Last minute luck

FOURTH DAY

To lunch: Strauss battted on for half an hour, KP reached 227, his highest Test score, and Prior, with 27 off 21 balls, played just the right innings. Australia, at their positive best too. set off as if they were chasing down a T/20 score until Swann put the brakes on: 78-0 was a good start. Kate. apparently alive again after several days of silence, texted: "These bastards are going to win! but I think not.

To tea: Katich, who has an ankle problem, got out four runs into the afternoon and after scratching around for 19 balls, Ponting was anapped up by Collingwood in the slips and Watson caught off Finn. Two successes for Swann and all's right with the world but Clarke bustled in like a general on his first grand parade, and Hussey was at his most obdurate so that tea came at 160 for three.

To close: Bad light stopped play for an hour and it looked as if England might be a wicket or two short at the end but off the last ball - bowled by K "I'm an all-rounder"P - Clarke was caught after some nonsence with "whose referral is it anyway" Australia finished on 238-4 and even Boycott thought England would win "comfortably".They get their luck when they need it, like Australia used to and Manchester United always have.

Jo King, turns Memory Girl: In 1992-3 on the ground fmmed for high scoring, Australia needed just 186 to beat West Indies - and lost by one run. To this day Craig McDermott swears the ball that go him caught behind hit his chest. The umpire was Darrell Hair. An Aussie. Well, it happened in those days but not any more and I'm throwing my vote behind Boycs abd Ted who are both English and say they are, naturally, backing the Strauss lads.