England facing uphill struggle in Perth

England were today facing a tricky 11 overs to survive before the close of the second day after Australia piled up a formidable…

England were today facing a tricky 11 overs to survive before the close of the second day after Australia piled up a formidable 271-run first-innings lead in the third Test at the WACA.

Resuming 59 adrift on 126 for two, Australia were finally dismissed for 456 in the late afternoon with Craig White claiming five for 127 - his first five-wicket Ashes haul - as injury-hit England struggled for penetration without Chris Silverwood, who was diagnosed as having torn ankle ligaments today and will not take any further part in the Test.

It left the tourists, whose previous two second-innings totals in this series have been 79 and 159, with 11 overs to try and survive unscathed before the close of another dramatic day's cricket on the fast and bouncy WACA wicket.

Australia's dominance was further underlined with their lower order contributing 140 runs for the last five wickets with Shane Warne and Brett Lee sharing a 68-run eighth-wicket partnership spanning only 10 overs.

READ MORE

Adam Gilchrist was once again the catalyst for Australia's run spree during the afternoon session, hammering 38 off only 28 balls before a contentious catch ended his display of attacking strokeplay.

Gilchrist's exciting innings, which included a six and seven other boundaries, helped Australia add 71 runs in one hour this afternoon and was only halted when he hooked Craig White to Alex Tudor in the deep who collected the catch but appeared to step on the boundary rope in the process.

Gilchrist had already started walking back to the dressing room, but was recalled by umpire Rudi Koertzen while they clarified with TV official Daryl Harper whether the catch was clean, which was confirmed and he walked off.

That drama overshadowed a gutsy innings from captain Steve Waugh, who scored a determined 53 after over two hours at the crease despite contracting a stomach illness overnight which prompted him to demote himself down the order by one place.

His stay at the crease was ended by Tudor after England took the new ball when he was bowled attempting to work the ball onto the on-side, but eighth wicket pair Shane Warne and Brett Lee increased the tourists' frustration.

Their partnership was only broken when Warne was dismissed for 36 after he failed to beat Steve Harmison's throw from long off to the non-striker's end as he attempted an ambitious third run. But then Jason Gillespie followed their lead to hit a quickfire 41 before becoming White's fifth victim to finish off the innings.

White had earlier spearheaded England's efforts in the absence of Silverwood, claiming two wickets before lunch to deny Ricky Ponting's bid to claim his third century of the series and remove brother-in-law Darren Lehmann.

Ponting had progressed to 68 including a six and 10 other boundaries when White sent the ball back into him and he chopped onto his stumps attempting to cut to earn the tourists' first breakthrough of the day in the 12th over.

His dismissal prompted the arrival Lehmann, promoted one place up the order because of Waugh's illness, who took Australia into the lead with two early boundaries, including a drive through the covers off White.

White, though, gained his revenge in the final over before lunch when Lehmann's impressive 42 was ended when he was tempted into the hook shot and picked out the safe hands of Tudor in the deep.

Damien Martyn followed 12 overs after the interval after he had compiled a careful 71 spanning over three hours at the crease when Tudor, who had replaced Harmison in the attack, found some extra lift from the lively wicket and induced an edge behind.