Rattled Australia on the ropes

If there was any doubt about the balance in power in this Ashes series, it was dispelled on the fourth day at Edgbaston.

We have grown accustomed to bowlers sledging batsmen. Any self-respecting seamer knows how to follow a bouncer with a few well-chosen words.

What we see less often is batsmen sledging bowlers. Particularly tail-enders sledging fast bowlers.

So when Graeme Swann, the batsman on strike, accompanied Mitchell Johnson right back to the umpire to deliver his opinion on the Australian’s performance, the message was clear: England are not only no longer intimidated by this Australian team; they feel they can be intimidated.

Nor was Swann alone. In the course of recording his fourth Test half-century, Stuart Broad also delivered some telling blows – both with the bat and with his mouth – as England’s lower-order seized the momentum in this Test and earned their side a great opportunity to go two up in the series. Australia resume on day five trailing by 25 and looking increasingly timid. They may have to bat for more than two-thirds of the allotted 98 overs if they are to save this game.

Words are all very well, of course. It’s actions that count. And, by rescuing England from a precarious position just after lunch, England’s lower order produced a telling performance. From the depths of 168 for five, England’s last five wickets added 208 runs in just 37 overs to seize the momentum.

But it was the manner of the batting that was most heartening. Inspired by Flintoff, England’s lower order took the attack to the Australian bowlers in an almost disrespectful fashion. Broad (55 from 64 balls), finally making a contribution in the series, drove and pulled in fine style, while Swann (24 from 20 balls) relished the challenge with another ebullient innings.

At one stage, Siddle was bowling to Broad – England’s number eight, remember – with eight fielders on the boundary. No opening bowler can feel comfortable with that.

Flintoff (74 from 79 balls; ten fours and a six) was at the heart of the performance, however. Scoring just his second Test half-century in his last 19 Test innings – and his highest score since the last Ashes series in 2006-07 – Flintoff produced a cheering reminder of the batsman he once might have been.

It wasn’t quite classic Flintoff, but for a man clearly struggling for mobility, it was a rousing effort. He heaved one six over long-on off Hauritz and, after a watchful start, unleashed a series of those booming drives that typify his best batting.

Australia will reflect that they made life too comfortable for him, however. With Hilfenhaus exhausted after a draining 14-over spell and Johnson rested after finally dismissing Ian Bell, Flintoff was able to settle in against the inconsistent Siddle and the friendly Watson (three overs for 23).

The Australians had started well. Andrew Strauss had departed early, attempting to cut one too close to his body, before Paul Collingwood’s footless drive helped an outswinger to slip.

Bell failed to shine, either, in an inning that failed to prove anything either way about his international credentials. After enjoying a good deal of fortune, he passed 50 for the 28th time in his career only to play across a straight one straight afterwards. In truth, he had been lucky not to be dismissed in such fashion on several occasions.

Flintoff and a typically positive Matt Prior (41 from 59 balls) added 89 for the sixth-wicket to arrest the slide, however. Feasting on the regular poor balls, the lower order established a first innings lead of 113.

The worry for Australia is that these things are becoming typical. This was the fourth time in five innings in the series in which England have scored at more than four an over, while it was also the fourth time in five innings that England’s sixth-wicket pair have posted a stand in excess of 50. They are stats that speak volumes about Australia’s bowling.

When they come to make DVDs of the Ashes summer of 2009, I suspect Flintoff’s image will appear on the cover. But Swann’s impact on this series has been almost as dramatic. After dismissing Michael Clarke at Lord’s with a beautifully flighted off-break, he removed Ricky Ponting here with an even finer delivery. Drawing the batsman – one of the world’s best batsmen – into a drive, Swann then spun the ball sharply between Ponting’s bat and pad to hit the middle stump. It was high-quality bowling.

Onions had already lured Katich into pushing at one angled across him, before Hussey and Watson resisted through the final 13 overs of the day. Batting was not comfortable, but with Flintoff again lacking rhythm and Anderson unable to find the devastating swing of the first innings, England looked overly reliant on Onions and Swann.

Australia may yet escape with a draw. But, since the final day in Cardiff, there has been an enormous shift in the balance of power between these two teams. After the drama of previous games on this ground, few would deny that the final day of this match could be a classic.