Date-stamped : 03 Nov93 - 05:31 Day 1 : 1 July Aus Eng T3 D1: ENGLAND RE SHUFFLE FAILS TO TURN TIDE England struggled to 276 6 at the close of play on the first day of the third Test at Trent Bridge against Australia. Mark Lathwell (20) started well but fell to Merv Hughes after edging to Ian Healy. Robin Smith (86) briefly lifted hopes with some fine strokeplay. Nasser Hussain (50no) and Andrew Caddick (10no) are keeping hopes alive. SOFT ENGLAND GIVE AUSSIES TEST BOOST England manager Keith Fletcher attacked several soft dismissals as England's new look team struggled to 276 6. Essex batsman Nasser Hussain (50no) and Robin Smith (86) saved England from disaster but Fletcher was not happy. He said: That is something you cannot afford to have three soft dismissals out of your top six. BOON CONFIDENT OF RUNS GALORE AT BRIDGE Australian batsman David Boon believes England missed out on a major run making opportunity at Trent Bridge. The Tasmanian opener predicted that his side would reach around 400 500 on a dead Nottingham wicket. Contributed by The Management (help@cricinfo.com) Day 2 Australia stumbled towards the end of the second day of the Third Test against England at Trent Bridge on Friday. Already two up in the six match series, the tourists threatened to establish an unassailable position but were pegged back by a fighting England performance in the field. They ended the day 59 runs behind with five first innings wickets standing. England's first innings 321 looked likely to be inadequate when David Boon and Mark Waugh came together in mid-afternoon. Australia rattled up 113 runs in the afternoon session and another 138 after tea to reach 262. But England claimed five wickets, including the first in Test cricket for controversial Irish- Australian selection Martin McCague. Mark Ilott also opened his Test account. McCague bowled with great hostility and was rewarded when Mark Taylor, with 28 to his name, edged to Alec Stewart behind the stumps. The crowd began to respond to the Kent paceman. McCague continued to bowl with genuine pace and aggression but Caddick claimed the second wicket to fall. Michael Slater was apparently struck above the knee-roll but given out leg before. Boon and Waugh then steadied the innings and gave it new impetus. A century was there for the taking when Waugh advanced to Such and McCague took a fine catch halfway to the boundary. Boon continued to accumulate, but Steve Waugh (13) and Ian Healy (9) could not stay with him. At the close he was on 88, with Brendon Julian on five. The tourists had earlier taken the last four England wickets for the addition of just 45 to the overnight score of 276-6. Merv Hughes finished with 5-92, his seventh five- wicket haul in Test cricket. Shane Warne and Tim May each picked up a wicket, Warne ending with 3-74 and passing 50 Test wickets in the process. posted by vasa (Vasanthan.Dasan@Central.Sun.COM) on r.s.c. Contributed by murari (venka@*me.utexas.edu) Day 3 Shane Warne and Merv Hughes continued their devastating Ashes alliance on Saturday to wreck England's batting once again and put Australia in total command of the third Test. Leg-spinner Warne and pace ace Hughes, who have been the stars of the tourists' attack in their two successive Test wins, shared the wickets as England slipped to 122 for four in their second innings, only 70 ahead. Warne's guile removed Robin Smith for 50 and Mark Lathwell for 33, while Hughes' aggression accounted for Mike Atherton for nine and Alec Stewart for six. Atherton, unlucky to be given out during the first innings, went in controversial fashion again as England failed to reached tea unscathed. The opener tried to turn a lifter from Hughes off his hip, but succeeded only in giving a low catch to wicket-keeper Ian Healy, which Atherton queried, doubtful whether it had carried when it clearly had. For the next 22 overs Smith and Lathwell gave England's confidence a boost by adding 89 through a steady stream of sparkling shots. Australia, under pressure for once, became agitated and tetchy, while Warne looked innocuous as he conceded 14 runs in two overs from the Radcliffe Road end. But when he was switched by Mark Taylor--deputising for hay-fever victim Allan Border--England's innings disintegrated. Smith reached his second half-century of the match with his ninth four, but two balls later he edged a leg-break into Healy's gloves. Warne was suddenly making the ball spin sharply and he soon had Lathwell lbw playing no shot, by turning another delivery from leg to off. Hughes then returned to remove Stewart, also leg before, as the under-pressure batsman brought about his own downfall in an all-too-familiar fashion, playing across his pad. Earlier, Warne had caught the eye with the bat, cracking an unbeaten 35 as Australia slipped from an overnight 262 for five to 324 for eight by lunch, even though David Boon completed a second conecutive dcentury. Mark Ilott had Brendon Julian caught behind for five, Martin McCague bowled Boon via an inside edge for 101 and Ilott nipped one past Hughes' swinging bat for 17. But Border, though clearly under par, battled his way to 38, Warne played with great sense and the Aussies had reached 373 by the time McCague removed Tim May for a single to finish with four for 121 on his debut. However, it is England who are now looking sick once more, with Graham Gooch and nightwatchman Andy Caddick at the wicket when they resume on Monday morning. Unless Gooch can produce one of his masterpieces, it looks all too likely that Australia will leave Trent Bridge 3-0 ahead and celebrating retention of the Ashes. Another win for Border's men would also condemn England to a world record-equalling eighth consecutive Test defeat and possibly end Gooch's captaincy reign three matches ahead of schedule. posted by vasa (Vasanthan.Dasan@central.sun.com) on r.s.c. Contributed by murari (venka@*me.utexas.edu) Day 4 CRICKET: THIRD CORNHILL TEST MATCH Trent Bridge Graham Gooch blasted a magnificent 120 to help England into a lead of 310 over Australia and set up a fascinating final day. The battling skipper shared in a sixth wicket stand of 150 with left hander Graham Thorpe to ease fears of a eighth successive Test defeat. Thorpe ended the day 12 runs short of a maiden test century in only his second five day innings. Gooch may declare at the overnight score but is more likely to want another 20 or 30 runs to make the game completely safe. Contributed by The Management (help@*nodak.edu) Day 5 CRICKET: THIRD CORNHILL TEST MATCH Trent Bridge England will go into the fourth Test with renewed confidence after coming tantalisingly close to an improbable win over Australia. A superb unbeaten 114 from debutant Graham Thorpe allowed England to declare on 422 6 370 runs ahead. Andrew Caddick then removed Allan Border David Boon and Mark Waugh to leave the tourists reeling on 115 6 at the tea interval. But a dogged 7th wicket stand by Brendon Julian (56) and Steve Waugh (47) led Australia to the safety of a draw and retained their 2 0 lead. England captain Graham Gooch said he was pleased with the way his side had played after their draw with the Australians at Nottingham. We've competed in the match and played the way I like to see England play. Obviously we wanted to try and get a result but Australia did well to hold out after our guys put on pressure and spun the ball around. The win broke the dismal run of seven straight Test defeats and Gooch added: We're looking forward to Headingley and I'll be there! Australian skipper Allan Border praised England's gritty display after his side were forced to pull out the stops to avoid defeat. England were much more competitive out there and it was the first time in the series we had a real pressurised Test match. I thought we were in a really good position but full credit to the England bowlers who swung the ball around Border said. He added that Merv Hughes should be fit for Headingley after suffering a groin strain earlier in the match England's debutant hero Graham Thorpe collected the man of the match award for his brilliant unbeaten knock of 114. After collecting a cheque and a bottle of champagne the 23 year old left hander said: It's a dream come true. Thorpe was the first batsman since Frank Hayes in 1973 to score a century on his debut. He added: I still can't believe what has happened it's just a shame we didn't win the match. Contributed by The Management (help@*nodak.edu)