Is it cowardly to pray for rain? was the title of a delicious book about the Ashes here four years ago, the title reflecting the general hope that, with England ahead, the Brit Oval would be swamped under a deluge.

There were mutterings about the weekend forecast in Cardiff yesterday morning, too, the difference being that we are only three days into the series: cowardly, certainly, and far too early to pray for assistance.

England needed to get themselves out of a hole of Australia’s and their own making yesterday rather than rely on natural forces outside of their control.

On the second evening Andrew Flintoff reminded the team that they had been in this situation before, at the Oval in 2005 as it happens, but as well meaning as that advice was, it is time England stopped living in the past. Wickets are scored and runs are taken by taking charge of the here and now.

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Instead, England needed to realise that another day of chanceless Australian run-making and it would be themselves batting last on a deteriorating pitch and not Australia, a state of affairs far more likely to galvanise them into action than misty memories of four years ago.

Accordingly, they came bouncing out of the gates to the strains of Jerusalem, although with Andrew Strauss setting overly defensive fields, especially when the second new ball was taken, the messages were mixed ones. It was an indifferent day full stop for Strauss, three wickets in the morning raising false hopes before Michael Clarke and Marcus North, with a restorative partnership of 143, slammed the door in his team’s face.

Then, after rain prevented play for two hours after tea, the England players came back to play Test cricket under floodlights for the first time on home soil and Clarke was promptly dismissed, feathering a glove down the leg side off Stuart Broad.

With heavy clouds lying over Cardiff, rain in the air and movement, at last, off the pitch, Flintoff and Broad ran in urgently, sensing an opportunity, but only six overs were possible before the umpires took the players off again for — wait for it — bad light.

Clarke was particularly impressive during his stay, purring along like a smoothly running motor, severe on anything short, quick to the drive and twinkling down the pitch at every opportunity to England’s spinners, once dispatching Monty Panesar into the crowd at long-off.

Such was Australia’s domination of Graeme Swann and Panesar — only one wicket between them in 55 overs — that Strauss was forced to turn to Paul Collingwood’s off cutters just before tea. It reminded old soaks hereabouts of Don Shepherd, the great Glamorgan bowler who might have enjoyed these conditions.

North is more cumbersome on his feet, a super-tanker to Clarke’s speedboat, and less talented, too. He was content to play the spinners from the crease, looking to sweep wherever possible but he was no less effective for that and he gave off a reassuring solidity when facing the seam bowlers.

He will be an important player for Australia this summer if he remains in good form and can expect to play a supporting role in England’s second innings to Nathan Hauritz, now looming — am I really writing this? — as a threat.