I think the average first innings score at the WACA in Tests over the last ten years is around 330; significantly lower than at any other Australia Test ground.

Hussey & Haddin dig the Aussies out of a hole yet again. Finn a bit expensive again, but he's just taken teh wicket of Johnson for 62. Tremlett made an instant impact and took three wickets at not much more than two runs an over. My main nagging doubt right now is that Johnson making runs with the bat might raise his confidence and give him a boost when he comes to bowl. On the whole though it looks like we're carrying on where we left off at Adelaide.

I thought the same regarding Johnson, it wil definately help his bowling. Over 250 now, I think the aussies will think they are not to far away from par here. We have let them off the hook I feel and should we lose a few early wickets then they will be in front. Lest not forget they have 5 seamers too to share the work around, think this Test is very much in the balance now.

Vaughan said he felt the pitch looked a belter from lunch onwards and that the grass from the morning session was just about burned away.

268 all out. After having them at 201/8 it looks like they got 40-50 more than they ought to have done.

Twelve overs for us to bat this evening I reckon. I hope Strauss doesn't continue his recent habit of leaving the ball around the top of off stump!

268ao

I hope the England batsmen can stem the flow of optimism that might be with the aussies after the tailenders fightback. We can't afford to lose early wickets now.

Johnson & Siddle made batting look quite easy. Survive the new ball and fill yer boots?

I suppose when the tail wags like that, it's best to ask yourself 'would we have been happy with them all out for 268 at the end of day 1?' My initial thought would be yes, so it's a good day for England

29/0 at stumps from twelve overs. Solid start and a good opportunity to press ahead tomorrow.

totally agree.

Agree also that Engalnd would have taken this at the start of play.

Strauss took a calculated risk in putting the Aussies in and it worked a treat - should have been tighter in the afternoon (my fault - i got up at lunch to listen!) but will still take that score given the form of England's batsmen.

Should get a good lead and be forcing the Aussies to have to score big to stay in the game - big thing (and possibly why Strauss decided to bowl) is that the Aussies don't have a spinner for the last innings. Keep them out early tomorrow, and England could bat well into day 3 with the Aussies losing all confidence. You get the feeling that if they don't get anything in the first hour, they could fall apart.

I think so too. My logic is that if you choose to bowl first in a five day Test Match with a clear weather forecast you expect to be batting yourself before the end of the first day, and that is what happened. The fact that they put on 199 for the last five wickets encourages me to think we'll have the best of the batting conditions on days 2 & 3, hopefully with another big score from KP to go with Tremlett's impressive comeback. (Get a couple of Surrey players into the side and suddenly everything starts looking up!)