Cricket: Kevin Pietersen instigated a lower-order fightback by England today to limit Australia to a narrow 29-run first innings lead in the third Test.
He hit a superb 70 as England slumped into trouble on the second day having dismissed Australia for a lowly 244 yesterday at the WACA in Perth.
His defiant display, which included eight fours and a six, provided the catalyst for last-wicket pair Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar to forge a determined 40-run stand - England's best of their innings - which prevented Australia taking a more decisive lead.
Resuming on 51 for two trailing by 193 runs, England were finally dismissed for 215 but only after Harmison hit an encouraging 23 and Panesar built on his five-wicket display yesterday to score an unbeaten 16.
England's hopes of remaining competitive in this Test and the series seemed reliant on them getting past Australia's first innings total and establishing some sort of lead but were undermined by the early loss of Paul Collingwood and once again their middle order failed to offer much resistance.
This time it was the surprising figure of all-rounder Andrew Symonds, claiming two for eight in four overs of his medium pace, and put Australia into a dominant position.
Collingwood fell to the 21st delivery of the day when veteran seamer Glenn McGrath built up the pressure sufficiently to tempt him into a risky drive off the back foot which was caught in the gully.
His demise brought Pietersen to the crease and he forged a determined 27-run stand with Andrew Strauss, which gave England hope they could still claim a first innings lead.
They were parted when Strauss, who had battled for nearly two hours for his 42, was harshly dismissed by seamer Stuart Clark after he had just driven the sixth boundary of his innings.
Australia seized control shortly before lunch when captain Ricky Ponting introduced Symonds, who has been recalled to the Test side following the shock retirement of Damien Martyn last week.
Symonds struck in his third over with his first ball to former Lancashire team-mate Andrew Flintoff, who lunged forward and edged low to Shane Warne at first slip.
Geraint Jones became his second victim in Symonds' next over when he drove off the front foot straight to gully to record the first duck of his Test career and extend a miserable run of only two half-centuries in his last 26 Test innings.
Both Sajid Mahmood and Matthew Hoggard fell cheaply to leave Pietersen with Harmison and the Hampshire batsman initially attempted to farm the strike before opening out once Warne was introduced into the attack.
Warne was hit for 15 off one over, including McGrath dropping Pietersen over the rope after he had hit over the top on 53, and then hammered another drive over extra cover for six.
But Pietersen's patience finally snapped once Brett Lee was recalled to the attack and after pulling him through mid-on for his last boundary, tried to repeat the shot and holed out to Symonds at long off.
At that point Australia still held a healthy 69-run lead but it took a further nine overs before Harmison was finally caught by Lee at long on trying to hit Clark over the top. PA