Defiant Aussies hold out

North (left) and Clarke: key partnership

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Third npower Test Match
Edgbaston - Day Five
Australia 263 (S R Watson 62, J M Anderson 5-80, G Onions 4-58) & 375-5 (M J Clarke 103 no, M J North 96, M E K Hussey 64, S R Watson 53) v England 376 (A Flintoff 74, A J Strauss 69, S C J Broad 55, I R Bell 53, B W Hilfenhaus 4-109)
England drew with Australia

Disciplined Australian batting on day five ensured that the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston drifted towards the draw that had seemed inevitable for most of the game.

Just briefly on days two and four, England had threatened to seize the rain-affected Test and grab the win that would have put them 2-0 up with two to play.

But despite a couple of wickets on the fifth morning that briefly raised the spirits of a full house in Birmingham, impressively controlled batting from Michael Clarke and Marcus North meant England laboured without success in the crucial afternoon session.

Breakthrough

With the tourists resuming on the fifth morning 25 runs adrift on 88 for two, England were chasing an early breakthrough and a subsequent collapse, but they had to wait more than an hour to claim their third wicket of the innings.

After Andrew Flintoff and Graham Onions bowled without much encouragement, it was not until James Anderson struck with his sixth ball that England managed a belated breakthrough on the final morning.

Swing bowler Anderson was brought on immediately after the drinks break and quickly had Shane Watson caught behind driving, after making an impressive half century.

Michael Hussey played fluently to hit 64 before succumbing shortly before lunch. Hussey got to his second half-century of the series but did not develop it as fully as he would have hoped, as he pushed at a delivery from around the wicket by Stuart Broad and was caught behind.

But Australia demonstrated great discipline to make the game safe after the interval, with vice-captain Clarke teaming up with left-hander North to push the total at tea onto 293 for four.

Their unbroken 132-run alliance for the fifth wicket opened up an advantage of 180, with just 33 scheduled overs remaining.

When the players returned for the final session, England were resigned to a draw and had to plod through nearly two hours of meaningless cricket to get another breakthrough.

Superb

It was almost worth waiting for, Anderson plucking a superb catch out of the air at gully, diving and one-handed, to deny North a deserved century by just four runs.

Clarke had two pieces of luck on his way to his 12th Test century. First a delivery from Stuart Broad flicked his off stump but did not dislodge the bails, then on 96 the vice-captain was caught by Anderson in the slips off a no-ball from Ravi Bopara.

He finally got into three figures with a pull for four off Bopara and that shot brought an end to what had become rather pedestrian proceedings.

So the two sides head to Headingley on Friday with the hosts one up with two to play. Any sense of lingering disappointment in the England camp at this result will be lessened by the knowledge that Australia were denied a win at Cardiff in far more promising circumstances.