Australia set to level Ashes series

A resurgent Australia looked all set to level the Ashes after a historic century by the reborn Mike Hussey in the third Test against England at the WACA Ground yesterday.

At stumps on the third day, England were in disarray at 81-5 in their second innings having been set 391 to win, with night-watchman James Anderson yet to score.

Up 1-0 in the series, England needed their biggest ever run chase to win the match and their hopes appeared forlorn after their top five – Andrew Strauss, Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott, Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood – all went cheaply late in the day.

Cook was trapped lbw by Ryan Harris for 13 and Strauss (15) became Mitchell Johnson’s seventh victim for the match when he nicked a ball to Australian captain Ricky Ponting in the slips.

Pietersen, dismissed for a duck in the first innings, made just three before being caught by Shane Watson at first slip from the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus.

Just minutes before stumps, Trott fell to Johnson (2-28) for 31, caught by Brad Haddin on the rebound off the hands of Ponting, who immediately left the field with an injured finger on his left hand.

Then, from the last ball of the day and without any addition to the score, Collingwood (11) was caught by a diving Steven Smith in slips from Harris (2-22).

If England can somehow conjure an unlikely win in Perth they retain the Ashes, while an Australian win levels the series with two Tests to play.