Giles Left to Rue Squandered Chance

For the first two days of the second Test, a much improved performance by England stilled the tongues of the many critics of Duncan Fletcher's refusal to call Monty Panesar into the side. Then Ashley Giles, preferred to Panesar on the grounds of his superior batting and fielding, dropped a catch that would have redoubled the momentum of England's effort to fight their way back into the Ashes series.

Australia were 78 for three and wobbling midway through yesterday's morning session when Ricky Ponting, on 35, pulled a ball from Matthew Hoggard high to deep square leg. Giles took a couple of steps back and cupped his hands over his head, only to feel the ball bounce out and drop behind him.

It would have been Hoggard's third wicket of the morning, following the dismissals of Matthew Hayden and Damien Martyn, and it would have exposed Australia's shopworn middle order. Instead Ponting went on to score his 33rd Test century and to reaffirm his standing as the batsman England must dismiss if they are to have a chance in this series.

More than five hours later Hoggard received his reward when Ponting edged the new ball to Geraint Jones. By that time, however, Australia's captain had made 142. The subsequent departure of Michael Hussey, who left a ball from Hoggard that knocked back his off stump, reduced Australia to 312 for five at the close, still 239 behind England.

On Saturday evening England had achieved their aim of capturing a wicket, that of Justin Langer, and they started the third day with an approach that showed intelligence and imagination. Jones occasionally stood up to the fast-medium bowling of Hoggard and James Anderson, dissuading the batsmen from leaving the crease, and Andrew Flintoff set intelligent fields, simultaneously restrictive and aggressive.

Hoggard found movement off the pitch and struck the first blow in the fourth over. Hayden, on 12, reached for a good length ball which found the outside edge and Jones took the catch with a flourish, diving in front of first slip.

A further 10 overs had passed when Martyn, on 11, edged another Hoggard delivery into the gully, where the hands of Ian Bell closed safely around it. Giles's moment of horror came in Hoggard's next over, and five minutes before lunch there was a second escape when Paul Collingwood's sharp throw just missed the stumps at the bowler's end with Ponting, scampering a single to mid-wicket, a couple of yards out of his ground.

So effectively did England conduct the opening session that Steve Harmison's return to action attracted no special attention. Flintoff had bowled the first three overs of the morning from the River End before throwing the ball to his team mate. Cheered on by the Barmy Army, Harmison ran in to launch his first ball. It was on Ponting's leg stump, it found a decent length, it registered 86mph on the speed gun and it was prodded square for a single. The rest of the over passed without incident.

Harmison's next two overs were maidens, and throughout the remainder of his six-over spell the occasional looser ball was invariably followed by something straight and fast. So reassured was Flintoff that he invited him to open the afternoon session. It required only a wicket to complete the rehabilitation.

The same could be said of England, with specific reference to the wicket of Ponting, whose century was his 33rd in Tests, taking him clear of Steve Waugh at the top of Australia's all-time list. But when, at last, they got it, it may have come too late to allow them to level the series at the first time of asking.