Australia seize initiative

England had collapsed to 342 all out before lunch with fast bowler Jason Gillespie and leg spinner Shane Warne capturing four wickets each. Michael Vaughan’s heroic 177 from the first day counted for little as the last seven wickets fell for just 47 runs, mirroring the team’s collapse in the Brisbane Test.

Typically, the Australians were quick to make them pay for their missed opportunity. Openers Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer gave Australia a flying start with a century partnership in 18.1 overs before Ponting and Martyn took over.

England again let themselves down with their poor fielding, dropping Hayden and Martyn twice each. Hayden was dropped twice in the space of five balls, first by Mark Butcher then by Andy Caddick, while England wicketkeeper Alec Stewart missed two relatively simple chances off Martyn, the first when he was on 18 off spinner Richard Dawson, the second on 37 off paceman Steve Harmison.

Hayden, man of the match in the first Test after making twin centuries, helped give Australia the start they needed only to throw his wicket away on 46 when he skyed a ball from all-rounder Craig White and Caddick safely held the catch in the outfield.

Langer followed soon after for 48 and the total on 106 when he was adjudged to be out caught by Stewart off Dawson although television replays suggested he was unlucky.

Any hope England might have had of bowling the Australians out cheaply on an Adelaide Oval pitch still perfectly suited to batting, ended quickly as Ponting and Martyn continued the run-spree with an unbroken stand of 133.

Ponting reached his half-century off 94 balls when he drove Dawson through the covers for four and finished the day 17 runs shy of a fifth hundred from his last seven Tests. (Reuters)