Clarke and North put Australia safe

After a rain-affected draw at Edgbaston, in which England's push for victory fell flat, the question now stands: who takes the momentum into Headingley?

Flintoff's fitness under the spotlight again

As Australia's batsmen rumbled onwards against a toothless, swing-less attack, the state of Andrew Flintoff's fitness became a significant cause for concern

Third Test, day 5

Featuring Cricinfo's deputy editor Alex Brown, UK editor Andrew Miller and Australasia editor Peter English

Ponting says Australia have turned the corner

A bullish Ricky Ponting believes enough positives were drawn from the third Test to suggest his side had finally turned the corner

A slip, a drop and a blinder

The plays of the day from the final day at Edgbaston as Australia easily secured a draw

Johnson comes out of his shell

Mitchell Johnson delivered on a promise to team-mates to "puff my chest out" against England on Sunday despite his series-long struggles with the ball

Australia's new working-class hero

Michael Clarke, the flashy millionaire who grew up playing all the shots, fine-tuned his working-class values to secure a relieving draw for Australia

Aggressive England open up victory chance

Two wickets in the final session backed up positive half centuries from Andrew Flintoff and Stuart Broad to give England the chance to push for victory on the final day at Edgbaston

Hilfenhaus finds swing, Johnson loses cool

Operating like a swing man should, Ben Hilfenhaus created severe doubt with most deliveries due to varied amounts of curve

Third Test, day 4

Featuring Cricinfo's deputy editor Alex Brown, UK editor Andrew Miller and Australasia editor Peter English

Rain washes out third day's play

Despite the valiant efforts of the head groundsman Steve Rouse and his staff, rain forced the abandonment of the third day's play at Edgbaston

Flaring tempers, and Ponting's offspin bogey

Plays of the day from the third day of the Edgbaston Test between England and Australia

Lee eyeing Headingley comeback

Australia's bowling stocks could receive a much-needed boost with Brett Lee eyeing a return in next week's fourth Test following a rib injury

Watson wants to cement opening role

Shane Watson has already started thinking about being more alert at the beginning of an innings after his promising debut as a Test opener was ended by a first-ball dismissal on the second day

Flower remains optimistic about win

The coach Andy Flower believes England still have a chance of taking a 2-0 Ashes lead despite the third day being washed out at Edgbaston

England's attack capable of victory, says Flintoff

For a man quite literally on his last leg, Andrew Flintoff is doing a mighty fine job of staving off the reports of his imminent demise

Strauss guides dominant England

Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell built on the outstanding bowling of James Anderson and Graham Onions as the home built a strong position

The perfect start

Plays of the day from the second day of the Edgbaston Test between England and Australia

Anderson swings into eminence

By picking up his first five-wicket haul against Australia, James Anderson has the opportunity to erase his awkward past and stride forward with confidence

Record broken, Ponting focuses on the job ahead

Ricky Ponting climbed to the summit of Australia's run list but refused to enjoy the view until after the third Test.

Records mean little to Ponting

Ricky Ponting has become Australia's leading Test run-scorer after passing Allan Border's mark of 11,174 during the third Test at Edgbaston

Ponting passes Border as Australia's top run-scorer

Ricky Ponting has become Australia's leading Test run-scorer after passing Allan Border's mark of 11,174 during the third Test at Edgbaston

Flintoff, splint-off, not a toff

The results of our Andrew Flintoff limerick competition

Third Test, Day 2

Featuring Cricinfo's deputy editor Alex Brown, UK editor Andrew Miller and Australasia editor Peter English

Australia were outswung and outplayed

Australian bowlers search for seam movement and variation in bounce instead of swerve in the air. When it comes to swinging the ball they are always behind

Watson shines as make-shift opener

Australia's batsmen refused to suffer further from the team's Edgbaston curse as they raced to 126 for 1 on a first day significantly curtailed by rain

The Watson gamble pays off

Shane Watson entered the Edgbaston Test having never batted higher than No. 6, and with single-digit totals in each of his last four innings

Haddin out with broken finger

Australia were dealt a major blow just moments before the scheduled start of play with Brad Haddin forced out of the side with a suspected broken finger and Graham Manou called in for his Test debut

Hughes needs to work at his game - Nielsen

England aim to regroup overnight

A day that began with the threat of a total washout finished with England wishing the rain had continued to fall

Third Test, Day 1

Featuring Cricinfo's deputy editor Alex Brown, UK editor Andrew Miller and Australasia editor Peter English

An 11th hour injury

Plays of the day from the first day of the Edgbaston Test between England and Australia

Prolific and consistent against allcomers

Considering how consistently prolific Ricky Ponting has been, it was only a matter of time before he became Australia's leading run-getter

Hughes confirms axing on Twitter

Australia's struggling opener, Phillip Hughes, has been dropped to make way for Shane Watson

North aims for consistency

Marcus North wants his vital 96 on the final day at Edgbaston to be the innings that kick-starts a run of consistency and eliminates all doubt over his position at No. 6

Twittering cricketers

Phillip Hughes became the first player to "tweet" his own axing from the team

Are you England in disguise?

The 2009 Aussies have not just been a pale shadow of their brilliant predecessors - they're so pale, they have a distinctly Pommie tinge

Race against time for opening day

Several members of Edgbaston's groundstaff will work on the water-logged outfield through the night, but have privately conceded there is little chance of play on Thursday

Australia have lost aura - Strauss

England are praying Andrew Flintoff's knee suffers no lingering effects from his first bowl with the side since steering them to a mood-changing victory at Lord's last week

England's favourite venue

Stats preview to the third Ashes Test at Edgbaston

Ponting looking beyond Border's record

Ricky Ponting is 25 runs from becoming Australia's leading scorer and the third most prolific in Tests, but he has greater team pursuits to achieve this week in Birmingham

Wayward Johnson poses dilemma

Mitchell Johnson will get a chance to re-group and toughen up away from international glare if he is dropped

Australia face difficult task forcing a result

Weather and pitch conditions could conspire against the Australians in their quest for a series-levelling victory at Edgbaston

Edgbaston 2005, and a revised prediction for 2009

My original prediction was 2-1 to England, but I think I've got to change that now because I don't think there will be two more results

Edgbaston curator predicts bowlers' graveyard

Steve Rouse, the Edgbaston groundsman, believes England should resist the temptation to call in Steve Harmison for the third Test on a wicket he predicts will be flat and sluggish

Strauss confirms Bell will bat at No. 4

Andrew Strauss expects Andrew Flintoff to be fit for the third Ashes Test against Australia at Edgbaston on Thursday, and has confirmed that Ian Bell will bat at No.4 in place of the injured Kevin Pietersen

Strauss wary of Australia backlash

Habits of a lifetime are difficult to change for Andrew Strauss, who despite England's strong Ashes position believes it's too dangerous to glance ahead

Anderson backs Johnson to shine again

James Anderson, the spearhead of the England attack, expressed supreme confidence that Mitchell Johnson would not only play in the third Test, but emerge from his extended form slump to again trouble England's batsmen

Weather adds to Australia's problems

England 1-0 up, Australia facing a selection conundrum, key injuries to both sides