By Rob Barnett
A fired-up Mitchell Johnson demolished England for 172 with six scintillating afternoon-session scalps, including a triple-wicket maiden, to put Australia in complete control on a hot day three at Adelaide.
Johnson’s second-best Test figures of 7-40 gave the hosts a first-innings lead of 398, despite which Michael Clarke chose not to enforce the follow-on. David Warner’s unbeaten 83 then ushered them to 132 for three at stumps, 530 ahead.
Johnson, bowling at express pace, in one over trapped Ben Stokes in front on review, had Matt Prior caught behind for nought and next delivery knocked out Stuart Broad’s leg stump.
He soon snared Graeme Swann via Clarke’s excellent slip catch and felled James Anderson’s middle stump first ball during a spell that yielded 5-2-5-16. Johnson, who bowled Alastair Cook yesterday, returned to make Monty Panesar play on.
Michael Carberry’s first Test fifty and a fluent unbeaten 72 from Ian Bell were rare positives for England today. Another was Anderson striking twice in his second over, although Warner then prospered alongside Clarke and Steven Smith.
Midway through the morning session Joe Root and Kevin Pietersen fell to ill-judged shots. Root holed out via a top-edged slog-sweep, facing spinner Nathan Lyon, shortly before Pietersen chipped to one of two midwicket fielders, off Peter Siddle.
Carberry raised a composed half-century but, after a period of runless pressure, fell to a brilliant Warner catch on the pull for 60 as Shane Watson broke through.
Match Scorecard / Live ball-by-ball commentary
Live images of day three / Follow ECB_Cricket on Twitter
Sign up for Ashes Breakfast email
BBC Radio Test Match Special live commentary
The Ashes on Sky Sports / TV highlights on Pick TV
"If you get a good delivery anyone can get out in the first 10 balls, but we have to find a way to get through that" - @Ian_Bell#Ashes
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2013
Evening Session
Watch highlights of the evening session when Australia batted again rather than make England follow on
Australia Second Innings
7.32am - STUMPS! Aus 132/3; Warner 83, Smith 21 - Panesar delivers the day’s last over after which Australia lead by a mammoth 530. England look like they will have to bat for the best part of two days to save the game.
7.24am - Warner cuts Panesar for his 10th boundary. There are two more overs left today.
7.16am - Smith, who scampered for an all-run four in the previous over, is beaten by a sharply-turning delivery from Panesar.
7.02am - Broad is back and Warner emphatically pulls him to the boundary. Warner soon greets the returning Stokes with an aerial four down the ground.
6.53am - Smith advances to Panesar and lifts him down the ground for four. In the next over Warner plays a similar shot against Anderson for three that moves Australia past 100 and their lead to 500.
The crowd at the Adelaide Oval today is 36,414 #Ashes
— Cricket Australia (@CAComms) December 7, 2013
6.43am - REVIEW! - Steven Smith cuts Anderson, who has replaced Swann, to the rope but then shoulders arms and is given out lbw. The batsman reviews and is reprieved, with the ball not coming back enough to hit off stump.
6.33am - FIFTY! Warner (79b 5x4 1x6) - The left-hander cuts Panesar to point where Kevin Pietersen’s misfield allows a four that raises Warner’s half-century. Warner similarly gets for more later in the over, this time minus a misfield.
6.27am - Warner drives a widish Panesar ball to the cover boundary, taking him to 46.
Top wicket from Monty to remove Clarke. A ray of sunshine for bleary-eyes England fans #toughday#ashes
— Chance to Shine (@Chance2Shine) December 7, 2013
6.18am - WICKET! Clarke b Panesar 22; Aus 65/3 - Panesar produces a beauty that drifts into Clarke only to turn past his outside edge and clip the top of off stump.
6.09am - With Monty Panesar introduced to make for an all-spin attack, Warner lofts Swann over the covers for four to herald a fifty partnership.
Fabulous view of new Southern Stand from the Hill at Adelaide. Scoreboard not making for fabulous reading for Poms pic.twitter.com/wjej1VgPnj
— Mark Pougatch (@markpougatch) December 7, 2013
5.55am - Warner, having taken three to fine-leg earlier in the over, slog-sweeps Swann for six to give the hosts momentum again. Clarke then pulls Stokes for four, moving his side to 51.
5.52am - Stokes and Swann combine for three consecutive runless overs. With a draw the best England can hope for, delaying Australia’s progress will help the tourists somewhat.
Mitchell Johnson's 7/40 is the 7th best bowling analysis in an Adelaide Test #ashes
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 7, 2013
5.36am - Warner advances to meet a Swann delivery on the full and place it through extra-cover for four. Stokes then bowls a maiden to Clarke.
5.27am - Broad and Anderson keep it tight ahead of Graeme Swann replacing the latter and beginning with a maiden to Warner. It’s a double bowling change with Stokes into the attack.
5.12am - Michael Clarke clips Anderson to the square-leg rope before Warner is almost run out by Ben Stokes’ athletic fielding at midwicket.
5.05am - David Warner punches Broad in front of square on the off side for four, the shot that he was out to in the first innings.
4.59am - WICKET! Watson c Carberry b Anderson 0; Aus 4/2 - Shane Watson slaps his second ball to backward point and Anderson has another scalp.
4.56am - WICKET! Rogers c Prior b Anderson 2; Aus 4/1 - After a tight Stuart Broad over, Rogers nicks Anderson behind to give England a boost.
4.45am - James Anderson starts the innings bowling to Chris Rogers, who edges just out of the reach of Ian Bell diving to his left at gully.
Follow-on NOT enforced. Australia will bat again 398 ahead #ashes
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) December 7, 2013
Afternoon Session
Watch the best of the action from an afternoon session when Mitchell Johnson skittled England for 172
England First Innings
4.25am - WICKET & ENGLAND 172 ALL OUT! Panesar b Johnson 2; Bell 72 - Johnson returns and, with his second ball, gets Panesar to play on for figures of 7-40. Will Australia force the follow-on?
4.21am - CHANCE! - Panesar edges Lyon just past a diving gulley. The number 11 has faced 33 balls and is showing courage, particularly versus the pacemen. Later in the over Bell hoists a huge maximum over long-on.
Monty cops blows to head and chest after a short-pitched barrage from Siddle but he is still in there fighting. Eng 164-9 #ashes
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) December 7, 2013
4.12am - The tea interval is delayed with England being nine wickets down.
4.06am - CHANCE! - Clarke shells Panesar at slip off Lyon, initially spilling the ball upward and being unable to take a rebound that he could not see. To be fair to Clarke, the ball may have touched Brad Haddin’s glove on the way to him.
4.04am - Lyon and Siddle deliver back-to-back maidens. England’s last-wicket stand is worth 26.
3.51am - FIFTY! Bell (74b 7x4 2x6) - Bell goes to a fluent half-century with a back-foot cut for four and immediately gets two more boundaries, one either side of the wicket. He ends the over with a six to cover.
3.48am - REVIEW! - Australia check Harris’ leg-before shout against Bell but the ball was just going over off stump. The hosts have no more reviews until the 80th over, in the unlikely event of the innings lasting that long.
3.42am - Peter Siddle takes over from Johnson, whose spell yielded figures of 5-2-5-16.
3.39am - Bell guides Johnson safely over the slips for four before Panesar plays out a maiden to Harris.
3.32am - Monty Panesar survives the second half of Ryan Harris’ over before Bell chips the hat-trick ball just short of Chris Rogers at extra-cover.
Johnson now has 50 wickets against England at average of 26. At start of series his average v England was 34 #ashes
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 7, 2013
3.24am - WICKET! Anderson b Johnson 0; Eng 135/9 - This is astonishing from Johnson, who knocks out James Anderson’s middle stump first ball. Again, he will be on a hat-trick at the start of his next over.
3.22am - WICKET! Swann c Clarke b Johnson 7; Eng 135/8 - Swann drives on the up and Michael Clarke dives high to his right to take an excellent slip catch. Johnson has a fantastic five-for.
Mitchell Johnson moves into the top 10 of Australian Test wicket takers with 218 ahead of Clarrie Grimmett #ashes
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 7, 2013
3.16am - Bell picks up his second four in two overs, a cover drive off Lyon following an upper cut against Johnson.
3.10am - Graeme Swann gets off the mark from the last ball of Lyon’s over with a sweep for one, meaning he will face the hat-trick ball. He chips it for three through a vacant midwicket.
It's all about Mitch - again! #Ashes#uniteAuspic.twitter.com/UClzYtstTt
— CA Digital Media (@CricketAus) December 7, 2013
3.03am - WICKET! Broad b Johnson 0; Eng 117/7 - After a delay to fix the sightscreen, Johnson completes a triple-wicket maiden when Stuart Broad walks across his stumps and loses his leg pole to go for a golden duck. Johnson will be on a hat-trick at the start of the next over.
2.56am - WICKET! Prior c Haddin b Johnson 0; Eng 117/6 - Matt Prior faces two vicious bouncers from Johnson immediately before edging a full ball behind. England are in big trouble here.
2.52am - WICKET! Stokes lbw Johnson 1; Eng 117/5 - Australia review after Marais Erasmus gives Stokes not out from Johnson’s lbw appeal. Erasmus thought the left-hander got an inside edge and gave runs rather than leg-byes as a wild throw went over the rope. However, replays showed no bat on a ball that was heading for leg stump.
2.48am - Ben Stokes has his first Test run, driving Nathan Lyon to mid-off and scampering a single just before Ryan Harris’ throw misses the non-striker’s stumps.
2.42am - Mitchell Johnson starts the afternoon session with a maiden to Ian Bell.
Dominic Sibley on England's build-up for the U19 World Cup with their first game of a Tri-series in the UAE http://t.co/fp1Rs859y7#cricket
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2013
The #TwelfieSelfie winner from the first Test had a very special guest join him for the first session - @Hoggy602! pic.twitter.com/EFqwPx2yet
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2013
Morning Session
Watch highlights of the morning session when Michael Carberry scored his first Test fifty
2.02am - LUNCH! Eng 116/4; Bell 29, Stokes 0 - Ben Stokes, in his first Test knock, plays out a maiden to Lyon in the over before lunch. Again, it’s been Australia’s session with England 454 behind.
Interested to see how Stokes shapes up. Huge challenge for him but the England management believe he is the sort who will respond positively
— John Etheridge (@JohnSunCricket) December 7, 2013
1.57am - Johnson, having replaced Harris, ends the scoreless sequence with an off-side wide, after which Bell edges off the back foot over gully for four.
1.52am - WICKET! Carberry c Warner b Watson 60; Eng 111/4 - David Warner holds a stunning catch, diving to his left at forward square-leg as Carberry falls via a full-blooded pull. That completes a wicket-maiden for Watson, making five maidens in a row. Carberry batted well for his maiden Test half-century.
1.48am - Bell takes a Harris bouncer on the chest, having done well to get his bat out of the way, in a fourth consecutive runless over.
1.40am - Harris helps to regain some control with a scoreless set of six to Bell. Watson makes it three maidens in a row.
1.29am - Bell leans into a cover-driven four off Harris, who has replaced Siddle. Shane Watson then enters the attack and starts with a maiden to Carberry.
1.21am - Carberry hits Siddle for two fours in three balls with drives through the off side, the first moving the tourists to 100.
Well done Carberry - under pressure after that Haddin drop, but he's played Lyon with real skill, especially since it's turning...
— Lawrence Booth (@the_topspin) December 7, 2013
1.16am - FIFTY! Carberry - Carberry cuts Lyon to the boundary for four and repeats the shot for a single to a sweeper, raising his first Test half-century. Bell mimics his earlier maximum, albeit hitting a little straighter, later in the over.
1.13am - Bell is intent on playing his shots, this time whipping Siddle for four through midwicket.
1.08am - Ian Bell, who got off the mark with two through cover off Siddle, advances to Lyon and beautifully launches six over mid-off.
Peter Siddle has now dismissed Kevin Pietersen 8 times. More than any bowler. KP's average against Siddle is 19.8 #ashes
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 7, 2013
12.59am - WICKET! Pietersen c Bailey b Siddle 4; Eng 66/3 - Pietersen falls to Australia’s plan by picking out George Bailey, one of two midwicket fielders, who juggles a sharp catch.
12.55am - Carberry powerfully cuts a Lyon long-hop for four.
12.52am - REVIEW! - Australia lose one of two reviews when wicketkeeper Brad Haddin appeals for caught behind off Siddle. HotSpot shows no contact as Pietersen played with a dead bat. Next ball Pietersen is off the mark with two safely through the slip cordon.
12.48am - With Kevin Pietersen at the crease, Peter Siddle takes over from Johnson before Lyon delivers a maiden to Carberry.
In his last 2 matches in Adelaide Kevin Pietersen has scored 158 and 227. #ashes
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 7, 2013
12.38am - WICKET! Root c Rogers b Lyon 15; Eng 57/2 - Carberry leans into a sweet cover-driven four off Lyon, who later in the over has Root caught at deep square-leg via the right-hander’s top-edged sweep. That’s a real shame as Root and Carberry were looking comfortable.
12.31am - Root cover-drives a wide Johnson half-volley for the day’s opening boundary. Later in the over Carberry clips a leg-side ball to the backward square-leg rope, taking England to 51.
12.26am - Johnson sends down his second maiden in a row to Root, including coming round the wicket. Spinner Nathan Lyon replaces Harris, whose fitness issues mean Michael Clarke is likely to limit him to short spells.
It’s #TwelfieSelfie time again! How are you showing your support for England as you watch/listen through the night? #Ashes
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 7, 2013
12.17am - Johnson keeps it tight with a maiden to Root, who like Carberry is looking solid on a still-flat surface. Carberry then opens the face for two off Harris, his first runs on day three.
That was the first run Ryan Harris has conceded since his second ball. 36 dot balls #ashes
— BBC TMS (@bbctms) December 7, 2013
12.08am - Mitchell Johnson partners Harris and delivers a runless over to Michael Carberry. Root gets the day’s first run with one to leg off Harris.
12am - Ryan Harris starts the day bowling to Joe Root, who plays out a maiden.
Pre-Play News
11.58pm - The players are on their way to the middle in bright sunshine. We will be under way shortly.
11.50pm - Being the end of the working week for many in the UK, it’s likely there’ll be more of you than in the previous two nights staying up to follow the action. Even if you’re watching and/or listening to other coverage, keep checking back here for updates, images, tweets and highlights.
After finishing in the nets Cook signs autographs for the waiting fans #Ashespic.twitter.com/DnHkjialWT
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013
11.40pm - With England trailing 1-0 in the five-game series, they need a strong batting display today. They can take heart from having made high first-innings scores in their last two Tests at the Adelaide Oval, Kevin Pietersen hitting big hundreds on each occasion.
11.30pm - Good evening/afternoon/morning, depending on where you are, and welcome to ecb.co.uk’s live text commentary on day three of the second Ashes Test at Adelaide. England are set to resume in half an hour on 35 for one in reply to Australia’s 570 for nine declared. Michael Carberry has 20 and Joe Root nine.
"Still looks a really good deck" says Belly. England will have to bat long though #ashespic.twitter.com/EYMP4qK4Lx
— England Cricket (@ECB_cricket) December 6, 2013