Clarke keeps Aussie hopes alive

Just five wickets stand between England and a historic Ashes triumph at Lord’s, with Australia to begin the final day needing a further 209 runs for an unlikely win.

At one stage it looked as though the match would not reach a fifth day but an unbeaten 185 run partnership between Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin has kept slim hope of an Australian victory alive.

Clarke, 125 not out at the close, scored his 10th – and arguably best – Test century at a time when reaching tea with wickets in tact looked unlikely for Australia.

Under skies once again suited for swing, England’s bowlers thrived – at one point the tourists has been reduced 5-128, still almost 400 runs short of their unlikely target for victory.

England did have some luck on the way to gaining the upper hand. Simon Katich fell into the trap of driving at a full wide Flintoff delivery and was caught at gully but replays later revealed that umpire Rudi Koertzen had missed an overstep.

Hughes’ dismissal in the 10th over was also controversial: the umpires bizarrely elected not to refer a contentious Andrew Strauss catch, despite Ricky Ponting instructing Hughes to stand his ground.

Replays, just as they had been yesterday for Nathan Hauritz’s claimed catch, were inconclusive but unlike with Bopara there was no reprieve for Hughes. It left Australia reeling at 34-2, with no sign of the predicted showers intervening.

There was no doubt about Ponting’s departure, though. Having navigated Australia through to lunch safely, the Australian captain played on in the second over after the break to what seemed like a tame Broad delivery.

Hawkeye graphics suggested it was a slight variation in bounce that had fooled Ponting, continuing his poor record in Test matches at the home of cricket.

Mike Hussey could also feel aggrieved that his 63-ball vigil was ended by Graeme Swann when on 27. At first it appeared a regulation outside edge to Collingwood at slip but replays revealed a fierce amount of turn – the ball had missed the edge completely. The noise of the bat hitting the ground can’t have helped Hussey’s chances of survival.

But once England had removed five Australian batsmen, the march toward their first victory at Lord’s since 1934 hit a snag. Clarke played positively, with sparkling cuts and drives, while Haddin played support as the pair extended the match past tea – and then went on to ensure a sellout final day crowd didn’t book days off for nothing.

Either way, tomorrow will be historic. England will either break their Lord’s bad luck or be on the receiving end of the highest successful Test run chase in history. Maybe this will be another 2005 after all.