England struggling to survive
Julian Linden Reuters Brisbane, Australia
England were struggling to avoid a massive defeat in the first Ashes test with Australia on Sunday after Matthew Hayden scored his second century of the match and the touring side's normally reliable openers fell.
Set a near-impossible 464 to win after Australia declared their second innings at 296 for five, England slumped to 31 for two at tea on the fourth day.
Openers Michael Vaughan and Marcus Trescothick departed in the first two overs, giving England the worst possible start in their desperate battle for survival.
Vaughan went for a duck, trapped leg before wicket by Glenn McGrath from the third ball of the innings, and Trescothick was caught for one by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist off Jason Gillespie with the total on three.
England captain Nasser Hussain survived two confident appeals to reach the interval unbeaten on 10 with Mark Butcher not out 19.
With no team in history having successfully chased more than 406 in the fourth innings to win a test, England faced the daunting prospect of having to bat through four more sessions just to force a draw.
Their job will be made even more difficult because of the unavailability of Welsh paceman Simon Jones, who ruptured his knee ligaments while fielding on Thursday and cannot bat.
Australian captain Steve Waugh declared his team's second innings an hour after lunch with Gilchrist in full swing after making 60 not out from just 59 balls.
Hayden had already given the Australians more runs than they are likely to need after emulating Waugh to become the only two players in the last 54 years to make centuries in both innings of an Ashes test.
The left-handed opener began the day on 40 with Australia 111 for two and wasted no time adding to his already massive run tally following his 197 from the first innings.
He brought up his first 50 off 104 balls and his second in 45 deliveries with a flurry of boundaries, reaching three figures in 212 minutes with a single off all-rounder Craig White.
Hayden became only the seventh player to score two hundreds in an Ashes test and the fourth Australian, joining Warren Bardsley (1909), Arthur Morris (1946-47) and Waugh (1997) to achieve the feat.
His innings came to an abrupt end immediately after he reached three figures when he hit a return catch to left-arm spinner Ashley Giles on 103, giving Hayden a match total of exactly 300 runs.
Giles, England's best bowler in the first innings with four wickets, claimed another scalp when he removed Damien Martyn two overs later as the pitch started to turn sharply.
Martyn also started the day on 40 and was content to play the anchor role as Hayden went on his run-scoring spree, but still managed to bring up his 11th test half-century off 90 balls.
He shared a 153-run stand with Hayden for the third wicket but left just after his partner, out for 64 when Giles found the edge and Hussain held a regulation catch at slip.
Gilchrist was promoted up the order to help accelerate Australia's run-rate and signaled his intentions when he smashed Giles over his head for six off the second ball he faced.
He finished unbeaten on 60 with Darren Lehmann not out 20 after Waugh, still struggling for form, was caught by Trescothick at slip off Andy Caddick for 12.