England still trailing on 3rd day of the fifth Test
By Vic Mills
NOTTINGHAM, England (JP): Having had a modest match by their standards at Headingley, Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath returned to form on the third day of the fifth Test on Saturday at Trent Bridge to bowl Australia to a first innings lead of 114.
At stumps, the tourists had reached 167 for four, an overall lead of 281.
Just four runs had been added to England's overnight score of 188 for four when Graham Thorpe was dropped in the gully by Steve Waugh off Glenn McGrath. The reprieve worked to focus the Surrey pair as they began to work the ball into the gaps.
An extra cover drive for four off Warne set Adam Hollioake on his way and brought up the England 200. The more circumspect Thorpe eased his nerves with a pull for four off McGrath and followed it with an off drive to reach a half-century in 103 balls with six fours.
Tension among the home supporters eased slightly as England passed the follow-on target after adding 45 in the first hour. Hollioake brought the capacity crowd to life shortly after with a pull for six off Reiffel to register the hundred partnership for the fifth wicket.
But joy turned to misery two balls later as Hollioake (45) pushed firmly at a delivery from Reiffel and Mark Taylor took a splendid diving catch at first slip.
Worse was to follow as, without addition to the score, a delivery from Warne bounced, struck Thorpe (53) on the glove, and carried to Greg Blewett at short leg. It had taken just four balls to undo the hard work of the morning and leave England precariously placed on 243 for six.
The dismissal of Thorpe brought Ben Hollioake, 19 years, England's youngest Test player for 50 years, to the crease. The young man announced his arrival with a perfectly timed four through mid wicket off Reiffel.
Taylor turned to the second new ball immediately after Robert Croft had hit Warne for a straight six and then carved him square for four. The England pair survived until the last over before lunch when Croft (18) popped a regulation catch to Blewett at short leg off McGrath to leave England 272 for seven.
Hollioake (28) hit out belligerently after lunch to take 14 off Reiffel's first over. The cameo was over all too quickly, however, when he edged a back-foot drive tamely to Mark Waugh at second slip. A second wicket fell with the score on 290 when Caddick (0) was caught behind by Healy off McGrath.
A flurry of rustic boundaries from the last pair took England to 313 before McGrath bowled Devon Malcolm (12) leaving Dean Headley (4) unbeaten and Australia with a first innings lead of 114.
In a swift and decisive return to form, McGrath (4 for 71) and Warne (4 for 86) had made full use of the extra bounce in the pitch. The task for Australia from then was simply to bat England out of contention and then look to again unleash their two premier bowlers.
Matthew Elliot (37) took the attack to England on the restart, hitting seven boundaries, before, with the score on 51, his flat hook shot off Caddick was sensationally caught low down by John Crawley diving full-length at deep backward square. At tea, Australia were 56 for one.
England staged a spirited fight back after the break taking three wickets for 111. A miscued pull off Ben Hollioake accounted for Mark Taylor (45); a faint inside-edge was not enough to prevent Mark Waugh (7) being adjudged leg before to Headley; and Greg Blewett (60) gloved a catch to Alec Stewart off Caddick after appearing set for the first hundred of the match.
No side has ever scored 300 or more to win a Test match at Trent Bridge. At the close, with Steve Waugh (10) and Ricky Ponting (5) at the crease, Australia had taken their overall lead to 281.