Australia emerges from crazy day with the upper hand

After three remarkable sessions of fluctuating fortunes in which 12 wickets fell and 216 runs were scored, Australia emerged with England in a headlock after day two of the second Ashes Test in Perth on Sunday.

At stumps, England reached 5-126 in their second dig, still two runs behind Australia's first innings 240. But Graeme Hick has provided the tourists with a glimmer of hope by bludgeoning 42 off 33 balls, including two towering sixes off Jason Gillespie, which in the context of the low-scoring match has been a revelation. He shared an unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 59 with the defiant Mark Ramprakash (26 off 119 balls), after England were in diabolical trouble at 5-67.

The architect of England's predicament was Damien Fleming (4-16), who routed the top order in the same he way he skittled England's lower order in their first innings of 112, when he took a career-best 5-46. The Victorian swing bowler, a controversial selection in the WACA Test ahead of Queensland's Michael Kasprowicz, continued his dream run when he dismissed Mark Butcher (1), Nasser Hussain (1), Alec Stewart (0) and Michael Atherton (35) either side of tea. England's joy at humbling Australia's lower order was shattered when Fleming took three early wickets in the middle session.

In an amazing two hours, Australia slumped from 4-194 at lunch to be all out for 240, an overall lead of 128. In reply England went to tea shell-shocked at 3-19 as nine wickets fell for 65 runs. England, buoyed by their magnificent comeback when they claimed Australia's last six wickets for just 32 runs, were set back on their heels when Fleming had Butcher caught by Ricky Ponting at third slip, Hussain trapped lbw, and Stewart and Atherton caught by Mark Taylor at first slip.

When Colin Miller chipped in to take his first Test wicket in Australia, that of John Crawley (15) who popped a catch to Justin Langer at short leg, England seemed likely to be the first side to lose a Test inside two days since Australia crushed New Zealand in Wellington in 1946-47.

Earlier, England rebounded from their first-day debacle in magnificent fashion. After resuming at 3-150, Australia crawled to 4-194 at lunch, but were skittled after the resumption by the inspired duo of debutant Alex Tudor (4-89) and Darren Gough (3-43). Tudor dismissed Steve Waugh (33), Mark Waugh (36), Ricky Ponting (11) and Glenn McGrath (0), and Gough chimed in with the wickets of Ian Healy (12) and Fleming (0) in consecutive deliveries as Australia slumped from 4-208 to be all out for 240 in the face of the second new ball.

England received their just rewards after a frustrating first session where they bowled superbly but without luck. Tudor, whose previous over cost 12 runs when Steve Waugh (33) straight drove him for three consecutive boundaries, maintained his composure to clean bowl the Australian vice-captain. He followed that next over with a superb delivery that ended Mark Waugh's (36) three-hour struggle with a catch low down to Butcher at third slip. Gough then struck, trapping Healy lbw and Fleming next ball when he edged to Hick at second slip. The Yorkshireman felt sick when he dropped a miscued Ponting hook shot at fine leg, but Tudor snared him next over when he was dubiously adjudged caught behind. McGrath was last man out when he fended Tudor meekly to Dominic Cork in the gully. The wickets were a welcome relief for the Englishmen, who had bowled exceptionally all day, but were only rewarded with the wicket of nightwatchman Gillespie (11) in the first session.