Australia added 54 runs to their overnight score in the 14 overs of play possible in between rain delays to reach 264-7 with Shane Warne (78*) approaching a first Test century.

It was a hugely disappointing day for England but, with two full days to go and good weather forecast, they still have plenty of time to win the game if they can polish off the Australian first innings quickly.

That would give them time to push on for a lead of 400 and four sessions to bowl out Australia, though their tailenders are proving more difficult to dislodge than the regular batsmen at the moment.

Warne added 33 runs in aggressive style to his overnight score of 45, while the admirably obdurate nightwatchman, Jason Gillespie (7*), concentrated on blocking the ball and scored just three runs.

Warne went to a 12th Test fifty mainly in singles before launching himself at Ashley Giles, striking him powerfully three times down the ground for four. But the legspinner should not have lasted until the close of play as he was twice missed by stumper Geraint Jones. The first time was a tricky stumping chance, but the second occasion was arguably the worst catch Jones has dropped for England so far.

The stumping chance came in the first period of eight overs between 1600 and 1633 when Warne, on 55, advanced in Trumper-esque style down the track to drive Giles, but was defeated by a well-flighted, big-spinning ball out of the rough. It went past his flailing edge and would have presented an easy stumping chance if Jones had not dropped the ball around shoulder height.

In isolation it was not a terrible mistake because the ball had spun so sharply that it wrong-footed both keeper and batsman. In fact, had the opportunity been taken, it would have added hugely to Jones' credibility, especially as he had pouched the difficult chance that wrapped up the Edgbaston Test match.

The problem for Jones was that, after play restarted at 1810, during a final period of six overs, he shelled an absolute sitter which would have haunted a club cricketer's mind for half a season. Warne, on 68, nicked Flintoff during an spell of extreme pace that clearly discomforted the batsman, and was dropped at waist height. There is bound to be a lot of criticism of his keeping in the press after a quiet day's cricket with little else newsworthy. It is to be hoped he has alternative reading matter over his Sunday breakfast than the sports pages.

13 Aug, 2005