Michael Clarke scored his first Test century in two years as Australia inched their way towards England’s total in the second Ashes Test on Monday.
Clarke followed up his 50 from last week’s first Test in Brisbane with an unbeaten 121 as Australia crawled to 502 for seven at tea on the fourth day at the Adelaide Oval.
Adam Gilchrist made 64 and Shane Warne 43 after sharing a 118 partnership with Clarke to steer Australia to within 49 runs of England’s first innings total of 551-6 declared.
With only four sessions to go and the pitch offering little encouragement to the bowlers, a draw was looming as the most likely result, leaving Australia 1-0 in front after they won the first Test in Brisbane by 277 runs.
Australia had started the day on 312-5, needing 40 more to avoid the follow-on, but any hopes of a result faded once they passed the follow-on point in the first hour.
Gilchrist briefly threatened to go on the rampage, racing to his half-century off just 70 balls, but threw his wicket away with the total on 384 when he swept Ashley Giles straight to Ian Bell in the deep.
Gilchrist, who failed to notch a single 50 in the last Ashes series and made a duck in last week’s first Test in Brisbane, showed why he remains one of the most dangerous middle-order batsmen in the game but Australia resorted to a more cautious approach once he left.
Clarke, who was once regarded as the golden boy of Australian cricket after making 151 on debut in India then 141 in his first Test at home against New Zealand, pressed his claims for a permament recall with a flawless hundred.
The 25-year-old was only included in the team after all-rounder Shane Watson tore his hamstring before the first Test but has enhanced his prospects of holding his spot after two impressive innings.
He made 50 in Brisbane before adding a hundred in Adelaide off 183 balls in 265 minutes, reaching the milestone with a sharply taken single off James Anderson.
Warne was fairly subdued by his normal standards, batting 157 minutes for his 43, and was out on the last ball before tea when he was trapped lbw by Matthew Hoggard, who completed his seventh five-wicket haul in tests after capturing all four wickets that fell on Sunday.
England hold the Ashes after a 2-1 series victory in 2005. – Reuters