SWALEC Stadium, second day

For a mad 75 minutes in the morning, Australia discovered what it has been like facing some of their own great batsmen. Graeme Swann played with so much freedom and confidence he might have been wearing a baggy green cap underneath his helmet. All rather different to the functional, pragmatic approach of Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting in the afternoon.

It is always unwise to read too much into a pitch until both sides have batted on it. Ian Chappell had predicted overnight that 360 would be a good total for England. Tim Nielsen, the Australia coach, reckoned that his players would have to “bat their backsides off” to win the game.

At the time, the last 50 of the runs from Swann and his partners looked like a nice little surplus. Watching from the balcony, colleagues could not contain their glee as reverse sweeps raced to the boundary and James Anderson danced down the pitch to Nathan Hauritz. Australia started to look ragged and Swann drew from Adam Gilchrist in tempo, if not strokeplay.

Four hours later, the analysis had changed. Far from reflecting on “bonus” runs, England could feel only relief that their tail had put so many on the board. Katich and Ponting barely swept against Swann and Monty Panesar. They picked up ones and twos with straight bats, found plentiful gaps and kept the ball along the ground.

They were never slow, just efficient and unremarkable, like civil servants going about a job they know inside out. Why change something that works? Why take a risk in a game that lasts as long as five days? There are times when you would love Kevin Pietersen to think like that. Australia already have two men in three figures; England — dashing, daring England — a top score of 69.

Session-by-session

First session

England 336-7 to 435 all out
Australia 39-0

England run Australia ragged with 99 runs in 75 minutes of dashing batting. Led by Graeme Swann, the lower order tease the touring side. Stuart Broad falls early but that heralds a ninth-wicket stand of 68 off 53 balls by Swann and James Anderson. Monty Panesar becomes the first batsman to fall in single figures, but Phillip Hughes soon has the scoreboard whirring again.

England * * * *
Australia *

Second session