Hussain pulls England back from the abyss

After the shambles of day one, England looked to be heading to oblivion following Damien Martyn's superb century in the fourth Test here yesterday. Yet, as often happens when England approach the abyss, something stirred, and by bowling Australia out after lunch and then batting with resolve until the close, their worst day of the series was followed by their best.

The return of their captain, Nasser Hussain, has helped them. Hussain, in only his third Test of the summer, batted as if his battered fingers were welded to the bat. Once he had found his bearings and reminded himself that shots were still allowed, he weighed in with some blistering pull shots to the midwicket boundary.

Hussain is a determined cove and, just as Australia were scenting blood, he and Mark Butcher kept the scavenging hordes at bay. When bad light stopped play two overs early, both were close to their half-centuries. If they can extend their valuable partnership today and ensure England – still 90 runs short – avoid the follow-on, this match may yet go into a fourth day, a first for this series.

Australia's total of 447 was their lowest at this ground since 1985. But when Glenn McGrath and Co are running in at you with 5-0 imprinted on their brain stems, it is big enough.

As with Ricky Ponting the previous day, controversy played a part. Marcus Trescothick was on four when he edged McGrath low to Mark Waugh at second slip. Waugh is arguably the greatest slip catcher of all time and the ball appeared to carry: just. Trescothick thought otherwise and once the decision had been referred to the television umpire, he was given the benefit of the doubt. Trescothick then celebrated by on-driving McGrath twice for four.

With no clear horizon to judge the carry, third umpires can do little else. Television cameras foreshorten everything. To add to the confusion, one angle looked out while another appeared to show the ball slipping between his fingers.

Headingley can have two faces, alternating periods of treachery with ones of calm. So far this has been the best batting surface of the series and there were few alarms until after tea when Michael Atherton edged McGrath to Adam Gilchrist.

The ball had little more to it than good line and length, but that is what McGrath specialises in – relentlessly. Even Atherton, whose patience and concentration are legendary, could not resist, and this was the 17th time the beanpole bowler had claimed his scalp. But, like a vampire, McGrath is not sated by one victim and two overs later he wore down Trescothick enough for the batsman edge an injudicious pull shot.

Although he is a left-hander, Trescothick possesses as much talent as Martyn, Australia's second centurion of the match. Since his second chance at Test cricket, Martyn has grown in stature. A talented strokemaker from a young age, he has added steel and focus to the mixture. The end result, at least in this series, has been that Australia's daunting middle order has been made even stronger.

Favouring the off side, which he punctured at will, Martyn brought up his hundred, the second of his career, just after lunch. Although England's bowlers dolloped up less dross than on Thursday, line and length could not contain Martyn, whose knock matched Ricky Ponting's 144 the previous day in majesty, if not scope.

Both Martyn and Australia's debutant, Simon Katich, play much of their cricket at the WACA in Perth, a true high-bouncing pitch that encourages back-foot play. Headingley is neither as quick nor as true, but if the legacy helped Martyn, who simply stood tall and hit through the line, it hindered the more circumspect Katich.

In his first Test innings, the left-handed Katich cautiously eked out 15 runs before leaving a good length ball around off stump from Gough. At the WACA, it would have passed harmlessly over the bails. But here, with some late movement to boot, it struck timber about four inches from the top.

Before that moment, Gough, on a ground upon which he is revered, had been anonymous. Indeed, he has largely been so since the opening Test of the summer against Pakistan. Some perceive Benefit fatigue, a syndrome brought on by the endless round of dinners, functions and travel. As all these are done in the pursuit of mammon, any sympathy should be tempered.

Tired bowlers make mistakes and mistakes cost runs and confidence, a cycle that only wickets can break. Fortunately Katich's error did the trick and, three overs later, Gough had the prized scalp of Adam Gilchrist.

The Australian wicketkeeper has been the scourge of England's summer and when he sliced his drive to Trescothick at extra cover for 19, it was his only sub-50 score of the series. It needed a smart diving catch, the kind England have tended to drop where Gilchrist is concerned. With his tail up and the Headingley faithful goaded into life by one of their own, Gough found his rhythm. A bouncer to his old mate Shane Warne was top-edged to Stewart who, back-pedalling furiously, made a fine catch.

Following Lee's flail to second gully off Mullally, Gough mopped up the rest, including the wicket of Martyn, whose flashing edge was parried by Atherton to Stewart.

The catch gave Gough 5 for 103, his ninth five-wicket haul in Tests and his fourth against Australia. For England, who have contested this series as second-class citizens, it was a rare piece of teamwork, though one far too late in the piece to have any impact.