England show greater resolve

England's aim of producing five days of competitive cricket is on track after the home side finished day two of the fourth Test on a competitive footing. After being overwhelmed in effectively three days in each of the first three Tests, the simple key to fighting out five days was to spend more time at the crease. In England's six innings of the series to date, the maximum number of overs faced was just 66, making it impossible to achieve a dominant total or dictate the course of play.

Though any predictions must be made with the utmost caution because of the persistent collapses that have marked England's batting, the signs were that the home side had at least found a greater resolve to combat Australia's potent attack. At the end of day two, England were 155/2 and still an imposing 292 behind Australia's first innings 447, but importantly had batted through 52 overs.

In complete control on the first day, Australia were met with sterner resistance on the second but still reached their commanding total thanks to a top class century by Damien Martyn. After breaking into the team at the start of the series, Martyn has been Australia's most impressive batsman and the lynchpin of the middle order. Though Ricky Ponting's hundred the previous today was more spectacularly aggressive, Martyn's bettered it for sheer quality and ease of shotmaking.

Interest at the start centred on Simon Katich, who could not have wished for a better position in which to play his debut innings. The West Australian left-hander appeared technically sound and careful to play himself in, scoring his first runs with a flowing cover drive off Andrew Caddick. He was overshadowed, though, by the imperious Martyn, who once again had time to spare in playing his shots and whose assured defence provided the foundation for his attacking strokes. He and Katich comfortably added 47 runs in the first hour against a strangely subdued Darren Gough, who lacked his usual competitive fire on his home ground.

The second new ball heralded an increase in boundaries as Alex Tudor, so impressive in his comeback in the third Test, also lacked pace and venom and seemed to just push the ball down. Caddick was at least bowling in the right area but it was Gough who made the breakthrough when he returned to bowl Katich for 15 with the score at 355. Katich misjudged what looked to be an outswinger and left the ball on line, but instead it went the other way and struck the top of off stump as he shouldered arms.

Like most of the batsmen, Adam Gilchrist was troubled by the sharp lifter but progressed to 19 in typical fashion before mistiming a drive off Gough to be held low at cover by Trescothick. Martyn, seemingly able to score off every delivery, continued his array of fine off side shots, including a few thick edges to third man, to be 97 not out at lunch after scoring 78 of Australia's 120 runs in the session.

Martyn reached his hundred first over after the break by cutting Alan Mullally for four but received no support from Shane Warne, who added to his burgeoning collection of ducks with an irresponsible top-edged edged pull shot to a Gough bouncer outside off, which Stewart held turning and running back. Mullally, who looked increasingly mediocre when he began to lose control operating at a benign medium pace, got lucky when Brett Lee slashed a short and wide ball straight to Ramprakash at the finer of two gullies, making it 422/8. Gough then collected his fourth wicket and furthered England's minor revival when he had Gillespie caught at slip pushing uncertainly off the back foot.

Glenn McGrath showed Martyn how you really hit a cover drive when even he had to wait on the ball from Mullally to time it to the boundary, following up next ball with a straight drive through mid off. Australia were bowled out 37 minutes after lunch when Martyn, looking to hit out, advanced to Gough to play a slashing cut, with the edge flying to slip where Atherton dived to his left and parried it up for Stewart to hold. Gough had recovered from a mostly lacklustre display to finish with 5/103.

McGrath and Gillespie were expected to utilise the demons in the pitch that England's bowlers had failed to exploit and it appeared they were on their way when Trescothick got a regulation edge to Mark Waugh at second slip. The catch was low to the ground so Trescothick quite reasonably awaited confirmation and with the on-field umpires again unsure of themselves, the decision was referred to the third umpire. Replays clearly depicted Waugh, who incidentally claimed the catch, had got all his fingers under the ball yet third umpire Neil Mallender somehow decided to rule not out, to the incredulity of the Australians watching the replay screen. It also surprised No. 3 Mark Butcher, who had evidently had seen the replay and was preparing to walk down the pavilion steps when had to turn back with a sheepish grin.

Putting the incident behind him, Trescothick settled into a watchful defence and with Atherton successfully saw off McGrath and Gillespie to go to tea at 50 without loss. McGrath broke through when he had Atherton caught behind for 22 first over after the break, getting a defensive nick off the shoulder of the bat. Trescothick, who had put away the overpitched deliveries in progressing to 37, also succumbed to McGrath when he unnecessarily lost patience and was caught behind injudiciously attempting to pull outside off, leaving England 67/2.

Mark Butcher opened positively and with a dogged Nasser Hussain ensured the loss of the openers would not result in a collapse. Dispatching the loose balls, Butcher coupled good judgement with sound defence to gain control of proceedings. With Hussain, Butcher negated Gillespie, kept the probing McGrath at bay and capitalised on Lee's inconsistent line.

Shane Warne bowled the last over before tea but was not sighted again until 105 minutes into the last session, as Gilchrist preferred to work the quick bowlers instead of measure the degree of turn on offer. With both sides refusing to concede the initiative while Gillespie and Lee were in accurate operation during the second hour, Gilchrist eventually turned to Warne. For such a dry pitch there was surprisingly little spin available and with the slow nature of the wicket - all the quick bowlers, including Australia's, were comfortably pulled whenever they dropped short - Warne was not the threat he might have been.

When bad light ended play, Butcher and Hussain had added an unbroken 88 for the third wicket. One or both need to become England's first centurions of the series if England are to continue to make Australia work hard for its still likely victory.