Log on again tomorrow for over-by-over coverage for England's attempt to save the game. Until then, click on the page breaks below for reports on all of today's sessions.
England 288-5 (Pietersen 86 Jones 10)
The Barmy Army has started a conga around the stands, David Gower's exclusive column for The Sunday Times has just pinged my boss's inbox - ready to be posted online - and Pietersen has seen off an another unthreatening over from Clark. With one over remaining, the situation for England is looking a lot rosier than it did eight short hours ago.
England 286-5 (Pietersen 85 Jones 9)
Pietersen punishes a Lee short ball by with a low cut, while Geoffrey prepares for an evening with his contacts:
. . . Lewis, who's sitting with Steve Harmison's father in the crowd, then leaves after we agree to have a beer tonight with Mark Ilott, the former Essex bowler.
England 278-5 (Pietersen 83 Jones 6)
Hold the updates! A weather forecast for tomorrow has just flashed up. Fine in the morning followed by . . . possible heavy thunderstorms in the afternoon! "I've lived here," adds Beefy. "And it's very unusual that we haven't seen some rain yet." Helpful then the Billy B just dismissed Clark's appeal for a back-before-wicket following Geraint Jones's duck into a low bounce.
England 278-5 (Pietersen 83 Jones 6)
All of which compels us to return to the soothing description of Geoffrey's encounter with an old chum:
. . . We agreed that Taunton, the Oval and Old Trafford are quicker than the Gabba. The uneven bounce off the ever-widening cracks is a problem.
As is England's newfound compulsion to slog through the closing session. At least Jones has broken the habit, nudging smartly for a pair of twos.
England 271-5 (Pietersen 81 Jones 0)
With surely unacceptable arrogance, Langer clenched his fists and flashed a broad smile while Flintoff's mishit was still in the air. Almost as distastefully, Warne turned towards Flintoff and slow-clapped in celebration.
WICKET Flintoff c Langer b Warne 16
"People are going to ask what on earth was going on there?" cries Silver Streak and rightly so. The England captain underhit an attempted slog on Warne, sending it down the throat of Langer at long-on.
England 269-4 (Pietersen 81 Flintoff 16)
Pietersen fails to connect with an extraordinary pull shot against Lee, temporarily distracting us from Geoffrey:
. . . Lewis - or JJ as his mates know him - tells me he had dinner with Colly a couple of nights ago when the England batsman said he thought there's a bit of a myth about Australia's quick pitches . . .
England 269-4 (Pietersen 81 Flintoff 16)
Pietersen misjudges one from Warne on a fuller length, but survives. Anyway:
. . . I ask him about Collingwood's batting. "Best I've seen him play," comes back the answer. "He's tightened up and played that much straighter" . . .
England 264-4 (Pietersen 80 Flintoff 16)
Flintoff's just pulled Lee for another four. Back to Geoffrey:
Jon Lewis, the Durham batsman and former captain who's an old mate, popped into the press overspill in the tea-break to say hello. I had no idea he was even in Brisbane . . .
England 255-4 (Pietersen 79 Flintoff 4)
Some of you will be familiar with Geoffrey's peerless contacts within the cricketing world. Over the past couple of days, he has quietly mulled over the action with Party Boy, Barry and, very nearly, Richie Benaud. Well, he's been at it again.
First, thought, best to relay that there was just the single from Warne's over.
England 254-4 (Pietersen 78 Flintoff 4)
. . . punctured by over-zealous police officers patrolling the boundary's edge. The nice ones who throw the balls back get a huge cheer. As I write, the ball has been seized by a policeman, who's deflated it. What a spoil-sport!
Keen Times Online readers will remember that said authorities have already banned the Barmy Army's guiltless trumpeter, Bill Cooper, from the Gabba.
Elsewhere, Pietersen is now irritating old man McGrath, too, angling him for four and sending another down leg-side.
England 249-4 (Pietersen 73 Flintoff 4)
Flintoff moves into credit with a flashing drive, only for news to reach us that the Queensland police has struck again in its quest to ruin the party. Here's Geoffrey, in the same email:
Yesterday, somebody brought in a blow-up doll and started punching it in the air. That particular section of the crowd loved the daringness of their play, but the Queensland police confiscated it. Any beach-balls that are punched onto the outfield tend to be . . .
WICKET Collingwood st Gilchrist b Warne 96
Galloping down the wicket, Collingwood swings wildly at a leg-break that darts away from the blade and into the wicket-keeper's gloves.
England 242-3 (Collingwood 94 Pietersen 73)
Let's returning to Geoffrey's most recent post, which helps to explains England's recent fun:
The pitch has lost a lot of its pace. Despite the cracks widening, it's not misbehaved as much as the Aussies hoped, nor has Warne obtained the degree of turn he might have expected.
Which no doubt made it easier Pietersen to just execute another of his trademark wide sweeps, clinching another four to help bring up the 150 partnership.
