Last-wicket stand frustrates Aussies

Strauss' six-hour innings came to its conclusion from just the second ball sent down by Ben Hilfenhaus, when he shouldered arms at a delivery which bent back to hit the top of off-stump.

But the overhead cloud cover aided the ball's dominance over bat - two more wickets followed in the opening three overs - and it took an enterprising last-wicket stand between James Anderson and Graham Onions to propel England to 425 all out.

Number nine Graeme Swann, given such a working over by Peter Siddle in the final stages of the drawn match in Cardiff on Sunday, would have anticipated being greeted by the same bowler this morning. And Australia captain Ricky Ponting did not disappoint as Siddle was introduced from the pavilion end.

His first delivery to Swann, a bouncer, could have been scripted and it had its desired effect as a failure to get into line next ball resulted in a thick edge flying to second slip.

Stuart Broad rode his luck against Hilfenhaus, inside-edging one of two fours in the next over, but it ran out when he chopped a drive into his stumps.

That reduced England to 378 for nine, which represented a serious deterioration after Strauss and Alastair Cook (95) shared a 196-run opening stand.

So it was left to Anderson, hero of the final hour with the bat in the series opener, and Onions to frustrate the tourists.

They shared 47 runs in just over three-quarters-of-an-hour with Anderson particularly savage on left-armer Mitchell Johnson, who replaced Siddle at the pavilion end after his colleague reported ill and left the field.

Four times Anderson crashed Johnson through the off-side for boundaries and he also found the rope off him with a leg glance. But a switch to around the wicket did the trick as a fend at a short one by Anderson was comfortably taken by Michael Hussey in the gully.