Australia will begin the final day of the second Ashes Test against England on 313-5 having been set 522 for victory at Lord's.
Clarke and Haddin share record stand after Aussies slip to 128-5
Second npower Test Match
Lord's - Day Four
England 425 (A J Strauss 161, A N Cook 95, B W Hilfenhaus 4-103) & 311-6 dec (M J Prior 61, P D Collingwood 54) v Australia 215 (M E K Hussey 51, J M Anderson 4-55) & 313-5 (M J Clarke 125 no, B J Haddin 80 no)
The second Ashes Test looks set for a thrilling final day after Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin held up England's victory charge at Lord's.
The duo shared an unbroken stand of 185 to help Australia recover from 128-5 to 313-5 having been set the small matter of 522 for victory.
Vice-captain Clarke finished an absorbing Sunday's play on 125 not out, his maiden Test ton on English soil, while Haddin had 80 to his name.
Record partnership
Their partnership, a record for Australia's sixth wicket against England at the venue, means all three results still remain serious possibilities.
An Australian win had looked completely out of the question midway through the afternoon after England had decided against coming out to continue their second innings, declaring on their overnight total of 311-6.
Left needing to create history in pursuit of a mammoth target with two days to go, Australia had only chalked up 17 runs before they lost their opening wicket.
Simon Katich's attempted drive off Andrew Flintoff only presented Kevin Pietersen with a head-high chance at gully, though replays showed that umpire Rudi Koertzen had failed to spot the bowler over-stepping at the point of delivery.
England were given another boost by the umpires when Koertzen's colleague Billy Doctrove ruled that an edge from Phil Hughes' bat had carried to first slip.
Andrew Strauss dived forward and immediately claimed the catch which the two officials eventually awarded without consulting with third umpire Nigel Llong, who would have had the added advantage of using television footage.
There was no doubt about the dismissal of Ricky Ponting, the Australian captain chopping on a Stuart Broad delivery to depart for 38.
Michael Hussey will certainly feel aggrieved at the end of his innings, though, as he was given out caught at slip attempting a drive off Graeme Swann. It transpired that the left-hander had not made contact with his bat at all, the ball simply turning sharply out of a foothole straight to Paul Collingwood.
Day off
When Marcus North was bowled by Swann for six, England may have had hopes of wrapping things up quickly and getting an extra day off.
Instead Clarke and Haddin not only held them at bay but counter-attacked with such style that Strauss at one point had to call a mid-pitch team meeting.
The team talk, along with the second new ball, did not make any difference to the two batsmen though, as they continued to pick up runs at ease.
In the end it was England who were grateful at the decision to accept the offer of bad light, giving their bowlers some respite to return on Monday morning and try and finish off the job they had only half done.
