Trott, who was run out for 41 in the first innings, became the first England player since Graham Thorpe in 1993 to score an Ashes century on debut. Trott and the England capatain, took the overnight total of 58 for three to 157 before the England captain was caught at slip off Marcus North for 75 shortly before lunch. It was Strauss’s second half-century of the match.Trott showed terrific  composure on a pitch which held few terrors after 15 wickets had tumbled for 243 on Friday. He drove the ball handsomely through the off-side reaching his 50 in the morning session from 89 balls.

Matt Prior having run himself out for four, saw the England  hero of the 2005 Ashes series come to the crease – Andrew Flintoff. A sporting handshake from the Australian captain Ricky Ponting and a standing ovation from the Oval crowd welcomed him on this his last Test batting appearance. On a stage taylormade for him, he struck four quick boundaries but was caught at long-off for 22 trying to hit North out of the ground. North, who took four for 98 from 30 overs.

Graeme Swann enthralled  the capacity crowd with nine boundaries in his 63 from 55 balls while Trott steadily acquired runs at the other end before he was eventually  out after cracking  12 boundaries from 193 balls.

At the close of the third day, Australia had reached 80 for no wicket with six sessions remaining leaving England still quite a lot to do but have two days to bowl the Aussies out. The drama builds and England know that the Ashes are there for the taking

 Fifteen wickets tumbled on a hectic day which finished with England 58 for three in their second innings, a lead of 230 runs, after Australia had collapsed to 160 all out. Broad recorded his third five-wicket haul in a Test while Graeme Swann captured four for 38 at the other end after the visitors had reached 73 for no wicket.

Although Broad returned career-best figures of six for 91 in the fourth-Test defeat at Headingley, he was the fifth and final option for Strauss among the front-line attack on Friday.He immediately discovered lift and disconcerting movement, dismissing Shane Watson lbw for 34 with the final ball of his first over and bowling captain Ricky Ponting (8) off an inside edge with the last delivery of his third.

Michael Hussey was another lbw victim for nought before Michael Clarke (3) scooped a low catch to Jonathan Trott at short cover. Broad’s figures at that stage were four for eight from 21 deliveries.

However Broad  was not the only bowling success for  the hosts.Swann also played a major role when the spinner was switched to the Pavilion end. Marcus North was lbw for eight to a Swann ball which appeared to hit the bat first and opener Simon Katich was caught at short-leg after top-scoring with a gritty 50 in 170 minutes. Mitchell Johnson fell for 11 and Stuart Clark was given out caught at short-leg for six after the ball seemed to evade bat and glove.

Andrew Flintoff completed the rout by bowling Ben Hilfenhaus for six and Broad left the field to a hero’s welcome from an exuberant capacity crowd who could scarcely believe the evidence of their own eyes.

Australia then fought back in an extended evening session, taking the wickets of Alastair Cook (9), Ian Bell (4) and Paul Collingwood (1) to keep their hopes alive in a match England must win to regain the Ashes.

Captain Andrew Strauss (32 not out) stood firm on a pitch which offered assistance to speed and spin but was also by no means unplayable.

England,  unbelievably after the capitulation to the Aussies at Headingly, are on the verge of regain the Ashes – they only have to hold their  nerve !

 The England top four batsmen contributed to their own dismissals with the Australians deciding to leave out off-spinner Nathan Hauritz, bowling with sustained aggression and control. Peter Siddle being the best of the Aussie bowlers with figures of four for 63.

Andrew Strauss won his fourth toss of the series and play began under threatening black clouds, which rolled away during the morning session and gave way to bright sunshine after tea. Alastair Cook (10) was the first of the England top four to gift his wicket when he played the impressive Siddle with angled bat to Ricky Ponting at second slip.

Strauss, England’s key batsman in the absence of the injured Kevin Pietersen, responded with an impressive half century, clipping 10 fours square of the wicket on the lightning fast outfield. However, Bell continually threatened  by Mitchell Johnson, fending unconvincingly at three successive bouncers. He survived to play some superb drives but lost Strauss in the third over after lunch after one further boundary, caught behind from a terrible  defensive shot off Ben Hilfenhaus.

Paul Collingwood made 24 before he also played a terrible  shot, slicing a wide delivery from Siddle to Michael Hussey at gully. Bell then dragged his first delivery after tea, a full delivery from Siddle, on to his stumps and Matt Prior (18) lobbed Johnson to Shane Watson at cover.

Andrew Flintoff (7), on walking on to the pitch was given a standing ovation by the Oval crowd in his final test but ultimately disappointed hugely when he slashed Johnson to Haddin. Trott’s promising start to his  innings was cut short when he was brilliantly run out by a direct hit at the batsman’s end by short-leg Simon Katich.

A late flurry of runs by Stuart Broad (26 not out) and Graeme Swann (18) took the hosts  past 300 before Swann was caught behind to give Siddle his fourth wicket.

There were glimmers of hope for England in the form of Ian Bell, who top-scored with 72 playing at number three, and a confident start for debutant Jonathan Trott who made a useful 41.Also, England can also take heart from the Oval pitch, which after having been baked by the hottest day of the year on Wednesday, was starting to take spin from Marcus North offering real promise to Swann when he takes his accurate spin attack to the Australians. But at the end of the day, Australia will be the happier of the two teams after a full day’s play.

The England bowling attack for once was bereft of ideas and the only moment of any note was a spectacular one-handed diving catch by James Anderson which dismissed North for 96. Earlier on in the innings Hussey and Watson batted out a third-wicket partnership of 85 in the morning session which proved set the tone for the Aussie innings for the day.

The seam attack of Graham Onions and Flintoff although providing a few scares to the Australian batsmen proved ultimately ineffective as did unusually, England off-spinner Graeme Swann. The only successes coming from Stuart Broad and Ravi Bopara.

When Tea was taken with Australia  on 293 for four the  draw was  looking  inevitable and indeed not long after the two captains duly agreed .With a day lost to rain and the Australians never looking likely to win this the third in the series of the 2009, there only option was for them to play for a draw.

If there was any doubt left in the England cricketers minds that this Australian team were capable of holding on to the Ashes these have now been banished. No previous Aussie team would have been content to play out their innings for a draw like this one and the once vaunted Australian invincibility has been shattered. If it had not been for the vagaries of the English weather, England would probably have been two up in the series. Bring on Headingly!

Flintoff, Matt Prior (41) and Stuart Broad (55) all played with panache leaving England on 376 after they started the mornings play on 116 for two. Captain Andrew Strauss was out for 69, edging a catch to wicketkeeper Graham Manou off Ben Hilfenhaus. The Aussie seam bowlers made the most of the conditions which favoured them and England were beginning to struggle and runs did not come easily to them. Just before lunch, Hilfenhaus had Paul Collingwood (13) edge to Ponting at second slip. England at lunch were 159 for four with Bell reaching fifty just after the interval. However he had only added three before Johnson had him lbw.

Then Flintoff joined Prior at the crease and the pair put on a powerful display of batting  to make 89 off 97 balls and the match swung in England’s favour. Freddie Flintoff played a number of delicious drives partnered by Prior who was eventually out for 41 to Peter Siddle. Flintoff looked well on his way to his century when he was caught at slip off of the bowling of Nathan Hauritz. The popular all-rounder departed to a well deserved standing ovation from the Edgbaston crowd. The good work was continued by Broad and Swann, Broad struck 55 off 64 balls, Swann a swift 24

 Katich was the first Australian wicket to fall in their second innings  on 26, caught by the England wicket  keeper Matt Prior off Graham Onions followed later by a fantastic bowling spell from Graeme Swann taking  the prize wicket of the Australian captain Ponting with a text book off-spinner which bowled him through the gate. Shane Watson was unbeaten on 34 at the close of play with Michael Hussey on 18.

The Australians ended the fourth day on 88 for two, 25 runs behind, and England who have a fighting chance of going two up in the 2009 Ashes series. It will be the English for once who will hope for the rain to stay away long enough for their bowling attack to complete the victory over the tourists.