241 Pizza

If that happens, Ponting will feel that England are already dancing to the beat of his drum, as they did for the final four hours of the day. There was something deeply impressive about the way Ponting played, meeting virtually everything with a giant stride forward and the maker’s name never less than fully in view. His driving off the front foot was a treat.

It was an innings all the more impressive for what preceded it, for rarely can an Australia captain have witnessed his first-choice attack being put to the sword by England tailenders. They played with glorious abandon, rattling along at six an over and reducing Australia to a bit of a rabble.

Chief pain in the backside for Australia was Swann, who hit his opposite number, Nathan Hauritz, for three successive boundaries, the last from a reverse sweep that had Kevin Pietersen purring with pleasure on the balcony. Swann could possibly lay claim to the shot of the innings, too, a lofted straight drive off Ben Hilfenhaus that landed a nanometre inside the rope at the River Taff End.

Swann looked in the mood to go on and on, but was left stranded after Anderson failed to clear mid-on and Panesar edged to gully to give Hauritz his third wicket. England are employing a “buddy” system, where a top-order player is given the responsibility of improving the batting of a designated tailender. Paul Collingwood is the unfortunate minder for Panesar, who was the only England player not to make double figures. Poor Colly, if he can improve Panesar’s batting, he can expect to trade in his MBE for something better.

England: First Innings (overnight 336-7)
J M Anderson c Hussey b Hauritz 26
S C J Broad b Johnson 19
G P Swann not out 47
M S Panesar c Ponting b Hauritz 4
Extras (b 13, lb 11, w 2, nb 12) 38
Total (106.5 overs) 435

Fall of wickets: 1-21, 2-67, 3-90, 4-228, 5-241, 6-327, 7-329, 8-355, 9-423.

Bowling: Johnson 22-2-87-3; Hilfenhaus 27-5-77-2; Siddle 27-3-121-2; Hauritz 23.5-1-95-3; Clarke 5-0-20-0; Katich 2-0-11-0.

Australia: First Innings
P J Hughes c Prior b Flintoff 36
S M Katich not out 104
*R T Ponting not out 100
Extras (lb 6, w 1, nb 2) 9
Total (1 wkt, 71 overs) 249

M J Clarke, M E K Hussey, M J North, †B J Haddin, M G Johnson, P M Siddle, B W Hilfenhaus and N M Hauritz to bat.

Fall of wicket: 1-60.

Bowling: Anderson 13-1-57-0; Broad 12-1-58-0; Swann 20-7-49-0; Flintoff 15-3-48-1; Panesar 11-2-31-0.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (Pakistan) and B R Doctrove (West Indies).
TV umpire: R A Kettleborough.
Match referee: J J Crowe (New Zealand).
Reserve umpire: R K Illingworth.

Upcoming Test matches:
Second Test match: July 16 (Lord’s).
Third: July 30 (Edgbaston).
Fourth: August 7 (Headingley Carnegie).
Fifth: August 20 (The Brit Oval)