Close England 158 for 1 (Trescothick 63*, Butcher 51*) trail Australia 492 (Hayden 197, Ponting 123, Warne 57, Giles 4-101) by 334 runs
Scorecard

Just as the Australian public were readying the rotten eggs, England gave them the contest they craved. In every conceivable way, this was England's day. Australia made 128 for 8, England 158 for 1. The roles were reversed to the extent that Australia even missed three presentable chances in the field. What a difference a day makes.

Australia resumed on 364 for 2, but England bowled with real discipline and purpose to restrict them to 492. Then the top three cemented an emphatic comeback, with Marcus Trescothick passing fifty for the sixth time in his last seven Test innings. He finished on 63 not out, having added 106 for the second wicket with Mark Butcher (51 not out).

England's vigorous intent was clear from the second over of the day, when Matthew Hoggard angrily blocked a straight-drive and hurled the ball back at Matthew Hayden's leg. In the next over, Hayden fell three runs short of his second Test double-century, strangled down the leg side as he gloved an attempted pull off Andy Caddick (378 for 3).

With England granted the luxury of bowling to two right-handers for the first time in the match, they bored the Australians into submission with some familiar off-theory stuff. No runs had been scored off the bat for 36 balls when Damien Martyn drove lazily at Craig White and edged to first slip, where Trescothick clutched it at the second attempt (399 for 4). Martyn's 26 came off 100 balls, and represented an unconvincing start to his new life as a No. 4.

Next to go was Steve Waugh, whose ugly 71-minute 7 ended when he fended a short one from Caddick round the corner to John Crawley at short leg-gully (408 for 5). Then Adam Gilchrist went for a second-ball duck, slashing White to gully (415 for 6). That's 56 runs in four innings for Gilchrist, as close as he's been to a lean period.

Gilchrist was one of four men in Australia's bottom five who failed to score, but Shane Warne ignored the ducks around him to flap 57 off 65 balls, his highest score against England. It's been well-documented that Warne likes bowling at Brisbane. He likes batting here too: that's his third half-century in nine Test innings, on a ground where he averages 36.

The newfangled diet clearly hasn't taken any meat out of Warne's strokeplay. He rode his luck at times - Caddick was convinced he had him caught behind for 1 - but his 48-ball fifty briefly changed the mood of a day that was otherwise all England.

Warne added 63 for the seventh wicket with Darren Lehmann, who played within himself for 30 before driving Ashley Giles straight to Mark Butcher at short extra cover. Giles bagged Andy Bichel and Glenn McGrath to end with 4 for 101, while Warne hooked Caddick to fine leg. Caddick was the pick of England's attack today, with 3 for 37 from 16 splendid overs.

When England's innings began, all eyes were on the heavyweight clash between Michael Vaughan and Glenn McGrath. Vaughan landed some classy early blows, pulling, driving and cutting 21 off two overs before tea. After the interval however, McGrath had his revenge.

Vaughan drove at an offcutter with one hand coming off the bat, and Steve Bucknor gave him out caught behind off the inside edge, though the replays were inconclusive (49 for 1). Either way, McGrath had his man, just as he said he would. It is too early to say that The Nemesis has a new bunny - Vaughan played very, very well - but it was an ominous sight for England fans nonetheless. Vaughan's 33, a refreshing and impudent innings, came off only 36 balls.

Trescothick laboured early on, and was dropped on 2 by Martyn at third slip off McGrath, but he worked himself into form and carted Warne for a big six over long-on. Butcher was missed by a diving Hayden in the gully on 14, and by Gilchrist on 30, a straightforward stumping chance off Warne.

Australia weren't helped by Jason Gillespie bowling only three overs out of 47, apparently hampered by the calf injury that made him a doubt for this match. And apart from the wicket of Vaughan, McGrath was badly out of sorts. Bichel hurried the batsmen, but Warne was the pick of the bowlers, although even he took some tap: Butcher swiped, drove and push-drove him for three consecutive boundaries in his tenth over.

Waugh was reduced to bringing himself on for only the second time in 24 Tests and Bichel even tried sticking his tongue out in his run-up, but Trescothick and Butcher were unfazed.

This was a very good day at the office for England, three sessions of dominance that seemed inconceivable 24 hours ago. But Australia are still 335 ahead and the cracks are widening. They are the only side who can win this match, but at least England have given themselves a chance of saving it.

Rob Smyth is assistant editor of Wisden.com.

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