Australia dominate

England’s hopes of retaining the Ashes took another battering as Australia took complete control of the second Test on an utterly one-sided second day.A brilliant 148 from Michael Clarke and belligerent 118 from Brad Haddin took the game away from England before lower order hitting from Ryan Harris (55 not out) allowed the captain to declare on an intimidating 570-9.

Given 21 overs to survive in the evening session, England lost Alastair Cook, clean-bowled by the runaway Mitchell Johnson for three before Michael Carberry and Joe Root clung on to leave them 35-1 at the close.

With three days of clear weather left in the game and the pitch expected to wear on days four and five, it will take batting way beyond their recent efforts for England to hang on for a draw.

Yet with the deficit still 535 runs and 18 innings having passed since they last passed 400, the prospect of consecutive defeats is a realistic one.

And with the next Test at the Waca in Perth, a ground that England have only won at once in its history, the Ashes could yet be gone with two Tests and Christmas still to come.

If that sounds pessimistic, England had begun the second day hopeful that they could take the remaining five wickets in reasonable time to restrict the home side to no more than 350.

Instead they laboured through a disheartening morning session in which Clarke and Haddin were aggressive, energetic and eventually unbeaten.

In total 116 runs were pillaged as England’s bowlers struggled to offer sustained threat on a lifeless pitch, the chances that did come once again spurned to add to the tourists’ frustration.

Haddin had been dropped on five and Clarke on 18 on the first day, and the wicketkeeper had another life when Carberry’s wayward throw allowed him to survive what should have been a simple run-out.

On 51 he had another when Ben Stokes thought he had him caught behind, only for a retrospective no-ball to bring him back when he was halfway to the pavilion.

But they were brittle straws to clutch at as the two most experienced men in the Australian line-up made hay in the bright south Australian sunshine.

Clarke in particular played with classical grace against the twin spin of Panesar and Swann, using his quick feet and soft hands to defend and caress as well as bludgeon. – Cricinfo.