High: 33°C | Low: 21°C		Wind: E at 13 km/h, Humidity: 36%
Match	Australia v England	-	Date	14th - 18th December, 2006
Match Type	3rd 3 Mobile Test Match	-	Umpires	Aleem Dar (PAK), Koertzen, RE (SAF)
Toss	Australia	-	Decision	Bat
Result	Australia won by 206 Runs	-	Venue	Perth, WACA - Scorecard
Australia	1st Inns: 244 All Out (Panesar 5/92)	-	2nd Inns:	5/527 Dec (Clarke 135*,Hussey 103)
England	1st Inns: 215 a/o (Pietersen 70)	-	2nd Inns:	350 All Out (Cook 116)arne 4/49)

Day 1

Following two defeats, in parts convincingly, England fought back to breathe life into an Ashes series that appeared to be dead and buried. Thanks mainly to a dream Ashes debut of 5 for 92, Monty Panesar dubbed the Sikh of Tweak showed England supremo what they had been missing all along.

Keen to turn the screw, Ponting won the toss and elected to bat on a great wicket and both Langer and Hayden, the latter desperate for runs, set about attacking the England attack with a flurry of boundaries. However just as Australia threatened to take the game away from the visitors Hoggard struck and accounted for Hayden (33) for the second time, Geraint Jones obliging with a straightforward catch.

Just as he had done in Adelaide, Flintoff showed he had no faith in Harmison and opted to share the new ball but when the lanky paceman came on to bowl he rewarded his captain sending the prized wicket of Ponting back for just two runs. Langer had a scare when he was dropped by Flintoff in the slips but England didn't have to wait too long before Panesar struck for his first wicket in his Ashes career and what a wicket it was.

With his seventh ball Langer, attempting a forward defence shot, left a gap and his bails flew off to the delight of an ecstatic Panesar and England. Australia were in trouble at 3 for 67 and the signs were looking good for the tourists. Clarke and Hussey were in no mood to surrender easily, putting on 51 runs for the fourth wicket before extra pace from Harmison accounted for Clarke's (37) dismissal who continues his good form with the bat following his late recall in Brisbane.

An attacking Symonds, back in the side for Damien Martyn hit Panesar for two sixes and a four in one over but the spinner had the last laugh when the Australian top-edged an attempted cut to Jones, who took the catch at the second attempt. Gilchrist came and went without scoring, Ian Bell at short-leg but it was the wicket of Brett Lee he'll remember most – his first five wicket haul in the competition.

Harmison wrapped up the tail with quick wickets ending with figures of 4 for 48 and Hussey remained undefeated on 74. In reply England looked steady until they lost two wickets just before the close. Glenn McGrath struck in the sixth over when Alastair Cook (15) tried to cover-drive but instead found Langer in the gully region. Bell nicked a fired up Brett Lee behind without scoring and England struggled to the close on 2 for 51. It could have been worse had Warne held on to a chance in the slips, Collingwood on four at the time edging Stuart Clark.

England take first day honours despite the loss of two wicket and with Monty Panesar, the first English spinner to take a five-wicket haul in Perth as England grabbed the initiative in the third Ashes Test. They showed the fight that had deserted them in the second half of the Adelaide Test.

Day 2

As the song of old suggests “What a difference a day makes, twenty four little hours!” Australia moved into second gear today following a superb effort in the field bowling England out for just 215 runs despite Kevin Pietersen's 70. It appears that England's grip on the Ashes is slipping after Australia ended day two of the Perth Test on 1 – 119 holding a lead of 148 courtesy of Ponting and Hayden who are both 57 not out at the close.

Resuming on 2 for 51 it didn't take long for Australia to make the breakthrough in the fourth over, Collingwood (11) who had survived a late scare last night, fell to a McGrath/Hayden combination. Hayden fielding at gully held on for a well taken catch, the batsman playing at a loose delivery from McGrath.

Strauss and Pietersen looked to regain a little momentum taking the score onto 82 before Strauss had another shocking decision go against him in successive innings. After moving on to 42, his highest score of the series, with a glorious four, Strauss (42) was adjudged to have edged behind off Stuart Clark. He seemed shocked to see umpire Rudi Koertzen raise his finger and replays showed no apparent contact between bat and ball.

Flintoff came and went for 13, Warne taking the catch at slip giving Symonds his first wicket of the innings. Flintoff has looked out of sorts with the bat all series and together with his ankle injury one wonders whether the captain should be playing at all. There is no doubt, Flintoff's presence last series was crucial but he is not helping a deflated side by putting in a substandard performance under the injury cloud.

Geraint Jones then lasted all of four balls for the first duck of his Test career in his 52nd innings, which had been a world record, and there was no excuse for his sloppy shot off Symonds which was caught by Justin Langer, sending England in to lunch at 6 for 122. It was a carbon copy of his dismissal in Adelaide and surely even Fletcher can see that Chris Read is due a run in Melbourne!
Sajid Mahmood, batting at number eight, top-edged an attempted cut off Clark to the keeper and went for 10 shortly after the luncheon interval but Matthew Hoggard hung around with Pietersen for 47 minutes as they added 27 for the eighth wicket and it gave Pietersen the chance to record his eighth Test fifty albeit his slowest of the eight !Hoggard was eventually fooled by a leg-break from Warne for the second time in succession and was taken at slip by Hayden after making four off 39 balls.

Despite being dropped on 53 by McGrath Pietersen didn't last too much longer when Symonds caught him in the deep giving Brett Lee his second wicket of the innings. Harmison and Panesar with nothing to lose smashed everything scoring the highest partnership of the innings in the process. Ironically following Fletcher's reasoning for leaving Monty out of the team for his poor batting, Panesar was there at the end, 16 not out.

In reply, Hoggard struck with the very first ball to rapturous applause from the Barmy Army contingent. Langer failed to cope with Hoggard's prodigious inswing and the ball struck middle stump sending the Western Australian back without scoring. England failed to capitalise however and Hayden and Ponting both hit half centuries and at the close are 1 for 119 with a 148 lead.
Australia will surely looked to enforce the advantage on day three and attempt to close out the series. Another poor day for England who showed very little fight. Heads dropped in the last session of the day and it will take some performance to get them raised again.

Day 3

It was a remarkable day at Perth today, the weather not only the sole reason for soaring temperatures out in the middle. Adam Gilchrist's magnificent quick fire century along with centuries from Clarke and Hussey put Australia into a commanding position at the close declaring on 5 for 527 with both Clarke and Gilchrist leaving the field with their wicket intact.

Eager to change their fortunes in the Test it was imperative that the tourists showed grit and pride, both of which have been sadly lacking for the better part in the last two Test matches. It was only Monty Panesar's bowling that kept them in the game on day one but even his finer magic was enough to stem the flow of runs. Gilchrist's ball by ball breakdown.

Harmison, who has found a little of his old pre series form accounted for Ricky Ponting who had looked set to reach yet another century. The captain fell on 75 when an out swinger caught the edge and Jones obliged behind the wicket. Hayden looked at his very best and together with new man Hussey the pair took the game away from a wilting England. However with the score on 206 and Hayden just eight runs short of a deserved century he gifted a catch at second attempt to Collingwood at first slip, Panesar taking his first of three wickets in the day. It was a well taken effort but the partnership of 62 had more or less sealed England's fate.

Hussey and Clarke then added 151 runs in a significant partnership and with temperatures soaring at 42 degrees in the shade, the bowling wilted. It's hard to understand the England thought process with Flintoff bowling just a handful of overs and Mahmood not bowling a single ball in the first two hours of the day. Hussey rode his luck on his way to a well deserved century on his home ground. Jones made a schoolboy error trying too hard to get to a catch when Hussey was on 49. Pietersen was in a better position but the wicket keeper called it his and promptly failed to get a glove on the ball.

It wasn't his best innings but nonetheless a gritty performance. He reached his century to rapturous home applause and his wife and kids were on hand to cheer him on. That man Monty struck before tea when Jones took the catch behind, Hussey departed for a superb 103 – Australia were showing England how to bat.

Symonds desperate for a strong performance came and went, Collingwood taking his second catch in the slips and Panesar his third and final wicket of the innings. This only let in Adam Gilchrist and despite a nervy start he hit the ball to all parts of the ground. England had no answer to him and it wouldn't have been remiss of the WACA ground staff to issue hard hats for the crowd. He hit 24 off one Panesar over hitting him out of the attack in the process. The 24 scored in one over was a record in Ashes competition and what a way to achieve it. It was all the more remarkable given that on 49 after a first ball dot, he finished the over on 73!

Clarke was a pedestrian in comparison at the other end, made to look ordinary by the flamboyant keeper. The quickest Test century scored by Viv Richards in 1986 was under threat following the over and as he edged closer and closer to three figures a nervous hush fell upon the WACA. With three runs required and a ball to beat the record, Hoggard bowled a deliberate wide ball and Gilchrist failed to connect. Any chance of beating Viv's record was over but two balls later he drove to long-on and hit the second fastest century in Test history and the fastest Ashes century. When Ponting declared on 5 for 527 the pair had added 160 in just 20 overs.

Australia had amassed 408 in just 66 over scoring at a rate of 6.18, a remarkable performance in anyone's book. With just 25 minutes left to bat in the day England lost Andrew Strauss' wicket for a duck when he was adjudged out leg before by Rudi Koertzen. Hoggard was on standby as night watchman but he wasn't required and the tourists ended the day on 1 for 19, 537 runs away from an unlikely victory.

Day 4

England finally showed fight in this third Test but it took until the fourth day to arrive, far too late for the Test match and series. Cook scored a magnificent first Ashes century, his fourth in international cricket and certainly looks one for the future.

Ian Bell and Cook put on 170 before Bell fell for 87 just before tea and Paul Collingwood went for five. Bell had a let-off on 73 when he edged Brett Lee behind but Gilchrist uncharacteristically failed to keep hold.

However, Bell's gallant innings was soon over when Warne finally got his man, his 696th Test victim, Justin Langer taking a regulation catch at short extra cover off a loose drive. It was a disappointment for Bell, he was by far the most comfortable against Warne who bowled 31 overs unchanged from the North End.

Collingwood who had never looked comfortable at the crease was out for five off 36 balls feathering a Clark off-cutter to Gilchrist. It was a start contrast to his double century earlier in the series.

Cook and Kevin Pietersen looked as though they were going to see out the final session and set up an amazing final day as England dared to believe they could pull off the impossible and win the match.

But McGrath had other ideas with just three overs left. He tempted a tired Cook to play at a ball just outside the off-stump and the left-hander edged it to wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist to depart after occupying the crease for six and a half hours.

Hoggard lasted just two balls before McGrath bowled him for a duck with a yorker, forcing captain Andrew Flintoff to the crease.

And he endured a nervy two overs, but he reached stumps two not out with Pietersen unbeaten on 37. Only time will tell if England can save the game and the Ashes tomorrow, one thing is certain, Flintoff and Pietersen will have to be there at tea to give the tourists any hope.

Day 5

Australia wrapped up another convincing win at Perth on day five of the third Test match and in so doing regained the Ashes after just 15 months and seven days, the shortest period of ownership in Ashes history. It was left fittingly to Shane Warne to take the final and all important wicket when he bowled Monty Panesar for one.

Things began brightly for England with Andrew Flintoff hitting an aggressive half century of just 64 balls. Flintoff along with team mate Pietersen saw off everything Australia had to offer. Flintoff struck three successive fours off one Stuart Clark overand hit Brett Lee for 13 in another.

It was an aggressive and confident innings by the captain but it wasn't to be enough. Shane Warne who bowled a tight and confining line from the North End clean bowled Flintoff with a fuller ball, beaten by drift, he looked on incredulously knowing the Ashes had been lost.

The wicket heralded a resurgence in Australia who had felt the game slipping away. Geraint Jones has probably played his final game for England in this series when he succumbed to a superb Ricky Ponting run out without scoring.

Mahmood lasted 10 balls and hit four before succumbing plumb lbw to Clark and then Harmison fell in the same fashion, this time to Warne, who took the 698th victim of his Test career. Pietersen was intent on taking a single off the first ball, a strange tactic given the precarious position they were in. Panesar came in at the fall of Harmison's wicket and survived six balls before lunch.

40 minutes later the Test match resumed following the lunch break. Pietersen yet again took a single off Shane Warne's first ball, sweeping down leg. With the very next ball, Shane Warne claimed his 699th Test victim and in so doing regained the Ashes for Australia. Warne moves on to Melbourne for the boxing day Test where he will attempt to claim a record 700th. Mike Hussey won the Man of the Match award for two superb knocks.