Jones puts England in control

MANCHESTER – Quick bowler Simon Jones took six wickets for 53 to wrap up Australia’s first innings before England reached 26 without loss by lunch on the fourth day of the third test yesterday, giving them an overall lead of 168.

Jones’s best figures in tests, which included a burst of three wickets for six runs in 29 balls, helped England dismiss the world champions for 302. Marcus Trescothick, having passed 5 000 test runs, was 12 not out and Andrew Strauss 10 not out.Strauss, however, was given a torrid time when England batted again, requiring treatment for the second time in the match after being hit in the helmet by Brett Lee.The impact opened up a cut on his left ear.The left-handed opener also edged Lee between Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting at first and second slip, the two fielders left staring at each other as the ball raced to the third-man boundary.Australia, chasing England’s first innings of 444, had resumed on 264 for seven and Warne and Jason Gillespie extended their partnership to 86 before Warne, on 90, pulled Jones straight to deep square leg.Jones made it two wickets without conceding a run in 16 balls as Lee edged to first slip, Trescothick taking a sharp catch moving to his right.Gillespie, after almost two hours of studied defence, picked up Jones off a length and hoisted him for six over square leg but was trapped lbw soon after, having made 26.The five-match series is level at 1-1.Most of the third day was washed out by rain.Warne’s score, off 122 balls and including a six and 11 fours, was the highest score of the Australian innings, with opener Matthew Hayden next in line with 34.Warne, who frustrated the home side for just over three hours, has yet to score a test century.His innings at Old Trafford was the second time he has got to the 90s.He was dismissed for 99 against New Zealand in Perth in 2001.It was later revealed that left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori had clearly overstepped in taking the wicket.-Nampa-ReutersMarcus Trescothick, having passed 5 000 test runs, was 12 not out and Andrew Strauss 10 not out.Strauss, however, was given a torrid time when England batted again, requiring treatment for the second time in the match after being hit in the helmet by Brett Lee.The impact opened up a cut on his left ear.The left-handed opener also edged Lee between Shane Warne and Ricky Ponting at first and second slip, the two fielders left staring at each other as the ball raced to the third-man boundary.Australia, chasing England’s first innings of 444, had resumed on 264 for seven and Warne and Jason Gillespie extended their partnership to 86 before Warne, on 90, pulled Jones straight to deep square leg.Jones made it two wickets without conceding a run in 16 balls as Lee edged to first slip, Trescothick taking a sharp catch moving to his right.Gillespie, after almost two hours of studied defence, picked up Jones off a length and hoisted him for six over square leg but was trapped lbw soon after, having made 26.The five-match series is level at 1-1.Most of the third day was washed out by rain.Warne’s score, off 122 balls and including a six and 11 fours, was the highest score of the Australian innings, with opener Matthew Hayden next in line with 34.Warne, who frustrated the home side for just over three hours, has yet to score a test century.His innings at Old Trafford was the second time he has got to the 90s.He was dismissed for 99 against New Zealand in Perth in 2001.It was later revealed that left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori had clearly overstepped in taking the wicket.-Nampa-Reuters