Sydney: England closed to within 113 runs of an innings lead over fighting Australia today, after an engrossing second day of the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
The tourists, chasing their first series win Down Under in 24 years, got off to a rollicking start with a 98-run opening partnership before Australia struck back with three wickets, including the big scalp of Kevin Pietersen.
Michael Clarke's Australians could have been in an even better position at stumps when they had a crucial fourth wicket taken off them by an umpire's referral.
At the close, England were 167 for three in reply to Australia's 280 with Alastair Cook unbeaten on 61 and nightwatchman James Anderson not out one.
Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott were out seven balls apart and Pietersen threw away his wicket on 36 when he was caught hooking.
Debutant Michael Beer was celebrating what he thought was his first Test wicket when Cook on 45 skied to Ben Hilfenhaus at deep mid-on only for umpire Billy Bowden to ask for the third umpire to check on a suspected no-ball.
The spinner was proved to have overstepped.
It was the second time in the series that England had received such a rare let-off after Matt Prior was recalled following a slips catch on five on his way to scoring 85 in the fourth Melbourne Test.
Australia bounced back from the Cook reversal to remove the dangerous Pietersen, when he couldn't keep down a hook shot off a Johnson bouncer and was caught by Beer at deep backward square.
Hilfenhaus got the initial breakthrough bowling Strauss for 60 with an unplayable ball that collected his off-stump.
Strauss and Cook put on 98 in 92 minutes with skipper Strauss the aggressor hammering eight fours and a six off 58 balls.
Trott was out for his first Test duck in Johnson's next over, getting a thick inside edge on to his stumps.