After a complete wash out on Day 3, England resumed their first innings on Day 4 from an overnight score on Day 2 of 116/2 in 36.0 Ovs (Strauss 64* Bell 26*). Play started an hour late because of the wet outfield.
Morning Session – England 1st Innings
Over 36.6: No runs. Ben Hilfenhaus to A Strauss, pitched up delivery, blocks a 140 kmph inswinging yorker.
Over 39.1: Boundary! P Siddle to I Bell, short of length delivery, drives it behind point for a boundary
Over 39.5: No runs. P Siddle to I Bell, pitched up delivery, strikes the pad with a big inswinger but there was a double noise, infact there was no inside edge and that I am afraid was out but nor for the Umpire.
Over 40.6: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to A Strauss, short of length delivery, goes back and has enough time to pull that through wide mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 41.3: Boundary! P Siddle to I Bell, pitched up delivery, flicks that wristily through wide mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 41.5: Five Wides! P Siddle to I Bell, short of length delivery, thats a shocker which is sprayed a mile down the legside and Manou has no chance.
Over 43.2: Boundary! P Siddle to I Bell, half volley, drives it beautifully to the left of mid off for a boundary.
Over 44.1: He is Caught! Ben Hilfenhaus to A Strauss, good length delivery, goes back for a forceful cut shot and can only get a thick edge that is caught behind by the keeper. That delivery had some extra kick in it.
Over 47.1: No runs. M Johnson to I Bell, pitched up delivery, strikes the pad low with a big inswinger and once again Rudi doesn’t give an lbw. There was a tiny inside edge this time.
Over 48.1: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to P Collingwood, half volley, plays a flowing drive to put away that wide outswinger through covers for a boundary, that brings up the 150 for Eng.
Over 48.3: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to P Collingwood, short of length delivery, opens the face at the last moment with soft hands to get the ball past gully for a boundary.
Over 48.6: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to P Collingwood, pitched up delivery, plays a wristy square drive that slips through gully for a boundary.
Over 50.5: He is Caught! Ben Hilfenhaus to P Collingwood, half volley, goes after a wide outswinger with an expansive drive and ends up with a thick flying edge that is superbly caught overhead by Ponting at second slip. That’s Lunch on Day 4.
Afternoon Session – England 1st Innings
Over 51.3: Boundary! M Johnson to I Bell, short of length delivery, gets inside the line and tucks it away to the fine leg boundary to bring up his 20th test fifty.
Over 55.6: Out LBW! M Johnson to I Bell, pitched up delivery, beats the defences of Bell with a full inswinger that strikes him low infront of middle and this time Rudi has to give that out lbw! Bell should have been out lbw thrice before this!
Over 56.3: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to M Prior , pitched up delivery, drives that through extra covers for a boundary.
Over 56.5: Three runs. Ben Hilfenhaus to M Prior , pitched up delivery, squeezes the wide yorker between gully and point and picks up three runs.
Over 59.3: Boundary! M Johnson to M Prior , short of length delivery, plays a wristy flick through mid wicket for a boundary.
Over 60.2: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to A Flintoff, half volley, drives the outswinger through the long boundary at extra covers.
Over 64.5: Boundary! S Watson to A Flintoff, pitched up delivery, plays a smacking drive flat in the air past the non striker for a boundary.
Over 66.1: Boundary! S Watson to A Flintoff, pitched up delivery, plays a thumping drive down the ground and Watson is a touch slow in getting down to prevent that boundary.
Over 67.1: Single. P Siddle to M Prior , bangs it short, gets on top of it and pulls it safely to deep mid wicket, that brings up the 50 of this stand which has stopped a possible collapse.
Over 67.3: Boundary! P Siddle to A Flintoff, half volley, thrashes that wide outswinger through covers for a boundary.
Over 68.1: Boundary! S Watson to A Flintoff, pitched up delivery, drives that on the up with an open faced blade to put that away wide of mid off for a boundary.
Over 68.4: Boundary! S Watson to M Prior , full toss, drives that easily through covers for a boundary.
Over 69.2: Boundary! P Siddle to A Flintoff, short of length delivery, gets a deflection off his glove down the legside and the ball races away to the fine leg boundary.
Over 69.4: Boundary! P Siddle to M Prior , bangs it short, hooks it away safely towards fine leg for a boundary.
Over 69.6: Boundary! P Siddle to M Prior , short and rising delivery, gets the width outside off and Prior cuts that away freely through cover point for a boundary.
Over 70.2: Three runs. Nathan Hauritz to A Flintoff, flatter trajectory delivery, goes back and drives it through extra covers to collect three runs, that takes Eng past 250.
Over 71.1: Boundary! P Siddle to M Prior , pitched up delivery, plays a lovely drive on the up beating mid on for a boundary.
Over 71.3: He is Caught! P Siddle to M Prior , bangs it short, goes for another pull and its another miscued hit and this time ends up straight into the hands of mid on.
Over 72.2: Sixer! Nathan Hauritz to A Flintoff, flighted delivery, uses his feet and deposits it with the turn over wide long on for a six, the ball just managed to hit the rope on the full!
Over 72.4: Boundary! Nathan Hauritz to A Flintoff, flatter trajectory delivery, plays a forceful sweep shot which reaches the mid wicket boundary to bring up his 26th test fifty and also takes Eng into the lead.
Over 75.2: Boundary! P Siddle to A Flintoff, short of length delivery, plays a predetermined pull in the air that is well connected and Freddie picks up a boundary towards mid wicket.
Over 75.5: Boundary! P Siddle to S Broad, pitched up delivery, plays a superb drive through extra covers for a boundary.
Over 75.6: Two runs. P Siddle to S Broad, short of length delivery, edges that in his backfoot drive and the keeper fails to dive forward to take that cleanly!
Over 77.2: Boundary! M Johnson to A Flintoff, good length delivery, stays back and angles it safely through the gap past slip cordon for a boundary.
Over 77.6: Boundary! M Johnson to A Flintoff, pitched up delivery, plunders that wide one through covers for a boundary.
Over 78.6: Two runs. Nathan Hauritz to A Flintoff, flatter trajectory delivery, goes back and hammers it wide of covers for a couple to bring up the 300.
Over 79.1: Boundary! M Johnson to S Broad, pitched up delivery, plays a delightful straight drive to the left of Johnson for a boundary.
Over 80.3: Three runs. Nathan Hauritz to S Broad, flatter trajectory delivery, chips it in the air against the turn over mid on and gets three runs, that brings up the 50 of this stand.
Over 80.4: He is Caught! Nathan Hauritz to A Flintoff, flatter trajectory delivery, looks to leave that outside off but the ball spins in to take the glove and fly straight to slip!
Over 82.5: Boundary! Nathan Hauritz to G Swann, flatter trajectory delivery, rocks back and punishes that short one through covers for a boundary.
Over 82.6: No runs. Nathan Hauritz to G Swann, flatter trajectory delivery, defends it off the frontfoot. That’s Tea on Day 4 with England taking their first innings lead to 53 runs.
Final Session – England 1st Innings
Over 83.1: No runs. M Johnson to S Broad, good length delivery, slips it down the legside and the keeper does well to stop the deflection. The second new ball has been taken.
Over 83.5: Boundary! M Johnson to G Swann, short of length delivery, plays a lovely drive through extra covers for a boundary.
Over 85.6: Boundary! M Johnson to S Broad, pitched up delivery, flicks that inswinger uppishly through mid wicket for an easy boundary.
Over 86.1: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to G Swann, short of length delivery, plays a strong backfoot drive square of the wicket on the off side and ends up beating two fielders for a boundary.
Over 86.3: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to S Broad, pitched up delivery, edges his expansive drive past second slip for a boundary.
Over 87.1: Boundary! M Johnson to G Swann, pitched up delivery, goes for a lofted shot over mid off but ends up with a thick edge that flies over the slip cordon for a boundary.
Over 87.2: Boundary! M Johnson to G Swann, short and rising delivery, uses the bowler’s pace and smartly slices it behind point for a boundary, that makes Johnson more agitated!!
Over 87.3: He is Caught! M Johnson to G Swann, pitched up delivery, shifts to round the sticks and Swann pushes at this very early on the up and thats a simple catch for covers!
Over 87.5: Boundary! M Johnson to S Broad, good length delivery, clears his frontfoot and whacks it past the surprised bowler for a boundary beating mid on as well.
Over 88.6: He is Caught! Ben Hilfenhaus to J Anderson, short of length delivery, goes for a flashy shot but the ball had only pitched on middle and moving away, too close to his body and the result is a nick to the keeper.
Over 89.1: Boundary! M Johnson to S Broad, bangs it short, goes for the forceful hook shot and its a top edge that sails over the slips for a boundary.
Over 90.6: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to S Broad, good length delivery, plays a cross bat shot wide of mid on for a boundary.
Over 92.2: No runs. Ben Hilfenhaus to Graham Onions, pitched up delivery, gets squared up and its an outside edge that falls on the bounce to the lone slip!
Over 92.5: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to S Broad, bangs it short, pulls it away in the air like a top order batsman through mid wicket for a boundary and with that brings up his 4th test fifty!
Over 92.6: Boundary! Ben Hilfenhaus to S Broad, full toss, heaves that strongly through the outstretched hands of Hilfenhaus for a boundary!
Over 93.3: He is Caught! P Siddle to S Broad, short of length delivery, thats a slightly slower one and Broad is little too early in forcing it and it ends up to be a sharp return catch from Siddle to his right. England lead by 113 runs.
Final Session – Australia 2nd Innings
Over 1.3: Four Byes! A Flintoff to S Watson, short of length delivery, sprays that down the legside and Prior gets a glove to that in his dive but can only deflect it away to the fine leg boundary.
Over 2.6: No runs. J Anderson to S Katich, good length delivery, shuffles across and is hit on the pad infront of the stumps and Katich survives a confident lbw shout. The ball looked to have been angling away from the stumps.
Over 5.2: Three runs. A Flintoff to S Katich, short of length delivery, drives that through the gap towards extra covers and picks up three runs.
Over 6.1: Boundary! J Anderson to S Katich, good length delivery, stays back and plays a wristy square drive behind point for a boundary.
Over 6.3: Boundary! J Anderson to S Katich, short of length delivery, gets inside the line and tickles it to fine leg for a boundary.
Over 9.1: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, bangs it short, Watson gloves that in his pull just past the diving Prior down the legside and gets a lucky boundary. Onions has replaced Flintoff.
Over 9.2: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, bangs it short, plays a brilliant pull shot this time towards wide mid wicket for a boundary. Watson seemed to have been waiting for that length this time.
Over 9.5: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, half volley, drives it hard past the diving covers for a boundary.
Over 13.2: He is Caught! Graham Onions to S Katich, pitched up delivery, and not for the first time Katich drives along the wrong line and this time nicks it behind to the keeper!!
Over 13.3: Three runs. Graham Onions to R Ponting, good length delivery, gets forward and nudges it past point to get off the mark with three runs.
Over 14.4: No runs. G Swann to R Ponting, quicker and flatter in the air, goes back slightly and is hit on the pad by a spinning off break infront of off stump, that looked very very close but Rudi played safe.
Over 14.6: Bowled him! G Swann to R Ponting, flatter trajectory delivery, gets forward in defence and is completely bamboozled by a sharp turning off break that sneaks through the gate to hit the timber!!
Over 15.3: No runs. Graham Onions to M Hussey, good length delivery, gets forward in defence and its an inside edge off the pad that balloons up but just falls short of the forward diving Onions!
Over 15.4: Boundary! Graham Onions to M Hussey, half volley, plays a well controlled drive to the right of the nonstriker for a boundary.
Over 16.6: Boundary! G Swann to S Watson, quicker and flatter in the air, flicks it away with the angle and the turn wide of mid on for a boundary.
Over 17.5: Beaten! Graham Onions to M Hussey, good length delivery, thats unplayable, draws the left hander forward and beats him with the extra bounce after landing it on the seam.
Over 19.1: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, short of length delivery, plays a nice drive behind point for a boundary.
Over 19.2: Boundary! Graham Onions to S Watson, half volley, plays a flowing drive through covers for a boundary.
Over 20.2: Boundary! G Swann to M Hussey, on the shorter side, rocks back and cuts that away past covers for an easy boundary.
Over 20.4: Boundary! G Swann to M Hussey, full toss, flicks that tossed up one past the diving mid on for a boundary.
Over 20.5: Boundary! G Swann to M Hussey, full toss, looks like the ball has become very wet as it slipped out of Swann’s hands and ended up high over the waist, Hussey clobbered that wide of mid on for an easy boundary.
Over 27.6: No runs. J Anderson to S Watson, full toss, blocks that rather than playing any shot. Big time exchange of words between Anderson and Watson!
Well its time up at Edgbaston, that’s the end of a long Day 4. Australia trail behind by 25 runs with 8 second innings wickets in hand.