Fifth Ashes Test, Australia v England, The SCG, day five recap

Fifth Ashes Test scores

Australia win by an innings and 123 runs, and win the series 4-0

England 2nd inns: 180 (88.1 overs. Root 58ret, Bairstow 38, Curran 23*, Vince 18, Ali 13, Cook 10; Cummins 4-39, Lyon 3-54, Hazlewood 1-36, Starc 1-38)

Australia 1st inns: 649-7d (193 overs. Khawaja 171, S Marsh 156, M Marsh 101, Smith 83, Warner 56, Paine 38*, Cummins 24*, Starc 11; Ali 2-170, Anderson 1-56, Curran 1-82, Broad 1-121, Crane 1-193)

England 1st inns: 346 (112.3 overs. Root 83, Malan 62, Curran 39, Cook 39, Broad 31, Ali 30, Vince 25, Stoneman 24; Cummins 4-80, Hazlewood 2-65, Starc 2-80, Lyon 1-86)

• Fifth Test report
• Dave Tickner's Five-fer

0318: WICKET! It's all over, and in gloriously farcical circumstances. Anderson given out caught behind off Hazlewood. He hasn't hit it, but can't review because Mason Crane used up England's second review when he punched one to the keeper earlier. Australia win by an innings and 123 runs.

0312: YES! FIVE PENALTY RUNS! Another one grubs along the ground from Lyon. Goes under Curran's bat, through Paine's legs and thuds into the batting helmet on the ground behind the keeper.

0309: Steve Smith goes back to Lyon. Fair play to Curran and Anderson. Lyon will fancy getting Anderson and adding one last left-hander dismissal to his collection in this series.

0301: Lovely stuff from Curran even if it is in a clearly hopeless cause. Cummins goes for the full one to start the over, and Curran crunches it back down the ground for four. Curran correctly guesses the next one will be short, and backs away to swat it over midwicket for four.

0258: The Barmy Army stop singing about themselves for just long enough to cheer Anderson getting himself off the mark with two for a chip through mid-on. Not many fielders in front of the bat.

0253: Anderson survives another over from Cummins. Roughly 50-50 split between full balls and short ones. Anderson so far just about managing to avoid the short and keep out the full.

0248: Curran drives Starc to the point fence again to reach double figures. Next ball pitches halfway down and grubs into Curran's shins. Smashing the stumps to pieces, but it's pitched miles outside leg.

0244: Another play and miss. Cummins has now gone past Starc on the top series wicket-taker list. Deservedly so for mine. Smith, the Marshes, Lyon and more have been ridiculously good but Cummins very close to player of the series.

0242: James Anderson plays and misses at his first two balls before managing to get a solid defensive bat on the third. Not huge news, I know, but there's no sign of Root on the England balcony so Australia are one wicket away here.

0240: WICKET! Crane goes to another rapid Cummins bumper that flicks the right thumb on its way through to Paine. Crane uses up England's second review, more in hope than expectation.

0236: Starc goes for the full inswinging yorker - always a good option to be fair - but Crane manages to get bat to ball and collects a single. Curran, reasonably enough, is going to play some shots here and flays a drive through point for four before collecting two with a pull down to fine-leg. Made 39 counter-attacking runs in the first innings, so should be feeling confident enough about his batting.

0233: Starc back with the new ball now.

0226: Mason Crane out to the middle. Surely we're not going to see Root again now.

0224: WICKET! Broad edges his first ball from Cummins for four. The next one is fast and short and cannons off the glove through to Paine.

0221: WICKET! Cummins traps Bairstow lbw early in the afternoon session. It's a big moment: effectively that might be the two big wickets in one. Has to be far less likely that Root returns to the middle now Bairstow has gone. New ball should finish things off swiftly now.

0217: Couple of maidens to start the afternoon session.

0209: Joe Root has retired ill again. He's not back out there after lunch and, based on how he looked before the break, that's the correct decision. Tom Curran joins Bairstow in the middle.

0131: LUNCH: England, 144-5, trail by 159 runs
Remarkable effort from Root, who gets through to lunch despite barely being able to stand at times. Really not sure he should be batting, but he is and he's doing everything he can to try and scramble England to a draw. Bairstow not getting the same attention, obviously, but he's also been stoic. Can't recall a false shot from the England keeper this morning. The draw is back in to 4/1 now thanks to this pair, while the big test will come shortly after the lunch break. There's a new ball five overs away. Root is 5/2 to somehow stick it out long enough to reach a century here. It's evens that England don't make it to tea, but 5/1 that Root and Bairstow are still together then.

0130: Root pulls Hazlewood through midwicket and pretty much walks two.

0126: Uneven bounce here with Mitchell Marsh into the attack, and it gives both wicket-keepers work to do. First Pain, standing up to the stumps, does brilliantly to take one clean at shoulder height as it rears up from a length. Next Bairstow has to dig one out that scuttles along the ground. Pitched in about the same place, but a yard difference in the bounce at least. The sort of day-five action we just didn't see in Melbourne.

0116: More running for Root, but it's his own fault this time. Almost despite himself he drives Lyon through the covers but literally doesn't have the strength to get the ball to the boundary. Gets through for a third run and looks absolutely spent at the end of it.

0113: Bairstow clips through the legside for a couple. Root barely able to lift his feet from the ground in getting back for the second run. Don't think there are going to be many quick singles here between two batsmen who often run fielding sides ragged.

0112: Root works Hazlewood into the legside for a single and is on his haunches at the non-striker's end. He's really, really struggling. To be honest, I don't think Root should be batting here. This is far, far sillier than Bairstow not using a nightwatchman.

0105: Root absolutely creams a pull shot off Starc and it thuds into the fearless Cameron Bancroft at short-leg. Root more worried about his opponent, who seems fine, than whether the ball has looped up to a fielder. Used to be a dead ball if the ball struck a fielder's helmet but no longer.

0052: ECB confirm Root is suffering with a viral gastroenteritis bug rather than heat exhaustion. No doubt spending six hours out there yesterday didn't help, but it's not the cause.

0042: Root does get three this time, flicking Lyon away to long-leg, and that takes him to his fifth half-century of the series. Is this the one?

0041: Root drives Lyon through the covers. Normal Root would have sprinted back for a third there. Just gently jogs the two this time, understandably.

0040: Magnificent Seven.

0037: Root didn't score a single boundary yesterday. Gets his first runs of the morning with a four through point off a full, wide delivery from Mitchell Starc.

0031: Standing ovation from the 17000 inside the SCG today for Joe Root as he makes his way out to the middle.

0030: WICKET! Lyon does for Ali one last time, pinning him in front with one that doesn't spin. Absolutely plumb, and Ali doesn't even stop to consider a review. To borrow one of Damien Fleming's lines, the pads appealed for that one. Ali falls to Lyon for the seventh time in the series.

0028: One of the features of this whole series, not just this Test, has been edges not carrying to slip. Really strange. This is a genuine edge from Ali off Cummins - who is not slow - and it lands yards short of Smith at second slip. He can't get anything behind it and the ball runs away for four.

0022: So far, so good for England this morning, out in the middle at least. No wickets down, and Root padded up ready to go as and when required. Although he does look a bit peaky.

0010: Joe Root now sat smiling on the England balcony with his pads on.

0003: Pat Cummins replaces Hazlewood with almost instant results. Ali, waiting for and expecting the short ball, doesn't get his weight forward to a double-bluff half-volley and spoons a drive just over a leaping Mitchell Marsh at point. Three runs for that, but it's a let-off.

2359: Ali works Lyon into the legside fora couple of runs. Moment of levity as he has to hit the dirt to avoid being struck by Starc's return as it bounces in from the deep. All smiles as Starc raises a hand in apology and Ali gets back to his feet.

2355: First boundary of the morning, driven sweetly through the covers as Hazlewood overpitches. Australia won't mind seeing it - that's exactly how they got him on that dramatic first evening.

2353: Bairstow has to be on his guard to dig out one from Lyon that keeps low and was arrowing towards his pads in front of everything.

2344: Ali works Lyon into the legside for the first run of the day.

2341: Three maidens in a row, and a ball-change at the end of that one. On comes the little brown briefcase full of old balls. Of course, they're all Kookaburra balls so all of them are useless things you wouldn't throw for your dog.

2336: Another maiden over. England are 4/6 to reach 200 in this innings. I'd say that will need significant Root contribution. If he's not next man in, I'd much prefer the 6/5 on the other side of that. With England's scoring rate it's going to take them 50-odd overs to get to 200...

2334: Nathan Lyon to twirl away at the other end. Probably a change of plan from Australia there given the unexpected presence of a left-hander at the crease this morning.

2333: Bairstow carefully plays out a maiden over to begin the day.

2330: Joe Root is in the building. Hospitcal tag still on his left wrist.

2329: Josh Hazlewood to begin proceedings with the ball for Australia.

2328: So it's Jonny Bairstow and Moeen Ali to continue England's innings this morning. Their job: bat for long enough to make Root continuing his innings later a worthwhile endeavour.

2315: The good news for everyone is that it's a bit cooler today. It's like a day on earth rather than inside an oven.

2255: Root is on his way to the ground. Unlikely to bat from the start of play this morning, though.

2245: Big breaking news this morning, and it's not good for England's slender survival chances. Joe Root is in hospital with severe dehydration brought on, we assume, by yesterday's extreme heat. Seems unlikely he'll be able to resume his innings first thing this morning and, given the batting to come, there has to be grave doubt about whether he'll now get to continue his innings at all.

Day four recap

0701: CLOSE: England, 93-4, trail Australia by 210 runs
Root and Bairstow safely through to stumps and England retain the slenderest hope of denying Australia a fourth victory tomorrow. Realistically, the best England can hope for tomorrow remains a consolation century for Joe Root.

0657: Root and Bairstow survive Cummins' over. One more to go tonight, Lyon to bowl it.

0653: There are eight scheduled overs left today. We'll probably only get two of them.

0652: Lengthy delay while a helmet comes from the Aussie dressing room with Lyon back into the attack. Only eight minutes left until the close now, so we're probably going to have to come back tomorrow.

0643: Some filth from Smith, dragging one down to Bairstow who hammers it through square-leg for four.

0638: Lovely shot from Bairstow, tucking in to a floaty half-volley from Hazlewood and driving it through the covers for four.

0636: Bit of legspin from the Aussie skipper now. If he gets Root out now we might as well just shake hands and call the whole thing off.

0623: Bairstow chases a full, wide one from Hazlewood and slices a thick outside edge wide of the gully for four. First boundary for 195 balls.

0613: All four main Australian bowlers now have 20 wickets for the series. Hunting as a pack.

0608: WICKET! Lyon slides one past Malan, who was late getting his bat down on the ball and is given out lbw. Umpire's call for impact on the stumps, and he's got to go. Disappointing end to a good personal series for Malan. England don't lose their last review at least.

0558: Delay here after Root gets a whack on the glove attempting to pull Starc. He's in pain as he's getting treatment. Bit of swelling around the knuckle on the index finger on his right hand.

0552: Two more for Root, working Lyon into the legside.

0551: Root punches Starc through point. Doesn't have enough to reach the boundary, but he'll collect another three. Outfield has got slightly quicker, but amazing it's not faster than it is after the weather in the last two days.

0535: Couple of nice drives for Root off Lyon get him two apiece. Plays a third and times it slightly better and picks up three this time. It's now out to 10/1 for this to finish today. Still reckon there's a chance, personally, if one of these two go quickly.

0531: Root through his shot early as he attempts to take on a Starc bouncer. Takes a painful blow up near the right shoulder for his troubles.

0517: Root beaten by Cummins trying unwisely to force the ball away off the back foot. Much better shot next ball, leaning into a full one and driving through extra-cover for three.

0503: WICKET! Vince caught in the slips again. Surely it's the final time that will happen in Test cricket. Just a back-of-a-length ball outside off stump from Cummins, and Vince obligingly plays with an angled bat and helps the ball to Smith at slip. Slight juggle from the Aussie skipper, but he holds on.

0501: This one from Cummins does find Vince's outside edge, but it lands short of Smith who can't field it cleanly on the half-volley. Two more for Vince.

0457: Successful review from Vince, given out caught behind off Lyon but instantly sending the decision out upstairs. He's hit the pitch, not the ball.

0441: Close! Root plays for spin that doesn't come from Lyon and edges just short of Smith at slip.

0437: Vince with a lovely cover-drive off Hazlewood for three. I've seen this movie before.

0429: Vince starts the evening session nicely with a push back past Hazlewood for a couple.

0410: TEA: England, 25-2, trail Australia by 278 runs
Another brilliant session for Australia. The extra runs they scored after lunch neither here nor there really, but knocking over both openers in the first five overs was very significant indeed. England managed two wickets in a whole day yesterday. Game gone for England now, surely, with personal milestones all that's left. Vince possibly playing for his Test career, while Root will be desperate for a three-figure score. Unless you took the 2/11, it looks like we've missed the boat on backing the Australian win here. It's now 1/12. Root is a 13/8 Price Boost to top-score, while it's 3/1 for this match to finish today. There are 40 overs to go, with the possibility of an extra eight overs if it's seven or eight down. Every chance if a couple go quickly after tea.

0357: Three more for Root, clipping Hazlewood through square-leg.

0350: Root off the mark with a quick single first ball, and then picks up a couple of twos on the legside off Starc.

0347: Joe Root strides to the middle. Hopeless situation for the team now, but he'd dearly love to finally get that elusive three-figure score.

0345: WICKET! Cook gone! Lyon bowls him in his first over with a beauty. Cook tries to defend off the back foot but the ball spins past the outside edge and flicks the outside of the off stump.

0342: Two more for Cook, presenting the full face and blocking Starc through mid-off with the pace already on the ball. At 33 and a bit, Cook is the youngest man to reach 12000 Test runs by well over two years. Sachin Tendulkar knocked into second place.

0338: James Vince off the mark with the first boundary of the innings, glanced fine as Hazlewood suffers a rare radar malfunction.

0335: Looking at the replays I can't believe Paine's not gone for that. It's well to Marsh's right at slip. Man with the gloves has to go, surely.

0333: Drop! Shaun Marsh drops Cook at first slip. Think he expected Paine to go across for it, but he didn't. Marsh moves late to his left and can't hold on.

0331: WICKET! Stoneman gone for a duck, trapped lbw by Starc playing back. He reviews, but it's hitting the inside of leg stump under the bails so England lose a wicket and a review.

0328: A thick inside edge brings Cook a single and he becomes only the sixth man to reach 12000 Test runs. Not bad. Kumar Sangakkara his next target, 400 runs away. Knock 200 of those off here and get the rest in New Zealand.

0325: Couple of drives from Cook in Hazlewood's first over. Two for the first one, one for the second. He's on to 11999 Test runs now.

0321: One down, 141 to go. Just a single from Starc's opening over.

0317: Stoneman and Cook back out in the middle. Starc with the ball. England are 4/1 to get out of here with a draw. It's an 11/4 Price Boost for Root to top-score, and 8/1 for Root and Cook to both get 50.

0308: END OF INNINGS: Australia, 649-7d, lead England by 303 runs
Smith has seen enough. There are 142 overs left in the match and England are going to have to bat pretty much all of them.

0306: Cummins swipes Crane into the legside. Stoneman comes off the rope looking for a catch but in the end stuffs himself and can't even prevent the boundary. Picks up a single from the last ball of the over. That'll be that I reckon.

0304: Nathan Lyon has taken his pads off. Steve Smith is in his whites.

0302: Cummins has a hack at Broad and gets a thick inside edge past his stumps and down to the fine-leg boundary.

0301: Paine and Cummins just picking Broad off for ones and twos. Looks like the 300-run lead is the target for the declaration...

0257: Hot.

0255: Crane back. He drags one down and gets slotted over midwicket for four by Cummins. Next ball is better, but Cummins swipes it down the ground for four more.

0248: Thick edge from Paine brings three as Broad continues to strive for this 400th wicket.

0242: WICKET! Starc hits Ali over midwicket for a huuuuuuge six but then slices one straight up in the air to mid-off looking to repeat the dose. Easy catch for Vince.

0234: Nice off-drive from Paine off Broad, and he hustles back for three.

0231: New batsman Mitchell Starc clips Ali into the legside for two and the 600 is up. Maybe 20 minutes of Starc giving it a whack now and then a declaration.

0226: WICKET! Paine calls Marsh for a terrible single, and Stoneman throws down the stumps from cover with Marsh a yard short of his ground. Shame that such a fine innings should end in such a silly way, but wonderful, wonderful stuff from a batsman who was quite a controversial inclusion at the start of the series. And credit to Stoneman, too. Got to the ball quickly and got his throw away. Bound to have thoughts on his batting in this situation but he was completely alive to the situation here.

0225: A miscued cut brings Marsh a single and takes the lead to 250.

0223: Hundred up for Broad as Paine drives him through the covers and then picks up a single to midwicket.

0219: Marsh clubs Ali down the ground for a one-bounce four. Last ball of the over is short from Ali but literally rolls along the ground and hits Bairstow on the boot. Had it been straight, Marsh had no chance. England have almost no chance of a draw here. This is nothing like Melbourne. Batting under pressure with men round the bat for four-and-a-half sessions is going to be so, so hard.

0216: Marsh goes to 150 with a clip through midwicket. Good scampering in this heat to get back for the third.

0214: So close to 400 for Broad as Marsh chops one just past his leg stump.

0209: England's players drag themselves back to the middle for the afternoon session. Stuart Broad to start things off.

0131: LUNCH: Australia, 578-5, lead England by 232 runs
Ninety-nine for one in the session. Once again Australia just twisting the knife. The declaration will surely come sometime pretty early in the afternoon session. Despite the statistical evidence of that session, the pitch no longer particularly flat. The ball to dismiss MMarsh hit off stump three parts up having pitched halfway and plenty of other balls have kept a bit low. And there's big spin out there now; Australia have a bowler and a situation that makes exploiting that possible. Australia have drifted slightly to 2/11 - highlighting my point from this morning that while Australia will definitely win they might just touch a backable price en route. Australia 8/1 not to lose a wicket in the second session is an interesting one given the prospect of a declaration reasonably soon...

0121: Marsh dealing in boundaries now. Very shrewd in these conditions. Slaps a short ball from Ali through the covers.

0115: And another Marsh drive, square this time, off Curran.

0110: Lovely cover-drive from Marsh off Crane brings up another boundary.

0058: England have had more individual wicket-takers in this innings than Australia have had in the whole series. There's your stat.

0050: Tim Paine drives Crane for four and then works a single to bring up the 550.

0041: WICKET! Gone next ball! Keeps a bit low and nips back to knock back off stump and give Curran his second Test wicket.

0039: HUNDRED FOR MMARSH! This has been quite a good day for the Marsh Brothers. That's a fine innings - it was so, so hard for him against Crane first up, and then against Anderson with the second new ball. Cashed in on all the dross in between. Not as good as his magnificent innings in Perth, but that's down to the quality of the bowling he's faced more than anything else.

0030: MMarsh to 99 with another pair of boundaries off Broad. Pulled and then pinged down the ground. That will be drinks.

0022: Even with Broad, wonderful bowler that he is, the drop-off from Anderson is now so, so marked. MMarsh cuts and pulls for successive boundaries after having nothing to go at from Jimmy. The partnership is now up past 150.

0019: Anderson's superb new-ball spell is over. Four overs for four runs, and those off a genuine edge at catchable height between first and second slip. Broad now hunting for 400.

0015: MMarsh calls SMarsh through for a dicey single. Bairstow quickly whips off the glove and throws at the non-striker's stumps. Just misses, and SMarsh would've been gone.

0012: Another superb Anderson over. Two huge lbw shouts against MMarsh. Joel Wilson not having either of them, and both decisions are fair enough. The first is just clipping leg, the second just missing. England review neither.

0008: Anderson at one end and the spinners at the other reminiscent of the old Graham Gooch quote about Sir Richard Hadlee-era New Zealand. "Like the World XI at one end, and Ilford Second XI at the other." Ali drags down a legside long-hop and MMarsh clubs it away for four.

0002: Brutal game, this. Anderson finally induces an outside edge and it finds the the gap between Cook at first and Root at second slip perfectly. Four more. Next ball whistles past the outside edge. And so does the next one. Brilliant over again. Anderson has been exceptional in this series.

0000: Another easy boundary ball from Crane, SMarsh the full-toss beneficiary this time, and the young leggie's figures are now worse than Shane Warne's legendary 1-151 on debut.

2356: And another Anderson maiden.

2350: And up comes the 500 via a thick MMarsh inside edge.

2348: Crane bowling with the brand new ball...

2347: Anderson starts with a maiden, obviously.

2344: England take the third new ball. Anderson with it. He and Broad should bowl these new-ball spells and then nothing more today. Absolutely no point running their ageing champions into the dirt.

2335: MMarsh up and running as well now, crunching a friendly full-toss from Mason Crane to the mid-off boundary.

2333: Doesn't miss out on a second long-hop in the over. Four more. Outfield already looks quicker this morning.

2331: HUNDRED FOR SMARSH! Misses out on a freebie first ball, cutting a long-hop straight to point, but three balls later he crashes a drive through the covers to bring up a brilliant hundred. And with his brother at the other end.

2329: The players make their way out to the SCG cauldron. Moeen Ali to bowl the first over of the day. SMarsh, on 98, on strike.

2315: Let's have a look at some odds. Australia will win, you don't need me to tell you that, but you're only going to get 1/7 there. All I'd say about that is that at some point in the fourth innings England will have a quite good partnership that makes a draw seem fleetingly possible: Australia almost certain to win, but equally they're almost certain to be a significantly more appealing price somewhere down the line. Back to this morning, and you can get an 8/1 Price Boost that SMarsh gets 150 and MMarsh gets 100. That's not bad. Nor is 3/1 for both of them to hit a six this morning, and nor is 8/1 for a stumping this morning given two spinners and Australia's likely approach to proceedings. Nice thing about that bet is that you're definitely going to get a half-decent two-hour run for your money.

2300: We go again. It's hotter than the sweaty depths of hell itself in Sydney today. An absolutely brutal day in the field awaits for England's beleaguered attack before the sweet relief of declaration once Australia's sadistic pleasures are sated. Then England will try and fail to bat out for a draw. But we're getting ahead of ourselves. First we have the Marsh Brothers. Shaun is two away from a century, Mitchell 37. For both/either, it will be a second century of an already hugely successful series.

Day three recap

0651: CLOSE: Australia, 479-4, lead England by 133 runs
Bruising, painful day for England as Australia just grind them into the Sydney dirt. Only 286 runs in the day, but only two wickets as well as Khawaja, Smith and the Marshes each took the chance to fill their boots on the best day for batting. An exhausted England will have to bat four sessions at least to get a draw against an attack that includes a proper spinner. Seems a tall order.

0650: No.

0649: SMarsh to 98 with a first-ball single. Can MMarsh help his brother out?

0648: Last over of the day. Anderson to bowl it. SMarsh needs three.

0647: There's the 100 stand for the Super Marsh Bros as Mitchell smacks Curran behind point for four.

0646: We're also one run away from a Marsh-Marsh hundred partnership.

0643: Marsh clips Curran through midwicket for a couple to move to 96. Can he get to three-figures tonight?

0635: Strange moment. Curran wins a dubious-looking lbw verdict against MMarsh, who reviews. From replays it looks like it's probably missing leg, but the third umpire has managed to spot an entirely fictional inside edge and overturns the original decision on this basis. There's nothing on Hot Spot, and a tiny squiggle on snicko. But the Hot Spot on the other side shows that the tiny noise was bat hitting pad, not ball. Luckily for everyone involved, it is indeed missing leg stump by a long way. In summary, then: two horrendously bad umpiring decisions combine via sheer luck to produce the correct result in the end.

0625: Fifty for MMarsh, who couldn't lay a bat on Crane earlier in the day but is now enjoying himself in the evening sunshine. Took him 18 balls to get off the mark, but has reached 50 in just another 47 deliveries.

0612: SMarsh drives a Root full-toss to the cover fence to bring up the 100-run lead.

0610: Four more for Marsh, hitting Ali over mid-on. Horrible time for the bowlers and fielders here. The lead is now 96.

0602: England have kept it tight, but the charge is on now with the return of Ali. MMarsh hits him down the ground for a pair of sixes before adding four more through the covers.

0548: No luck again for Crane. Big ripping leg-break comes back at SMarsh from way outside off stump, and he plonks a top-edged pull shot straight up in the air but somehow finds safety to the right of Broad at mid-on.

0546: Big leg-before shout against MMarsh from Crane. Flattening all three, but has it pitched outside leg? Dharmasena thinks so, and Crane fears so. England don't use their last review, and prudently. PItched just outside.

0541: The 400 comes up with a jab into the legside from SMarsh. MMarsh flicks the next ball fine down the legside for four. Plumb in front if he'd missed it, but got a good piece of it.

0538: MMarsh beaten again by one that only just misses his off stump as well. The all-too common tale with the leg-spinner, though: the next two balls are absolute pies that MMarsh hits for four, driving a half-volley through the covers and then smacking a long-hop through midwicket.

0530: MMarsh battling away. SMarsh looking serene. But Australia not getting away from England here. Still a chance England could get away with a draw here if they've fight enough left in them. It's 4/1.

0516: MMarsh having a torrid time against Crane, but finally gets himself off the mark with an edge wide of slip for two.

0501: A fourth play and miss from Mitch Marsh lures England into a review as the ball spins sharply past the edge and to Root at first slip. Hit the ground, not the ball. Great decision from Kumar Dharmasena, just looked for all money like a routine edge to slip.

0459: Shaun Marsh whacks Crane down the ground for four and then takes a single. Mitch Marsh beaten for a third time before finally getting bat on the fourth ball he faces from the leg-spinner.

0452: Mitchell Marsh joins his brother out in the middle and promptly plays and misses at successive fizzing leg-breaks from Crane. Wickets do funny things.

0448: WICKET! Crane finally has his first Test wicket. Sees Khawaja coming and pushes it wider. Bairstow completes the stumping. Tame end to a wonderful innings, and a moment of huge relief for Crane.

0446: Another maiden over for Anderson. He's now bowled more deliveries in this series than any other in his career.

0441: Crane goes past 0-100 as first Khawaja and then Marsh drive him to the boundary. He's had his moments, but with figures of 30-1-102-0 in what are now pretty helpful conditions it's getting harder and harder to paint this debut as anything other than disappointing.

0437: Anderson starts the evening with his ninth maiden over.

0432: Final session of the day. England's over-rate, at least, has been good. Only 30 overs left to bowl so shouldn't need the extra half-hour contingency.

0412: TEA: Australia, 365-3, lead England by 19 runs
England being ground into the dirt under a blazing Sydney sun. It's not been thrilling cricket, but it's been ruthless and relentless from Australia. England already doomed here. It's an 11/4 Price Boost that one of them manages to get a century in their second innings when it begins after the declaration some time tomorrow afternoon.

0406: Bit of away shape from Anderson, but a thick outside edge from Marsh runs away for four. Glorious shot to follow, though, a crunching square-drive to bring up another half-century.

0400: Anderson back into the attack with another maiden over. Has bowled superbly well in this series, but the support just hasn't been there for him.

0353: Australia ahead as Marsh slaps Ali through the covers for four. Good use of the feet from the left-hander. England had a decent spell either side of lunch, but batting very easy now.

0352: Khawaja dabs Broad down to the third-man fence. Deficit down to two.

0350: Big Broad lbw shout against Marsh, but there's a lot of inside edge on that.

0343: Broad back into the attack, still looking for that 400th Test wicket. Marsh gets him away through midwicket and down the ground for a couple of twos.

0338: Quirk of this series has been England's ability to keep things quite tight without ever really seeming to put that batsmen under concerted pressure.

0325: Fifty partnership as Marsh works Curran away to the long-leg fence. Wrong line from the bowler.

0322: Marsh is given out caught-behind off Root, but it's reviewed and overturned. Nothing on Hot Spot or snicko, with the noise looking like it's bat on pad rather than bat on ball.

0317: From nowhere, Marsh has a ridiculous hack at one outside off stump from Curran and is lucky not to get a nick.

0302: Couple of sticky moments for Khawaja against Root. Plays and misses at one, and then edges the next through Bairstow's legs for three. Kept low that one, and the thin edge left Bairstow with no chance.

0258: Three boundaries in the over, Marsh joining in the fun with a well-struck sweep behind square.

0256: Back-to-back boundaries take Khawaja to 150. The first is a slightly edgy cut shot down to third-man, the second a far more convincing skip and whack over mid-on.

0251: The 300 is up with a quick Marsh single to mid-on off Ali. Deficit now just 46, but it's been better from England since lunch.

0245: Runs off Moeen at least, Khawaja edging a cut shot wide of slip for a couple.

0242: Decent spell from the two spinners here. Crane still dragging the odd one down short and getting picked off, but Moeen's bowled four straight maidens.

0222: Khawaja struggling against Crane still, but does get a slog-sweep away to the midwicket boundary.

0217: Spin at both ends. Shaun Marsh skips down the wicket and whips Moeen through midwicket for four.

0212: And we're back after that controversial end to the morning session.

0132: LUNCH: Australia, 277-3, trail England by 69 runs
Serene progress for Australia until a mad last 10 minutes when England dismissed Smith and would have had Khawaja as well had Crane not overstepped. He joins Curran - and Ben Stokes and Mark Wood before them - in being denied a first Test wicket by his indiscipline.

0128: Huge leg-before appeal against Khawaja from Crane. Hit him outside the line, but the bat was hidden behind the pad. No shot offered. England review and... it's a no-ball. He's overstepped. Ball-tracking shows it was going on to hit middle-and off and would've been overturned. Of course it would.

0121: WICKET! He's out. Steve Smith is out. Genuinely astonishing. Moeen Ali flights one up from round the wicket, and Smith chips it back for a smart, low return catch.

0117: Khawaja times the ears off a wristy flick through midwicket and picks up four more. Curran just has nothing to offer here beyond youthful enthusiasm. It's not looking like being enough.

0112: Crane back into the attack. Smith hits him through the covers for two off the back foot and three off the front foot.

0108: Smith swats Curran into the legside for three more easy runs.

0100: Smith simultaneously plays every available shot to deal with the short ball. Ducking, swaying, hooking and defending all at once. Obviously, he succeeds in getting the middle of the bat to the ball and getting it straight to ground back to the bowler.

0058: Khawaja pulls Broad well in front of square for four. My word this is all just so easy.

0051: Glorious cover-drive from Khawaja brings up Australia's 250. Couple more overs each for Anderson and Broad here, and then Australia's job is done. Just spend the rest of the day filling their boots against the inadequate back-up bowling and old ball as the sun beats down.

0049: Australia now within a hundred of England. Don't think England will be within a hundred by the close.

0048: Khawaja plays and misses at Anderson. That's the end of the false shots for this session.

0040: First false shot of the morning. Good short ball from Broad surprises Khawaja. Thuds into the glove but lands short of gully. Hopefully there might be another error like that in an hour or so.

0030: Khawaja flicks Broad away for four to take the partnership beyond 150. Also 2000 Test runs for Khawaja.

0023: England have the second new ball. My guess is that it will have less of an impact than it did in England's innings...

0010: England just not at the races this morning. Flat bowling on a flat pitch against a bloke with a hundred and the second best batsman of all time. Long, long day in the dirt ahead unless something remarkable happens with the second new ball.

2357: HUNDRED FOR KHAWAJA! First Ashes century as another friendly delivery from Ali is cut away for a couple. Brilliant innings, and at a time when he really needed it to secure his place for South Africa. Were just a few whispers beginning...

2356: Broad into the attack. Smith smacks his first ball through the covers for four. It's basically like watching Neo bat. Smith and Anderson the wrong way round in this analogy, of course.

2351: Root might have been taking the charitable nature of the day a bit too far by opening with Ali here.

2349: Khawaja two away from a century after a friendly long-hop from Ali is smacked away to the point boundary.

2346: Anderson's round-the-wicket line to Smith almost pays off as a full one down the legside flicks off the pad and just misses the off stump. Smith just annoyed he didn't flick it away for four.

2337: A single for Khawaja, and then Smith drives Ali for four like it's the easiest thing in the world. Which, for him, it is.

2335: Joe Root going for Moeen Ali first up here. Interesting. Smith immediately works him away fine for three to complete the formalities of his half-century.

2332: Anderson is bowling round the wicket to Smith and aiming the ball a yard wide of off stump. Smith still works him through the legside for a two and then a single. Anderson is the best seam bowler in the world, remember. Having Smith in your side is basically cheating. He's just too good.

2328: Both teams have presented Glenn McGrath with their baggy pink caps to mark Jane McGrath Day at the SCG, and now play is set to resume. Khawaja nine short of a century, Smith six short of a 50 (or, more pertinently, 156 short of a 200). James Anderson with the ball in hand. England will get a new one in about an hour.

2245: Early wickets, then. Eight of them really. That's what England need if this isn't to quickly slide towards what would surely nevertheless be the most closely fought 4-0 thrashing in Test history. Can someone, anyone, just please get Steve Smith out? Australia are 2/7 for the win, which is fair enough, while the 9/4 Price Boost for Khawaja and Smith both to reach three figures before lunch is a ticklish one. Khawaja is nine runs away, Smith 56. That's probably just a few too many given the way he's batted in this series, but it's definitely a tempter. Best bet of the morning? Smith at 4/5 to still be batting at lunch is my kind of 4/5.

Day two recap

0643: CLOSE: Australia, 193-2, trail England by 153 runs
No century tonight for Khawaja, then, but unlike England yesterday there are no late dramas for Australia who are now in a position of real dominance. Barring something entirely unexpected, they should kick on tomorrow and secure a huge lead on the best day for batting and leave England with a lot of work to do on the final two days to avoid a 4-0 defeat. Khawaja's been excellent and Smith, despite being someway short of his usual God-like standards, has made a chanceless 44 not out.

0642: Root's first ball is a horrible drag-down that Khawaja smashes through midwicket for four to move into the 90s.

0641: Root to bowl the final over of the day. Khawaja 13 away from a century...

0638: Very, very easy for this pair now. Smith didn't actually start all that convincingly today but he's in ominous and full control now. Picks Crane off for a couple to bring up the 100-run stand.

0609: Khawaja reverse-sweeps Crane and collects three as Curran does good work to prevent the boundary.

0551: Even Smith's edges are perfectly judged. Great delivery from Broad, angled in and moving away, but with soft hands Smith edges it wide of a diving Bairstow and short of Alastair Cook at first slip.

0549: Smith gets to 6000 Test runs. It's his 111th Test innings. Only You Know Who has done it quicker in, ludicrously, 68 innings. Smith is joint-second with Sir Garfield Sobers.

0542: Edge! Drinks break almost at it again. Broad draws Smith into playing at a full, wide one and the outside edge scuttles along the ground and wide of Root at second slip. Four more for the Aussie captain, who is now just two short of 6000 Test runs.

0537: Crane's best over this. Genuine edge from Smith lands short of Root at slip before Khawaja sends one looping in the air off pad and glove. Crane and Stoneman converge on the ball but neither can get there before it lands mid-pitch.

0533: Broad back into the attack with a maiden.

0528: Iffy moment for Crane. Twice aborts a delivery at the last moment and when he does finally release the ball it's a waist-high full-toss that Smith slaps for four through midwicket.

0526: Edge! Crane finds Khawaja's outside edge but it finds the gap between keeper and slip and bobbles away for a couple of runs.

0524: Good maiden over from Curran to Khawaja. Probing line and length.

0517: Khawaja going along superbly well now, coming down the track and hitting Crane back down the ground for four. A single to cover brings up the 50 partnership.

0515: Curran attempts his back-of-the-hand slower ball and gets it all wrong. Turns into a loopy thigh-high full-toss but Smith can't put it away. He's mildly narked about it.

0511: Khawaja almost offers a bat-pad chance off Crane, but Stoneman diving forward can only scoop it up on the half-volley.

0502: Crane bowling to Smith. Two England debutants have got him in this series so far...

0455: Four more for Khawaja as Crane ends a good over with one a bit too wide and a bit too full that's driven sweetly. Too easy, that. This is Khawaja's fourth half-century against England, and at 55 not out it's now remarkably the best of them. The other three worth only 54, 53 and 50.

0451: Curran back into the attack with a better over. Only two runs from it, and those come from Smith's outside edge after he plays back to one he should have been forward to.

0446: Khawaja takes Ali downtown for a glorious, towering six to bring up his third half-century of the series. Hasn't gone past 53 in the other two.

0440: Khawaja into his work nicely after tea, skipping down the wicket to create a full-toss from Ali and whipping it wide of mid-on for four.

0436: Beauty from Khawaja, rocking back and crashing an Anderson long-hop through square-leg for four. Not been many of those from Anderson in this series, and Khawaja's taken full toll there. Hundred up for Australia.

0431: Ready again for the final session of the day.

0415: Australia have shortened a touch further to 4/9 in the match betting, with England now 4/1. Steve Smith is a 2/1 Price Boost to top-score for Australia. Fill your boots there, it's what he does and Warner was by far his biggest threat given his remarkable recent record here. Australia currently 4/5 to reach 425 - say that out loud - and I'd expect them to do so around this time tomorrow.

0412: TEA: Australia, 96-2, trail England by 250 runs
Good effort from the England bowlers in a session that showed just how flat this pitch really is. With the attack they've got here, it was vital that Anderson and Broad led by example: between them, they've contributed 15-3-30-2, dismissing both openers. That'll do. Ali and Crane have bowled some nice stuff without being quite consistent enough, Curran got a bit of tap from Warner which is a thing that can happen.

0410: Steve Smith off the mark with a flowing cover-drive for three off Anderson.

0407: Friendly one just before tea for Khawaja, a wide long-hop from Ali that he slaps through point for four.

0401: WICKET! Anderson strikes. It's an off-cutter that Warner edges through low to Bairstow. Smart catch, smarter bowling. What a cricketer Anderson is. Warner looked all set for a big one here, but has to go.

0359: Good over from Ali. Almost gets Khawaja caught at close cover before spinning one past a tentative forward defensive prod.

0354: Beauty from Anderson bounces and seams to go past the outside edge of Warner's optimistic attempt at a booming drive.

0351: Warner cuts Ali away to the point boundary. He's putting this pitch in perspective right now.

0349: The ball is going to be changed after failing to get through the umpire's hoop gauge. Out comes a very fancy little briefcase of old balls.

0345: Warner works the returning Anderson into the legside for an easy single to reach a nicely compiled 50. It's looked pretty easy.

0343: Huge lbw shout against Khawaja on the sweep. Touch and go whether it's hit him in line. England decide not to review. It's umpire's call for both impact with the pad and the off stump, so wouldn't have been overturned but would have been a free review.

0340: Warner creams a drive through the covers for four as Ali overpitches and offers enough width for the left-hander to free his arms.

0335: Ali back on in place of Crane, with a good over as well. Khawaja gets three for a deft back-cut before Warner is almost deceived by a quicker ball before managing to jab his bat down on it and get a thick inside edge to safety.

0331: Edge! Genuine nick from Warner to a good one pushed across him by Broad, but it reaches Root only on the half-volley.

0321: Broad back into the attack, one wicket away from the 400 Club.

0319: Crane lands a googly nicely, but Warner looked to pick that pretty easily and defends off the back foot. Both spinners bowling okay here, but still feels like they're waiting and hoping for a mistake on this good batting pitch.

0313: Half an lbw shout from Crane against Khawaja. Nothing doing, but it's been a nice enough start from the young leg-spinner.

0306: Partnership goes past 50 and starting to look good. Warner looking to get on top against the spinners, Khawaja looking nice and solid. Maybe the drinks break can do the business for England...

0304: Warner in his Baggy Green now with two spinners on. Slaps Crane through cover for a couple.

0258: Warner slaps the last ball of the over through the covers for a couple. Three from Crane's first over. Dragged a couple down, landed a couple nicely.

0257: Third ball's a nice one. Drifts across Warner and spins back in. Solidly defended.

0256: His first ball is a drag-down, but Khawaja can only slap it out to deep midwicket for a single.

0255: Time for a first look at Crane...

0254: And he isn't. Third boundary in four balls for Warner, this one thumped back down the ground and beating Broad's despairing dive at mid-off. Twenty runs from Curran's three overs. Warner accelerating into the 30s.

0253: Back-to-back boundaries for Warner off Curran, driven through the covers and glanced fine on the legside after an over-correction from the bowler. England asking a lot of Curran as third seamer in a two-spinner attack here. They need him to hold an end at the very least.

0250: Good follow-up from Moeen, though, spinning one past Khawaja's outside edge. Didn't miss off stump by far either.

0249: Runs off Moeen now as a couple of easy singles to mid-off are followed by a thumping drive through mid-off for four from Khawaja.

0243: Two overs, two maidens for Moeen Ali. Looks to be coming out quite nicely.

0237: Broad and Anderson out of the attack after four-over new-ball spells. Curran and Moeen now in tandem.

0223: Warner bottom-edges a pull shot into his thigh-pad but still collects four as the ball runs away to the fine-leg fence.

0219: Anderson snakes one past Khawaja's outside edge. Good start from England's wily old new-ball pair.

0208: Punchy cover-drive from Warner brings a couple of runs. He's made first-innings hundreds in his last three Tests here. Took him almost a whole session to do it against Pakistan last year.

0207: He's off the mark with a quick single here anyway, which is a good sign for that knee.

0206: Usman Khawaja, another batsman under a bit of pressure, in at three. We understand his knee is fine after that nasty-looking tumble in the outfield yesterday.

0205: WICKET! Broad strikes with his second ball! After Warner takes a quick single, Broad spears one through Bancroft's inadequate defences to knock back off and middle. Nipped back a touch, but bizarrely loose defence form Bancroft, who's gone for a duck.

0202: Fine maiden over from Anderson to start. Big innings this for Bancroft. Won't be a certainty for the South Africa tour without runs here.

0158: James Anderson and England ready to go for Australia's first innings. Cameron Bancroft to face first ball, as always.

0125: Might feel like it's been England's morning, but it's Australia's price that's shortened. They're now 1/2, with England 7/2 and the draw out to 9/2. Davey Warner is a 10/3 Price Boost to top-score in the Aussie first innings. Smacked a hundred in a session here against Pakistan last year. England are 11/8 to take three wickets in the afternoon session - would rather be on the 4/7 the other side of that, to be fair - while it's evens that James Anderson strikes before tea.

0122: LUNCH: England 346 (112.3 overs)
It's one of those again. England wouldn't have taken it at 228-3, but they would have done first thing this morning at 233-5. It's a working total, and Curran in particular has batted nicely today. Who knows, if England can find some way to dismiss Smith before he's got a hundred it could be game on. Here's an encouraging stat, anyway:

0120: WICKET! There's an easy run on offer but a horrible mix-up between Anderson and Crane leaves the latter run out by 18 inches to bring the innings to the end. England have got some sort of total, but it looks short on this pitch. We'll see. Been enormously entertaining, anyway.

0115: WICKET! Broad's cameo comes to an end on 31 and it's a first wicket of the innings for Lyon. Top-edged slog sweep goes straight up, and Steve Smith backpedals from slip to take an easy catch.

0112: Good from Crane. Gets right in behind a short ball and defends it. Cummins goes back over the wicket and tries for the full ball. Crane calmly clips it out to deep square-leg and runs hard to turn one into two.

0110: Wide given against Cummins as he continues to bowl nothing but bouncers at Broad.

0104: Off the mark first ball with a nudge into the legside.

0103: Debutant Mason Crane in at number 10 for England.

0101: WICKET! Curran's enterprising innings comes to an end. Good knock, but a tame end as he fends a back-foot defensive shot straight into Bancroft's hands at short-leg.

0058: England landing physical and metaphorical blows now. Curran absolutely hammers a drive straight back at Lyon, crashing into the off-spinner's ankle. Might need some ice, Garry.

0054: Twenty-one runs in two overs for England. Cummins has bowled brilliantly in this innings, but he's lost the plot now. Just short ball after short ball, and he's lucky not to have a no-ball called against him for another short one over shoulder height at Broad after the two for the over.

0052: Australia getting this wrong. Broad just setting for the short ball and nailing them. Creams Cummins through midwicket for four and then clears the square-leg ropes again. He may well get out to the short ball eventually, but it would be a far better tactic used more sparingly. Australia paying a high premium for tailend wickets with these tactics at the moment.

0050: Amazing that Starc isn't bowling and Marsh is. Has to be a fitness concern. Steve Smith desperately hoping he can get out of this innings without too much further damage and save Starc up for the second innings. But England have made 73-1 since Malan got out and 280 all out looked a genuine chance.

0049: Tremendous shot from Curran to end the over, his best. There's been some tailend fun about England's effort this morning, but this is pure, swivelling on a short ball from Marsh and pulling it hard in front of square to evade the deep square-leg.

0046: Ten in two balls for England as Curran follows that Broad six by carving Marsh down to the fence at third-man.

0044: Six for Broad! Bumper from Cummins, Broad goes after it and absolutely smashes it way over the heads of the two boundary fielders waiting for it.

0043: Shot-a-ball stuff from Broad. Not always cricket shots. Swipes the first one out to deep square-leg and gets a single. Curran chips Cummins into the legside for a single before Broad plays a nice, high-elbowed back-foot punch through gully for two more. Every now and then you just get a glimpse of the old Broad, who at one time was talked about very seriously as a possible number seven.

0038: Broad swats a short ball into the legside for a single to bring up the 300. It's something. It's probably not enough.

0036: Mitch Marsh into the attack. Curran immediately edges him into the gap between second slip and gully for four. Pulls hard to deep midwicket for a single a couple of balls later. Fair play, this is a fine innings.

0033: Two balls left in the over as Broad walks to the middle. Both are short balls, surprisingly. Broad fends both of them just short of Bancroft at short-leg.

0030: WICKET! Ali has to go this time. Tries to play the short ball from Cummins defensively, but can only punch it through to Paine. Simple catch, and no mistake this time. Useful 43-run stand, but England way short on this flat pitch. With two men back, Ali had decided he didn't want to take on the short ball any more, but he really should've been looking to sway rather than play that one.

0023: This is more Ali's kind of area, driving on the up through the covers for two. No footwork, head leaning back, hands through the ball. Lovely stuff. When he middles it.

0022: Ali continuing to take on the short ball in unconvincing fashion. Gets two off a top edge out towards deep square-leg.

0015: Hazlewood getting bantered off by his own cricket board...

0010: Drop! Even worse! Cummins does come on and his very first ball produces a miscued pull from Ali. Straight up in the air, Hazlewood underneath it... and somehow doesn't even get a hand on it. An absolute sitter, and it's just hit him in the chest and gone to ground.

0007: Drop! Shocker from Cummins. He was going through some stretches, about to come on and bowl the next over, and he's perhaps not fully concentrating here as Curran slaps one from Lyon straight to him at mid-on, but he shells it.

0003: Ali pops a drive over Hazlewood for a couple. Two more runs, and the partnership reaches "Handy" status at 29 off 48. And make that 33 off 49 as a thick outside edge runs away wide of the slips and down to the fence.

0000: This has been good from Curran. Controlled aggression. Uses his feet to Lyon and smacks him through the offside for four, and then picks up two more behind point. Not many England players have been able to turn the pressure back on Lyon this series.

2356: Better drive brings Curran two more all along the carpet this time. Pinches the strike with a single to midwicket. Cheeky.

2353: Second boundary for Curran, driving Hazlewood in the air but in the gap past a diving Starc at mid-off. Number eight definitely a place too high for Curran in any long-term Test career he may or may not have, but he's definitely in the "No mug" category.

2338: Curran off the mark first ball with a four through point. Very full ball, using the pace from Starc to bounce it past the fielder. There's plenty of it.

2330: WICKET! Superb catch from Smith at second slip to end Malan's vigil. Diving to his left at second slip he holds on one-handed and Malan has to go. After the three he's dropped in the last few innings, that's an astonishing grab.

2326: Top shot from Malan, driving Lyon powerfully through the covers for the first boundary of the day. Lyon responds by turning the last ball of the over past Malan's outside edge.

2325: Quiet start to the battle, Ali getting a single off a thick, controlled edge past slip.

2324: Here we go. Nathan Lyon v Moeen Ali.

2321: First real strong shot of the morning brings Malan two as he punches a full ball back past Starc.

2309: And a better maiden over from Hazlewood, watchfully played by Malan.

2305: Wild and woolly maiden from Mitchell Starc to start his day. Crucially, though, it's pacy. Up in the 140s km/h, which he barely managed yesterday.

2302: Ali off the mark first ball, working to leg for a single.

2301: The players are out there ready to start the day. Josh Hazlewood to complete his successful over begun last night, Moeen Ali to face his first ball.

2255: Australia are now 4/6 for the win having drifted to odds-against during the Root-Malan partnership, while England are back to their pre-match quotes of 3/1 for a consolation victory. The draw is 7/2. Dawid Malan, excellent again in reaching 55 not out yesterday and the one unalloyed positive for England in this series, is an 11/4 Price Boost to make a good personal series a great one with a second century.

2245: Very different to the sight that greeted us first thing yesterday. The sun is shining, conditions are good, and today should be a batting day. Unfortunately for England, there's a very real chance now that most of that batting will be done by Australia. Those last 10 minutes last night really were a kick in the teeth on a day that summed up this tour pretty well. England competing, battling their way into the ascendancy at points, but being swiftly cut down when it really came down to it.

Day one recap

0805: CLOSE: England 233-5 (81.4 overs)
A day that should have been England's ends as Australia's thanks to a ridiculous last 10 minutes with the new ball. Root's centuryphobia sees him finding ever more imaginative ways to get out between 50 and 100. Flicking a leg-stump half-volley straight to square-leg after back-to-back boundaries is up there. He'd played so, so well as well. That left Bairstow with 1.5 overs to survive at the end of the day. He couldn't do it. On a flat pitch and with a long tail, England are, once again, in real trouble.

0802: WICKET! Brilliant end to the day for Australia now. Hazlewood goes wide on the crease and draws Bairstow into playing at one he didn't have to. Nicks it through to Paine, and that will be stumps.

0758: Steve Smith gets overexcited and reviews an lbw shout against Bairstow that has absolutely nothing going for it. It's clearly swinging down leg for a start, but we don't even get as far as ball-tracking confirming this: Bairstow's got an inside edge. Australia lose a review. Smith's also done himself out of another over from Starc tonight with that review. Hazlewood to bowl what will now be the final over of the day.

0754: WICKET! It's happened again! Root falls short of a century. Eventful three deliveries with the new ball. It's the worst delivery of the three, swinging into the pads, but Root clips it straight into the hands of Mitchell Marsh at square-leg. It's so, so soft.

0752: Four more! Less convincing this time, a big inswinger that Root somehow squeezes past leg-stump and down to the fine-leg fence.

0751: And Root responds by punching the very first ball back past the bowler for four.

0750: Starc at the top of his run with a sore heel and a new ball.

0743: Jonny Bairstow and Mason Crane both padded up. New ball will be available for the last three scheduled overs today.

0735: Starc grimacing and hobbling. Right now, the gamble to play him here has not paid off.

0733: Malan works the next two balls into the legside for a pair of twos that take him past 50. Battling innings, not as fluent as either of his efforts at Perth, but no less valuable for that. Really has been England's big unlikely positive of the series. It's his fifth Test half-century to go with that WACA hundred.

0732: Mitchell Starc starts his final spell of the day with a 78mph half-volley. Malan gratefully slaps it away to the cover fence.

0723: Malan fiddles one slightly uncomfortably into the legside for a single that brings up England's 200.

0717: For the second time today, Root top-edges a hook shot and gets away with it. Having holed out in Melbourne, it shows the fine margins in this game. Got one fine of long-leg earlier, this one goes between long-leg and deep square-leg for two. Ten overs left in the day. England 40 minutes away from a very decent opening day. This is Root's highest score of the series, which is silly given his form has been so decent.

0709: Root hooks Cummins safely out to deep square-leg to bring up the hundred partnership.

0700: Cummins back into the attack with a good maiden over to Root, and that will be drinks.

0652: Couple of twos for Root off Marsh take him to 64. These are the danger times for Root, but he's looking absolutely imperious.

0642: This game approaching "perfectly poised" territory here. Australia 11/8, England 2/1, Draw 2/1.

0631: Drop! Steve Smith paid a heavy price for dropping Alastair Cook at slip in Melbourne. He's put down a very catchable chance here offered by Malan off Lyon. Not sure he's even laid a hand on it in the end as the ball passes over his right boot.

0628: Malan throws the bat at a wide half-volley and slices the ball behind point for four.

0627: That run out near-miss the only real alarm in the last half-hour or so. Pitch looking very, very flat. Khawaja, meanwhile, is back out there which is good to see.

0623: Horrible mix-up between Malan and Root. Malan cuts to backward point. Root calls him through for a single, but Malan stays put. They're briefly at the same end before Malan belatedly realises he's got to run. The throw comes back in to the keeper's end, and a decent throw from Paine back to Lyon would have been enough. But he drags his throw a yard wide of the stumps and Malan escapes.

0619: Root works to leg for two and then gets a drive away through cover-point to bring up his fourth half-century of the series. Can he convert this one?

0616: Time for some gentle Mitch Marsh mediums.

0606: Khawaja hobbles off the field during the drinks break. Fingers crossed.

0603: Horrible moment. Lovely shot to start it, Malan driving Lyon sweetly through the covers, but Khawaja, having reeled it in, slides and gets his knee stuck in the turf a la Simon Jones. The ball trickles away for four, but all eyes are on Khawaja. After a few moments he's back on his feet, but gingerly. Players take drinks one ball early while Khawaja gets treatment.

0556: Runs absolutely flowing now for Malan. Another pull shot brings two more. Hazlewood decides to go round the wicket.

0556: Nice pressure reliever for Malan. Gentle legside long-hop from Hazlewood, and Malan nails the pull shot behind square for four. Had previously only managed two singles in almost an hour since tea.

0547: This is a wonderful shot from Root. Rocks back and steers Hazlewood behind point off a delicately opened face. He's looking really good again...

0545: Bizarre shot from Root. Shapes to pull a short one from Starc but realises late in the day it's a slower ball and instead dabs it through point off the middle of the bat for three.

0544: MALAN SCORES A RUN.

0539: Hazlewood back into the attack. Root greets him with a push down the ground for two and a Bell-in-2013 back-cut for four.

0537: Twenty-four balls without a run for Malan since tea. Eight runs from eight overs this session.

0524: Glorious shot from Root to break the shackles, crunching an off-drive to the left of mid-off. No need to run.

0523: One run in five overs since the tea interval.

0516: Starc struggling to reach 80mph in this spell. Still getting the ball to swing nicely back in to Root, who gets in a pickle playing around a planted front foot and is saved by a thick outside edge that squirts away to cover.

0509: Quiet start to the evening session. Just a single from the first two overs. Starc's pace notably down in his over, though. Nothing above the mid-130s km/h. Not convinced he's 100 per cent fit. Will probably now take four wickets in the next half-hour.

0501: Back out for what will be another three-hour session or close to it with another 41 overs to get through. The weather couldn't be more different now compared to what we saw first thing. Lovely bright sunshine now. Should be good for batting and a tiring session for the fielding side if you don't give them too much encouragement...

0441: TEA: England, 122-3 (42 overs)
England will feel they've rather let Australia off the hook there, with the top three all getting in and getting out. Stoneman defended one he needn't have played, Vince flapped lazily at a long-hop, and Cook fell over a straight ball trying to hit it too square. Not all doom and gloom for the tourists, but that session feels like an opportunity missed for the top-order. Over to the middle-order to put it right, a task Root and Malan have begun tidily enough in a stand currently worth 27 off 57.

0439: Good battle between Lyon and Malan here. Just about honours even at the moment as Malan stretches out to drive a full delivery gloriously through the covers for four.

0427: Nicely played cover-drive brings Root three, and Malan adds two more with a clip off his toes.

0422: Root top-edges another pull shot after getting tucked up by Hazlewood. Gets away with it this time, though, the ball sailing away fine of long-leg, bouncing once and over the rope for four.

0417: The odds pretty much back where they started after that double burst for Australia. The home win now back to 8/13, with England 7/2 and the draw 10/3. England now 4/5 to reach 325 having been evens to reach 375 a while ago.

0409: Better shot from Malan brings two more, back-cut past slip, and takes England to three figures. They've taken some damage, though, with three wickets down in what are now good batting conditions. The frustration will be that they got through the difficult new-ball period with only one wicket down, but have failed to cash in.

0407: Dawid Malan off the mark with a slightly loose drive off Lyon. Ball slides off the face of the bat in the air but safely through gully for a couple.

0402: WICKET! Nope. Pitching just on leg stump, and Cook has to go. Hitting the middle of middle, that part was never in doubt. All about where it pitched. Completely understandable for the on-field umpire to say not out, but great use of the technology.

0402: Australia review a not out lbw shout against Cook. Looks close. Did it pitch outside leg?

0354: Root gets his first boundary off a ball that's identical to the one that dismissed Vince. The difference is in the footwork and assurance of the shot. Root commits to it fully, and nails it.

0346: WICKET! The first drinks break almost did it, the second drinks break has. Short and wide from Cummins, and Vince throws a flat-footed bat at the ball and nicks it through to Paine. Second wicket for Cummins, second catch for Paine.

0340: Back-to-back boundaries for Cook off Lyon. The second could have been an action replay of the first. Both deliveries dragged down slightly short, both cracked through point by the rejuvenated England opener. Perhaps key to those eight runs was the ball before them: Cook came down the wicket to Lyon, which has been a rarity.

0336: Fifty partnership up in good style as Vince swivels on a short ball from Cummins and hammers a pull shot to the midwicket boundary.

0328: No great mystery to it, but Cook looking far more organised and sure of himself on the back of that 244 not out at Melbourne. Works Cummins through midwicket for two, and collects another couple for a controlled steer past a diving gully. Defends into the covers off the back foot and scurries through for a well-judged single. Everything about Cook's game suddenly in full working order again after his desperate struggles in the first three Tests.

0319: Australia now out to evens from a pre-match 4/6, with England and the draw both 5/2. Joe Root a 10/3 Price Boost to top-score for England in this innings. England are evens to reach 375 in this first innings, which is probably a fair enough estimate of par based on what we've seen thus far.

0315: Vince throws his hands at a wide one from Starc and sends a thick outside edge over point for four more.

0309: Rare bad ball from Lyon, dragged down outside the left-hander's off stump, but Cook can't take full advantage. Punches it through the covers but only picks up two as the timing's not quite perfect.

0304: Textbook cover drive from Vince brings him four before he climbs all over a short ball from Starc and crashes it over backward-point for four. Both feet off the ground to play that one. Smashed it.

0252: First look at Nathan Lyon today. Cook immediately works him away for a single. Vince drives pleasantly for a couple more.

0251: Cook now just 32 runs away from 12000 Test runs. Ludicrous, really. This is also his 150th consecutive Test match, a feat only previously achieved by Allan Border.

0249: The drinks break almost claims another victim as Cook top-edges a pull shot but finds safety out at deep square-leg. Trots through sheepishly for a single.

0243: Pitch a touch quicker than I think anyone expected this morning given the weather. Bouncer from Cummins absolutely flies over Vince's head and is called a wide. Wasn't silly short by any means but it whizzed through.

0236: James Vince off the mark with a clip off his pads for two.

0231: Two for Cook off a thick outside edge attempting to drive Cummins through the covers. Safely along the ground, but not entirely convincing.

0224: WICKET! And he still hasn't. Defending off the back foot at a ball he could've left alone and gets a healthy edge through to the keeper. Run-a-ball 24. Very nice, but it's not going to keep you in an opening slot in Test cricket.

0222: Stoneman really has looked the part in this series without making a big score. Four more punched down the ground past Cummins before ducking the inevitable bouncer that follows.

0216: Change of ends for Hazlewood, turning round to replace Starc after his four-over burst. Immediately goes past Cook's outside edge. Probably should've left it alone. Then does it again. And probably should've left it alone.

0214: Stoneman off to another fast start here, clipping Cummins through midwicket for two and then punching through gully off the back foot for four to reach 20 at better than a run a ball.

0209: Stoneman has generally managed to profit early on against Starc, and gets at him again here. Lovely drive straight back past the bowler brings four, and a drive through the covers gets a scampered three. Cook gets away with a thick inside edge past his stumps and a play and miss.

0206: Tidy enough start for Cummins, a maiden, but a bit more comfortable for Cook than it was against Starc or Hazlewood.

0205: Proper sunshine for the first time today.

0202: Early bowling change. Cummins on for Hazlewood in the sixth over.

0201: Starc's a lethal bowler, but he will give you a few too hit. Attempted yorker turns into a leg-stump half-volley and Stoneman flicks it away through square-leg right off the middle. Races to the fence.

0157: Hazlewood jags another one off the seam, past Cook's defensive outside edge this time. Moved 21cm off its original line by the time it passed the stumps according to Virtual Eye. Tricky.

0154: We've only actually lost seven overs to the weather today. This is a three-hour session to 0440 GMT, with the evening session 0500-0730, with an extra 30 minutes to get through the overs. So what we'll have today is a 40-minute break before any play, and then just a 20-minute break to separate two three-hour sessions. Cricket that.

0152: Starc thuds a yorker into Stoneman's boot, but it's missing leg. Starc rightly puts his captain off any review. Completely different surface, but Starc already showing what Australia missed in Melbourne.

0145: Winning the toss may have been a grave error here. Josh Hazlewood jags his first ball past Mark Stoneman's outside edge. Next ball is too straight, though, and Stoneman knocks it into the legside for the first run of the Test. Cook also off the mark with a careful nudge to midwicket.

0141: Significance of Starc's return in evidence straight away as Cook is forced to dig out a swinging 92mph yorker first ball. Cook drills a square-drive and looks sure to collect four until Nathan Lyon flies Jonty Rhodes-like to his left to pluck the ball out of the air. Genuinely excellent fielder is Lyon. Under-rated part of his game. Taken a couple of decent caught-and-bowleds, while the run out of James Vince in the very first innings of the series was a crucial early turning point.

0139: Bit more drizzle in the air as the players get ready for play. We'll start nevertheless. England won't mind the new ball getting a bit damp.

0134: Bizarre spectacle as the Welcome to Country and national anthems take place with no players on the field.

0127: Bit more rain drifts across the SCG. Genuinely no idea where it's coming from. Graeme Swann on BT, meanwhile, reckons England should have bowled first. We'll never know, of course, but if they had Chris Woakes in place of Moeen Ali, as they wanted, I think they would have. With the side he's got, Root's hands were tied really.

0110: Teams as expected.

0108: England win the toss and bat first. Had to really given the make-up of the side, but I suspect Joe Root wouldn't have minded losing that one. Steve Smith certainly isn't too distressed. "Not too bothered, actually, I wasn't sure what to do. I would've batted, but not too disappointed."

0045: It's going to be 'lunch' at 0100 GMT. Toss at 0110 during the lunch break' and a start time of 0140.

0044: Just the hessian cover on now. Early lunch on the cards.

0037: Covers coming off again.

0019: The rain has stopped and started again a couple of times. Frustrating old morning. Even more frustrating if you're in England thinking "I'll just watch the first session." Still, highlights of Sydney 2011 on the TV right now. When England were well on top and Steve Smith was properly rubbish. Great times. Better times.

2356: This fake rain now getting heavier.

2352: And... the covers are back on. According to the radar, this rain literally doesn't exist.

2336: Toss to take place at midnight. Play to start at 0030 GMT. We'll make up the lost hour at the end of the day.

2335: Bowling first does look like a genuine option here. But can Root really do it with two spinners in the attack? Good toss to lose territory, perhaps. Pretty sure Smith will bat first because he is Australian.

2332: Both teams out there warming up. Don't think it'll be took long now before we get a toss and news of the rescheduled session times. Forecast suggests there shouldn't be any more rain today.

2330: A choir is coming on to the field. This is good and this is bad. Good because it means things are progressing, bad because it's a choir.

2325: Covers coming off at the SCG.

2304: BREAKING: Moeen Ali is eating an apple. Still raining.

2255: The toss has been delayed by this rain.

2245: Another squally shower comes across.

2240: Covers coming off, and Graeme Swann has presented Mason Crane with his Test cap so we can confirm that selection. You do have to worry about England's attack here. Two spinners, one of them horribly out of form and the other on debut. One seamer playing his second Test, and two veterans who have had more than enough work to shoulder in this series already.

2235: Covers currently back on at the SCG.

2230: Nearly done. The fifth and final Test at the SCG, where England are all set to pretend it's still 1998 and pick two spinners. That's mainly due to an injury for Chris Woakes handing Moeen Ali a reprieve after four horror Tests for the off-spinning all-rounder. We're expecting one change from the hosts as well, with Mitchell Starc back in place of the ineffective Jackson Bird after recovering from a heel injury.

All that to be confirmed at the toss, which is 30 minutes away. There's been a bit of rain around in Sydney this morning - the weather has been so, so strange in this series - so not a straightforward 'bat first' decision for a toss-winning captain. Root, you'd think, has no choice after going with two spinners.