. And there it is! Ricky Ponting is off the mark! It was a disgusting delivery by Swann, actually, short and wide, and mercifully cut for four by Ponting. Ah, well. Swann's back on the money for the rest of the over.  OVER 33: AUS 85/1 England look like they're reverting to the plan that accounted for Watson in the first innings - dangling it outside off stump and piling up the dot balls. Eventually Watson manages an inside edge onto his pad to get off strike. That brings Ponting into Anderson's sights for the final ball of the over, which Ponting leaves flamboyantly. Seven runs off the last eight overs for Australia, and England will look to turn the screw here.  OVER 32: AUS 84/1 Swann goes straighter to Ponting, and he turns it straight into the ankle of Alastair Cook! It wasn't a chance, but Cook prevents the run. The next ball is on a length, and goes straight on, beating Ponting's edge! What a stonking delivery that was by Swann, and Ponting just can't get off the mark. He tries to cut against the spin, but finds the man at point. He then tries to drive at it, but doesn't get a good contact. Maiden! Swann grasped at the hem of genius that over, and possible came away with a couple of threads in his hands. Ponting, meanwhile is still on nought.  OVER 31: AUS 84/1 Watson called Katich over as he was walking off, probably urging him to review the decision. This ain't your beef, Watson! Butt out! Anderson to continue to Watson, who's watchful both in leaving the ball and in defence. He's very much a block-it-or-swipe-it kind of batsman, is Watson. Whichever he chooses, you tend to get a full over at him.  OVER 30: AUS 84/1 Ponting shuffles well across his stumps and gets off his king pair by turning it to leg gully. He's forward to the second ball, and huge shouts of "Catch it!" as it flicks bat and pad, but it goes to ground. Ponting's back to the next, and this one spins wickedly and takes him on the thigh pad! Compelling spin bowling by Swann here, but Ponting survives!  WICKET! Katich c Prior b Swann 43 AUS 84/1 There it is! One down! No review from Katich! Swann pitched it on off stump, it turned appreciably, and it just took the thinnest, faintest rustle on the edge of Katich's forward defence. It was practically inaudible on television, but Prior and all the other England fielders were up immediately, and after a couple of seconds, umpire Erasmus raised the finger! There's the breakthrough! England need nine more! Now, here's captain Ponting. And he's on a king pair!  OVER 29: AUS 84/0 It's early days, but Anderson looks to have his zip back. A delivery outside the off-stump to Watson is left, but carries through to Prior at a decent height, and he jars the thick edge of Watson's bat with another. Both batsmen have starts now, and you fancy at least one of them has to see Australia through to tea if they're going to retain any hope going into the final day.  OVER 28: AUS 84/0 Gareth Thomas of Melbourne is, as predicted, hauled out of the attack after just one over, and Graeme Swann of Nottinghamshire and England returns in his place. "Nice start after lunch, happy with that spell," reflects Gareth on his first taste of Test cricket. Katich turns Swann to leg, and there's a definite two there, but Katich only takes one. When you've got Achilles trouble, singles are fine, but it's turning sharply that really brings the pains on. You may remember Kevin Pietersen hobbling around during the start of the 2009 Ashes with a similar problem. Watson gets well forward to the rest of Swann's over, and plays it fairly comfortably. "Bring back Thomas," the Barmy Army start singing.  OVER 27: AUS 82/0 Here's Anderson, who was a little off-colour this morning. The line was there, the length was there, but the zip was strangely absent. It's a decent start from him after lunch, but he slants the final ball down the leg side, and Watson manages to get little enough bat on it to send it fine for four runs.  OVER 26: AUS 78/0 Good, tight over from Gareth Thomas of Melbourne, who's really finding some good turn outside Katich's off stump. Katich is trying to get forward to smother the spin that Gareth Thomas of Melbourne is producing, and almost overbalances in doing so. Maiden over from Gareth Thomas of Melbourne, who I nevertheless expect to see replaced by Graeme Swann fairly soon.  02.39 "Pipped at the post by an Australian," writes gallant runner-up Alex Hayes. "I hope that's not an omen." Actually, I believe Gareth's an expat Englishman. Like Andrew Symonds. The players are back out, and it's world-number-two-ranked off-spinner Gareth Thomas of Melbourne to resume for England after lunch.  02.36 Well done to Alex Hayes, who correctly guessed that it was a giraffe. However, he was beaten to it by seconds. So better done to Gareth Thomas in Melbourne. As his prize, it will be he who bowls the first over for England after lunch.  02.25 John Barnett says the red kangaroo. Click here to find out if you're right...  The Shane Warne Public Relations Agency on Twitter: "Those doubters out there: told you there is fight in the Aussies. With the conservative fields Strauss set and Oz positive and rain tomorrow: Draw."  02.20 Non-cricket-related quiz time! Right, no Googling! Which animal has the longest tail of any land mammal? It's a fairly well-known animal, so it's not the Long-Tailed Pig-Botherer of the southern Andes or some such. It's a common, recognisable animal, the kind you'd learn about in school. First person to email in the correct answer gets to bowl a live-blog over.  02.17 "I'm a rabid England supporter," writes Stephen Nelson. (People do introduce themselves in all kinds of funny ways these days.) "But the Aussies deserve a bit of credit for 'surviving' to lunch. Be magnanimous Jonathan, only a bit though, it won't hurt." Oh, quite right. In fact, the approach of the Australians - positive, still trying to hit the bad ball for four - merits praise. I know this is the Ashes, and this is Adelaide, but there really isn't the slightest possibility of Australia winning this game. It's pretty grim having to bat the best part of two days in the name of survival alone, but they've gone about it fairly well. Now, I understand everybody's fervent wish to see the Australians rolled over for 220 by mid-afternoon, but what do people reckon would be a decent return on the day? Eight down? Six down? Personally, I think that five wickets wouldn't be a bad result, considering this is still a fine pitch to bat on, and given that the Australian tail more or less starts at Marcus North. Sorry, that's not very magnanimous at all, is it?  LUNCH: AUSTRALIA 78/0 (297 behind) Watson 35* Katich 42*  OVER 25: AUS 78/0 Finn to bowl the last over before lunch. He comes round the wicket, and Katich flicks him very fine for four. An outside edge from Katich then flies through around fourth slip for four more! A third slip might well have been able to dive for that, but there were only two in the cordon. England have had no luck this morning. Perhaps the rub of the green they got when they batted is unwinding slightly. A little prod into the leg-side from Katich, and another single to move him to 41. Watson blocks the last ball, and that's lunch. Katich can hobble off and get some ice on that Achilles. Australia's session, but they'll need to string five of those together in a row if they're going to go to Perth on level terms.  OVER 24: AUS 69/0 Huge rip from Swann, and Katich plays and misses! Matt Prior's getting very, very excited behind the stumps, and Katich really is just pushing and wishing here. Swann goes straighter, though, and Katich can sweep fine for three. Had he a functional Achilles, he might well have been able to run all four there. Final ball of the over to Watson, and it loops off bat and pad and just beyond Cook's left hand! Swann's bowling beautifully and getting a good deal of help from the surface here. You feel if he gets one, he could really run through them.  OVER 23: AUS 66/0 Wouldn't England love a wicket before lunch? Finn's almost there, nipping one away from Watson and drawing the false stroke. Watson absolutely thrashes the fifth ball of Finn's over, which is short and in the hitting zone, but he picks out Cook at mid-wicket. Now, Finny. The 'extra' sixth ball. The bonus ball. What can you do with this? He runs in, and... it's a dot ball. Good boy.  OVER 22: AUS 66/0 Katich turns Swann through straight mid-wicket for two, but he doesn't appear to enjoy that at all. He's noticeably hobbling as he completes those runs. He blocks out the rest of the over, perhaps determined he's not going to make himself run again. Really big turn for Swann, though.  OVER 21: AUS 64/0 This morning's Damning With Faint Praise award goes to John Price. "Good stuff Jonathan, you are much better at this than the footie," he writes. "I'm loving your commentary so much it is stopping me go out." Another good over from Finn to Watson, but again he lets it slip with his last ball! He overpitches and Watson drives him effortlessly for four. Finn would have been a world-beating cricketer in the 1890s, when they played with five-ball overs. The six-ball variety doesn't appear to agree with him at all.  OVER 20: AUS 60/0 Big appeal for LBW against Katich! Tony Hill was fairly quick to shake his head, though, and it was probably just sneaking down leg. "I'd like to see a gully in, Nass," Ian Botham declares, making that about the 17th man he's recommended placing somewhere on the field. I bet Botham's house is full of useless junk he doesn't need, simply because he went to the shops and decided he wanted everything. "But Ian," his poor beleaguered wife would wail as she chased after him, "why do we even need three toasters?" "Not just three toasters," Botham would reply tersely. "Three toasters, eight blenders, two Magimixes, six electric egg whisks and nine George Foreman grills. Hang on, let's just chuck in another three more toasters."  OVER 19: AUS 60/0 Now, ladies and gentlemen, all the way from Watford, Hertfordshire, it's Steven Finn. He's going to bowl to Watson, and that's a good line first up, just offering to seam in at Watson and derail his defensive stroke. The second ball is even better, just squirming in between bat and pad but going safe. Good, tight stuff from Finn... until the last ball of the over, which is a telegraphed long hop that Watson can simply despatch to the square leg fence. That's the kind of thing that absolutely maddens captains. Five excellent deliveries, and then a gift-wrapped boundary.  OVER 18: AUS 56/0 Now Swann's getting the big turn. He just needed a few overs to get the shine off the ball and let it grip in the surface, and now he's getting some excellent rip. A few little bat-pad flurries of excitement for England, and then a big appeal for LBW as Watson gets trapped on the back foot! Not out! Height an issue there, and it may have hit him outside the line of off-stump too. Swann then strays in line and allows Watson an easy single to one of the fourteen men patrolling the leg-side boundary. Honestly.  OVER 17: AUS 55/0 Broad and Katich have reached a kind of stalemate. He's flinging it down outside off-stump, and Katich is content simply to leave it, or play it, or whatever. If I had one criticism of Broad this series so far, it's that he hasn't attacked the stumps enough. He may relish the confrontation, and he may never shirk a challenge, but sometimes it seems to me that he plays the batsman rather than the stumps. Another maiden to Broad, but not much to commend it.  OVER 16: AUS 55/0 Katich turns the ball into the leg-side, and it goes straight through Alastair Cook at short leg! Single to Watson, and then Katich gets a leading edge just out of the reach of Andrew Strauss at short cover! That's what Swann was bowling for, pitching it straight and trying to get Katich playing through the leg-side. Another little flurry as the ball cannons off Watson's pad and flies just out of the reach of Bell, but the replay shows there wasn't any bat in that. Swann's getting closer, though, you feel.  OVER 15: AUS 52/0 Stuart Broad is one of those bowlers that should never be given a short leg. It's like waving a red rag in front of a bull, except the rag has written on it 'Bowl as short as you can, please' and the bull should really know better. Oh, what do I know? A beautifully pitched-up delivery outside off-stump, and Katich, expecting yet another short one, got himself into all kinds of trouble with his feet, and was lucky not to edge it as he felt for it. Single to Katich, and then another pearler to Watson has him playing and missing too.  OVER 14: AUS 51/0 Katich turns the ball into the leg-side for a single. For some reason, Andrew Strauss has put three men on the leg-side boundary for Watson. How big was your lead again, Andrew? Three men! There are singles to be milked for Watson, but he doesn't appear interested, and plays out the rest of the over.  OVER 13: AUS 50/0 Was there an ICC award for Most Optimistic Appealer of the year? If so, Stuart Broad's a shoo-in. Watson props well forward, the ball hits his pad above the knee-roll about a foot outside off-stump, and Broad howls as if he's just fired a yorker into Bradman's toe dead in front of middle. Maiden over.  Drinks: Australia 50/0 (325 behind) Watson 25* Katich 24*  OVER 12: AUS 50/0 Swann's trying to tempt Katich into the drive. Katich resists at first, waiting for Swann to bowl it right in the slot. He does, and Katich leans on it and finds the gap for two runs. A single off the back foot to mid-wicket follows, and then Watson is almost caught at short mid-on! It kept wickedly low by Swann, Watson tried to flick it to leg, and almost leading-edged a low catch! Trott, was that? Or Strauss? Either way, it whizzed just out of reach of the fielder and away for another single. Fifty up for Australia.  OVER 11: AUS 46/0 Broad switches ends to replace Anderson, and Katich steps across his stumps to flick to leg for one. That's the only real excitement of the over, and now we're going to see what Swann can do to the left-handed Katich...  The Analyst on Twitter: "Anderson oddly lethargic. Swann on, match-winner, inspired by rendition of Joy Division song 'Swann, Swann will tear you apart, again'."  OVER 10: AUS 45/0 Who said Andrew Strauss was a conservative captain? We've only bowled nine overs, and here comes Graeme Swann. I like this. I like this a lot. There was a good deal of rough for Xavier Doherty outside the off-stump yesterday, but there's nothing outrageous there for Swann, not yet at least. Ian Botham's up to his usual tricks on Sky. He wants a silly point, a man round the corner, a leg slip, two naan breads, another Kingfisher. Botham's favoured field-setting is the 9-7 field. (Ian Botham's record as England captain: played 12, won 0, drawn 4, lost 8.) Just a bye from that over.  OVER 9: AUS 44/0 Again cries of "Catch!" as Katich throws his arms at a wide one from Anderson, but it flies over gully for four more. Anderson's now going round the wicket to Katich as well, but it doesn't stem the flow of runs. Katich nudges a single to leg, and then Watson savages a front-foot cut over backward point for four more, rightly surmising that if he goes hard at it, he doesn't have to try and keep it down. "Greetings from Vancouver, Canada," writes the immaculately-named Bramwell Tovey. "We’re watching TV live on the Internet despite the almost endless ads, and enjoying your company simultaneously. But you caused mayhem and havoc here with the accidental wicket logo in the 4th over – please be sure to amend it!! It is tempting the fates, to say nothing of the weather…" Yes, sorry about that. Although next time you see an e-mail logo, it could well be an Australian wicket...  OVER 8: AUS 35/0 "Catch it!" goes the cry as a bouncer from Broad gets big on Katich and his pull shot skews into the air. It just drops short of Anderson at long-leg, though, and it's another single to Katich. Broad bowled that over a little shorter to Katich, possibly trying to set him up for a nice juicy full one next over.  OVER 7: AUS 34/0 More encouragement for Anderson, but four for Watson, who looks to be in a spot of trouble as Anderson spears one in at his pads, but just manages to get the bat down in time, and somehow manages to time it perfectly and send it haring through mid-wicket for another boundary. England are going to have to work for their wickets today, but they shouldn't be worrying too much about runs for the time being. Anderson's getting good shape, and is bowling better than figures of 0/26 from four overs might suggest.  OVER 6: AUS 30/0 Single to Watson takes him to 16. Broad's now going round the wicket to Katich, and that is a proper beauty: nipping away off the seam, drawing Katich into the shot and then moving even further after it passed the bat. Top marks for artistic merit, that delivery. Katich then does what he always does after being beaten outside off: moves well across his stumps and tries to play it down to mid-on.  OVER 5: AUS 29/0 Katich steps across his stumps and pulls a short one from Anderson away behind square for four. Good shot, but the next one's even better! Four more through the gap at mid-off. And the next is better still, if anything! Four more, again through mid-off. Anderson's over-pitching here in an attempt to buy an edge, but that over went for 12.  OVER 4: AUS 17/0 Wallaby "tastes like kangaroo", according to John Barnett, as if that helps any. "Not sure that you would pluck one, though. Bit time-consuming." Nice tight over from Broad to Watson, and that's a maiden from him too.  OVER 3: AUS 17/0 Oooooh, more movement for Anderson, giving Katich a few problems as it came back into him. Just one wicket, England. Just one wicket, and then we're into the tail. It's a maiden for Anderson, an antidote to the crash-bang-wallop-edge for four of the opening coupld of overs.  OVER 2: AUS 17/0 "Nice…..early Christmas dinner of Wallaby, plucked, stuffed and then roasted." writes Colin Day. Don't count your wallabies yet, Colin. Can you actually eat wallaby? Broad to take the second over. And Watson edges again! This one was at catchable height! It went through about a fifth slip, and flew away for four. Australia are starting aggressively, pushing hard for singles and driving at anything of the right length, and it could be an explosive little session before lunch.  Michael Vaughan on Twitter: "Even if it rains we have enough time to get 10 wickets... would surprise me if they were under 200 all out... Swann or Jimmy 5"  OVER 1: AUS 10/0 OK, so 10 runs off the first over, but it was actually quite a good one. Decent line from Anderson - what would you expect, though? - and Watson thick edges between slips and gully for four. There's just a little bit of swing out there, and after Watson takes another single, Katich deflects his first ball of the match off his hips for a single. Full from Anderson, and Watson drives him for four more.  00.20 The England team are back out. No runner for either Watson or Katich, and they don't look too distressed. Let's wait until their first quick single before we form judgement, though. Anderson to begin. Here we go.  00.19 Australia, then, will likely have to bat from now until the end of tomorrow if they want to save this game. They will start their second innings a mammoth 375 runs behind. Simon Katich has been struggling with an Achilles injury and may not even get a chance to add to his... first innings duck without facing a ball. Watson was hobbling a bit in the field, too.  00.15 Jee-sus. That is England's highest score against Australia in any form of cricket for 72 years. Prior and Bell put on 52 in 34 balls at the end there, and at times Australia were running around like little schoolboys.  ENGLAND DECLARE ON 620/5 (375 ahead) Bell 68* Prior 27*  OVER 152: ENG 620/5 All eyes on the England balcony. England now lead by 367 runs. Siddle continues, and he's trying to get the ball up into the block hole. Prior's predominantly backing away and trying to carve through the off-side, Bell's predominantly trying to pull to leg, and everywhere Australian fielders and running and sprawling. Aw, top shot by Prior, jamming the bat down on another Siddle yorker and sending it whizzing down to the point boundary for four. And Strauss is waving his arms! Like the emperor Nero at the Colosseum, Strauss will allow the slave to live. England are done batting.  OVER 151: ENG 610/5 England are literally pillaging runs faster than I can type them up. In no particular order: Bell brings up 4000 Test runs, Prior hits through the covers for two, a helpless Doherty switches to over the wicket, Prior sweeps for three, backs away and sends it through the covers for two more, live blogger practially guarantees himself arthritis in later life.  OVER 150: ENG 596/5 Prior gets down on one knee and paddle-sweeps Siddle down behind square for two. Bell then belts it through the covers and bisects the two men on the boundary for an excellent four. Runs flowing like a fine wine here.  OVER 149: ENG 589/5 Three to Prior down to third man, then Bell reaches his fifty with a single to long-off. Nice, compact innings from him. Prior then hoiks Doherty into the leg-side, top-edges, and it falls in between Ponting running back from mid-wicket and North running forward from deep square-leg! North could have had it if he'd been fully committed, but he saw Ponting coming and left it to him. Ponting had further to go, and it was coming from over his shoulder, but he was the one who ended up going for it in the end, and the ball just beat him. Prior then compounds Australia's misery by reverse-sweeping for one, before Bell strikes plunders four. Doherty's two overs this morning have gone for 24. He picked up Pietersen, though, which is I suppose what he was picked to do, so you can't say he hasn't been worth his place.  Nick Hoult on Twitter: "England's plan is clear. Give Doherty a few wickets and keep him in the team. Sneaky"  OVER 148: ENG 578/5 Prior was trapped on the crease, the way he was against Siddle at Brisbane, and the ball hit him full on the shoelaces. It looked as out as it gets, but the replay shows it was just tailing down the leg side.  Decision overturned! Prior lbw b Siddle 3 Prior's going to review it, but it looked out! Full and straight, and the only question is whether it was going to miss the leg stump... and it was! Decision overturned! Prior stays!  OVER 147: ENG 577/5 Prior the new man, and there's a little turn for Doherty, which will be highly encouraging for Swann, and all spin-bowling fans out there. Prior late-cuts for three to get off the mark, before Bell plays a brilliant straight drive for six! Against the spin, but Bell committed to it fully, swinging it up, and up, and into the advertising hoardings. That moves him to 49. A wicket off the over, but 13 runs too.  WICKET! Pietersen c Katich b Doherty 227 ENG 568/5 After just one over, Ponting's tired of Siddle, and hands the ball to Doherty, with a good deal of boundary cover. It makes no difference to Pietersen, though, who slog-sweeps Doherty's first ball to the mid-wicket boundary to bring up his highest Test score. Sighter? What sighter? But the next ball Doherty has him! A little hint of turn off the stumps, Pietersen tries another wild hoik, and the ball flies off the edge to slip. Mint innings by Pietersen, beating his all-time highest by one.  OVER 146: ENG 564/4 Bollinger runs in for a new over, but Pietersen pulls away at the last minute, and Bollinger delivers it anyway! You can hardly blame him - by the time Pietersen stepped away because the sightscreen had abruptly been transformed into an ad for McDonald's chicken burgers featuring the face of Shane Warne, Bollinger's arm was already coming over. No repercussions, though, and Pietersen gets to the other end with a leg bye. Like a drunken lothario at closing time, Bell's having a go at everything, but not really connecting so far.  OVER 145: ENG 561/4 Siddle to resume, and Pietersen and Bell take singles off the first three balls of the over. Bell then comes down the pitch - cheeky - but can't get the ball away. And again! It's not often Siddle will have seen someone dancing down the pitch and trying to pull him through mid-wicket. Least of all Ian Bell. No runs, though. Again the Adelaide Oval looks like an ode to the plastic seat. Swathes of them, in every direction.  Brooksideelaine on Twitter: "Think England should throw the bat a bit, tonk as many as poss for an hour and then declare. Pitch is getting good for bowlers"  OVER 144: ENG 558/4 Whoomp! Pietersen belts the second ball of the day through the covers for four. That brings up the century partnership between Pietersen and Bell, as well as quintuple Nelson - 555. Two more through mid-wicket, and then another single as Pietersen drives the ball, Bollinger gets a boot on it, and it squirms into the leg side. Seven off the first over. Decent.  ENGLAND RESUME ON 551/4 (306 ahead) Pietersen 213* Bell 41*  23.29 The Australians are out on the field. Already they've spent 295 overs in the field over the last week - about 10 sessions. Doesn't seem to have improved their fielding any... Bollinger's going to resume to Pietersen.  23.27 Well, we haven't heard anything out of the England camp yet, so I think we can assume England are going to bat on. I think that's a reasonable decision. Also, if it backfires, it's not the end of the world. Have a thrash, lose three early wickets, declare, and you've only lost half an hour.  23.23 I'll keep. I used to keep for my club until the age of about 12, when I had a growth spurt and got too tall. And too, you know, inept. Still, I broke my finger once, and you can't call yourself a keeper until you've had a broken finger.  Steve James on Twitter: "Team Telegraph selection meeting yesterday to play Rest of the World. Vaughany is letting me open with Boycs. Landed! Team in full: Boycott, James, Vaughan, Trott, Pringle, Warne, Anderson, Hughes, Hoult, Berry, Briggs. No keeper though..."  23.18 So at some stage, whether it's now or later, England will be trying to bowl Australia out to win the game. It's all very well taking Australian wickets when the pressure's off, but now they'll be expected to finish Australia off and win with a flourish. And the Adelaide pitch remains pretty good. Very good, in fact. I reckon we'll find out a lot about the England attack today. You can tell a lot about a player from how he performs when it comes to the crunch.  23.12 That said, I do see the counter-argument, especially with the possibility of rain late tomorrow. And from an onlooker's perspective, the appeal of England runs is being very slowly devalued. There's an episode of Coronation Street in which Les Battersby takes on some casual cash-in-hand work. Except, it turns out, he isn't paid in cash. He's paid in a year's supply of toilet rolls. "What the flamin' hell are we going to do with all these toilet rolls?" his wife Janice asks him. Well, I feel a little bit like that. Runs, runs, runs. What on earth are we going to do with all these runs? They're not even proper runs. They're Doherty runs. They deserve a little asterisk next to them.  23.08 My view? England should bat on. Imagine you're an Australian opener. You're getting mentally prepared to bat this morning. Then you find out you're fielding. Then you trundle around the field chasing the ball to the boundary for a soul-rotting hour, the whole time cursing this game through gritted teeth. And that's the state of mind in which you have in to bat. Australia want to have a bat. England should toy with them for a while. It should be good for a couple of early wickets at least.  23.05 "What a great few days so far!" writes Paul Masters. "I was starting to wonder if Pietersen had lost his edge, but after yesterday it is clear he is the best talent in the England side! Being a Swann fan and a spin bowling fan I just hope he gets the wickets on this pitch if the rain stops. England will be robbed if it's a draw!" A spin bowling fan? That's a new one on me.  23.00 For the second time in two Tests, England have to decide on the timing of a declaration. Now, there's a decision England captains have rarely had to grapple with on Ashes tours. "I would declare," Michael Vaughan announces on Twitter. "Don't tell them until 10 mins before the start of play. Jimmy and Broady to take a couple early, then Swann 5... Then shampoo." Pah. Michael Vaughan. What does he know about captaining sides in an Ashes series? Everybody knows Geraint Jones was really pulling the strings in 2005.  22.50 Hullo! First the good news: the sun is out in Adelaide this morning. Now... the other good news: England are giving the Australians an absolute pasting, with a lead of over 300 and two days left. And now... some more good news: that whining Tesco Mary got booted off The X-Factor after everybody realised that singing old show tunes from the 1960s does not constitute a viable pop career in 2010. The burning issue here, though, is whether England will bat on and try to make up for the session they lost last evening, building a total of perhaps 600 or 650 before declaring, or whether Strauss will simply declare now and unload his fresh, firing bowlers on Australia's rickety old top order. We'll find out fairly soon, and at any rate before the start of play, which is half an hour early this morning to make up for last night. We get going in 40 minutes, so let's be 'avin' youse.  What might happen next: England declare overnight. The weather clears, but only just enough to still leave the ground with a generous helping of cloud cover (a state known as the Ian Austin Level). Under greying skies, Jimmy Anderson hoops the ball round corners to take seven for 30 as Australia go down by an innings. Australia call up Darren Pattinson for Perth.  ...and what probably will: The Biblical shower that threatens England's victory chances is supplemented with other BIblical phenomena. England's net session is cancelled due to a plague of locusts, while David Gower has to be forcibly removed from the gents after all Adelaide's water is mysteriously rendered into wine.
Follow live over-by-over commentary of the second Test between Australia and    England at Adelaide. Stumps: Aus 238/4 off 79.2 overs