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ADELAIDE - England paceman Matthew Hoggard defied Adelaide Oval's batsman-friendly conditions to put the tourists on top in the second Ashes cricket test and give them a chance of levelling the series.
Hoggard took all four wickets to fall today, including that of Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who scored another record-making century, to leave the home side 312 for five at stumps, still 239 runs behind England's 551 for six declared.
The scruffy-haired swingman struck double blows at the start and end of the day to give the tourists an outside chance of winning the match and squaring the series 1-1, as batting will not be as easy on a wearing wicket as it was for the first three days.
Australia requires another 40 runs to avoid the follow-on.
Hoggard had been fodder for Australia in the first test in Brisbane, but his four for 76 included the wickets of Matthew Hayden (12) and Damien Martyn (11) in the first session and then Ponting (142) and Mike Hussey (91) late in the day with the second new ball.
However, there was also a case of what could have been for England, as Ashley Giles dropped Ponting - off Hoggard's bowling -- when the Australian skipper was on 35 and Australia were 78 for three.
Giles got both hands to a catchable chance at deep square leg but spilled it, and Ponting was able to turn a scratchy start into his 33rd Test hundred, the most by an Australian and one more than his predecessor Steve Waugh.
Ponting and Hussey added 192 to follow the success of England century-makers Paul Collingwood and Kevin Pietersen yesterday, which set up England's massive first innings.
Hoggard had both Hayden and Martyn caught behind the wicket with away swingers in the first session, before he finally got his man Ponting with a little nibble in the first over of the second new ball.
The Yorkshireman then bowled Hussey after the left-hander was too slow attempting to leave a delivery and bottom-edged it onto off stump.
Michael Clarke, who was a wicketkeeper's glove-length away from being caught down the legside when on 19, reached 30 not out on stumps, while Adam Gilchrist made 13 not out.
Ponting's century was his eighth in nine tests, his 10th since last year's Ashes series and his seventh of 2006, but came the hard way after a testing start.
Besides being dropped, he lost sight of a full toss from Steve Harmison in the first session and was sent sprawling, and would have been run out on 46 had Collingwood hit the stumps from mid-wicket.
Ponting and Hussey batted beautifully in the middle session before Hoggard removed them both.
Despite a benign wicket, the match has been notable for slow scoring rates, which reduces the chances of either side having enough time to effect a win.
However Hoggard's third-day performance will give the tourists hope of bowling Australia out relatively cheaply tomorrow and then pushing for a win on day five.
* Scoreboard at the close on the third day of the second Ashes cricket test between Australia and England at Adelaide Oval.
England
First innings 551-6 declared
Australia
First innings (overnight 28-1)
J Langer c Pietersen b Flintoff 4
M Hayden c Jones b Hoggard 12
R Ponting c Jones b Hoggard 142
D Martyn c Bell b Hoggar 11
M Hussey b Hoggard 91
M Clarke not out 30
A Gilchrist not out 13
Extras (2lb, 7nb) 9
Total (5 wkts, 97 overs) 312
Fall of wicket: 1-8, 2-35, 3-65, 4-257, 5-286
Bowling: Hoggard 27-2-76-4, Flintoff 22-4-74-1 (5nb), Harmison 13-4-46-0 (2nb), Anderson 14-2-49-0, Giles 16-2-45-0, Pietersen 5-0-20-0
- AAP
