A stunning innings of 156 by Australian captain Ricky Ponting kept alive his side's hopes of winning the Ashes as England fell one wicket short of pulling off a momentous victory in front of 21,000 awestruck spectators at Old Trafford.

Ponting knew that somebody had to step up to the mark and play an anchor role if they were to bat the whole day out and not go 2-1 down in the series. With enormous pressure on his shoulders as captain, he produced an innings that will go down as an all-time great Ashes knock, especially if Australia go on to retain the precious urn.

Arriving at the crease at 1035, following the early wicket of Justin Langer, Ponting watched impassively from the non-striker's end as seven more wickets fell. After five hours and 11 minutes of resistance, he gloved Steve Harmison down the legside with only four overs left and opened the door for England. Ponting would have faced enormous heartache and a personal sense of blame if Australia had lost from that point, but Brett Lee (17*) played another innings of character at the death, with arch-rabbit Glenn McGrath (6*) somehow managing to block out Harmison and Andrew Flintoff.

What disappointment for England to follow such elation at Birmingham eight days earlier. They deserved to win a game that they had dominated from the start of day one and would have done so but for time lost to rain on Saturday.

But they could also easily have lost at Edgbaston and will at least go to Trent Bridge knowing they have the measure of Australia. From the world champion's point of view, they have time to regroup before the 4th Test and get Glenn McGrath fully fit. They played like a side shell-shocked by the loss at Edgbaston and the injuries to key players that reduced their effectiveness.

But Australia must now banish complacency and arrogance, and square up to England as equals if they are to compete. They were lucky to draw this game and must wake up to the fact that some of their veterans are no longer worth their place. With Jason Gillespie in their ranks they do not have the firepower to match this five-man England attack. Matthew Hayden has never made runs in England and has endured a long slump which should now cost him his place.

England threw everything at Australia in pursuit of victory. Flintoff was the pick of the bowlers with his 4-71, but Matthew Hoggard deserved his two wickets for his best performance of the series so far, and Simon Jones was desperately unlucky to pick up only a single scalp.

But no one could dislodge Ponting until it was almost too late. His innings was not one of his most dominant performances. He accumulated unobtrusively over a long period of time and the guts and character of the knock were reflected in the fact that he simply refused to give it away. His nemesis at Edgbaston, Flintoff, was defended carefully and only Ashley Giles was really punished, whenever he dropped short, which was often on a day when he was England's most disappointing bowler.

Ponting defended resolutely, but attacked often enough to leave open the possibility of kicking on for a world-record fourth innings chase of 423. A win even seemed possible during an 81-partnership for the seventh-wicket with Michael Clarke (39) and a 76-partnership for the eighth-wicket with Shane Warne (34).

The near-unwatchable part of the drama was condensed into the final hour's play, after the last drinks break. With 15 overs to bowl, England needed three wickets and Australia, with Warne and Ponting playing their shots, needed 109 runs to win at just over seven an over. After five overs of boundaries and little penetration from the bowlers, the run chase still looked on. Ponting had gone to his 10th score of 150 in Tests and Warne was looking comfortable.

But Flintoff had been England's best bowler on the day and he was to make the eighth breakthrough which gave England hope that they could still win. He had bowled his heart out for his captain, and been almost unplayable with his awkward angles and away swing for Australia's left-handers. Hayden (36) had nicked three Flintoff deliveries through the slips before he had his leg stump plucked out; Simon Katich (17) had been equally nonplussed before nicking an away cutter to third slip, and Adam Gilchrist (4) continued his role as Flintoff's bunny, edging his first attacking shot to gully.

But Flintoff had bowled so many overs that even he was visibly tiring when Vaughan called on him one more time. Summoning up reserves of energy from somewhere, but two yards short of full pace, he produced a beautiful outswinger to take the edge of Warne's bat, snatched by Geraint Jones an inch above the turf via Andrew Strauss's knee at second slip.

With time running out Harmison pounded in and took the wicket of Ponting off the last ball of the over with an awkward bouncer that he gloved down the leg side. That left only four overs for the tailenders to survive, but survive they did, and with it Australia's hopes of retaining the Ashes, which will be ensured with a win in either of the last two Tests.

15 Aug, 2005