Australia face key third day to get control in Adelaide

Australia exerted their dominance and showed their class during the course of the second day of second Ashes Test at Adelaide Oval.

Earlier in the day the bowlers wrapped up the six remaining batmen for 47 runs leaving England decimated at 342. The batsmen then took charge of the game, carving out milestones for themselves and a path to a controlling position of two for 247 at stumps.

Starting the day at four for 295, England soon found themselves in a compromising position. Jason Gillespie (four for 78) soon had danger man Mark Butcher (22) out caught behind waving his bat outside off stump with no real attempt to play a shot.

All-rounder Craig White (1) joined wicketkeeper-batsman, Alec Stewart (29) at the crease and attempted to resurrect England's innings. Gillespie, bowling superbly, had other plans and set White up beautifully. He pitched five deliveries in the danger zone, making White think seriously about them and then offered him a reliever, a short one. White did not quite get onto the hook and put it down Andrew Bichel's throat.

Richard Dawson (6) briefly stayed at the crease pushing defensively at balls, until Shane Warne (four for 93) trapped him leg before wicket with a delivery that was quicker and skidded into his back pad. Going back for a cut shot, the 22-year-old left was stranded right in front of middle and leg.

Warne, back to his potential best, then bowled Andrew Caddick around his legs. Hitting the rough outside leg stump, the ball jagged back hitting middle and off. Caddick lasted only four balls and did not add to the total.

Warne bowled some beautiful deliveries and even attempted the flipper of old. In his spell today, he took two for five suggesting there was something in the pitch for him.

Stewart, rapidly running out of partners, decided to up the tempo and hit the first boundary of the morning 20 minutes before lunch. But he was caught moving late and Gillespie trapped him back on the stumps, leg before wicket.

The hometown hero wrapped up the innings taking the final wicket of Matthew Hoggard (6). The paceman snicked the ball and Adam Gilchrist did the rest.

After lunch, Matthew Hayden (46) and Justin Langer (48) came out and hit quick runs. The pair made 101, establishing their seventh partnership of more than 100 runs in 23 matches. The two left-handers created a platform for the Australian chase as if they were wearing colours rather than whites.

England paid the price for dropping Hayden twiceonce on 22, the other on 24. But Caddick (none for 61) did not grass the third chance after Hayden attempted to hit White (one for 38) down the ground only to sky the ball and get caught.

Langer went 13 runs later when he nicked a ball back to Stewart off Dawson (one for 63). Replays suggested Langer did not hit the ball but umpire Steve Bucknor put his finger up and sent the 32-year-old on his way.

Ricky Ponting (83 not out) and Damien Martyn (48 not out) steadied the Australian innings playing sensible cricket. The two rotated the strike and managed to find gaps for the occasional four.

Ponting marked the innings by attaining his 4000th Test run from 61 matches.

Steve Harmison (none for 45), White and Dawson all bowled particularly well yet received nothing much for their toil.

Tomorrow, the pitch should prove to be the decider. After two days it is already showing evidence of uneven bounce making it uncomfortable to bat on. England though must take wickets as the batting potential of Australia is enormous and their bowling attack may well devastate the batting order at their second attempt.