What a day

After the brief action on Thursday - two hours, some rank bad bowling that made Shane Watson look like a veteran opener, one wicket - England exploded into life on Friday.

Graham Onions had gone at seven an over in the short Thursday session - tempted to introduce a pun about his figures making your eyes water, but I won't bother - but roared back on Friday morning, sending back Watson and Michael Hussey with the first two balls of the day, both of the beautiful swinging deliveries. The first to the right-handed Watson pitched on middle and straightened - plumb lbw. The second was even better, pitching middle-and-off to the left-hander and, instead of going across Hussey, straightening and removing off stump with no shot offered. And so the tone was set.

When the ball is hooping about, there are few better than Jimmy Anderson and he made hay with a five-for the pick of which was the one that got debutant Graham Manou. He was on debut after Brad Haddin broke a finger in the warm-up after the teams had been submitted, but England had enough grace to allow a replacement. Anderson and Onions wrapped it all up between them which meant Andrew Flintoff was spared too much work on that still troublesome ankle.

Though England lost Alistair Cook for nought, Andrew Strauss looks in complete control of the situation. He's in form and, without Kevin Pietersen, his runs will be vital. Ian Bell even chimed in with a rare collector's item, a six, struck back over Nathan Hauritz's head.

However, the draw is the favourite outcome here. The fates have conspired against England and the weather is doing it's level best to scupper any chance of allowing the side to grind Australia into the dirt in what is a rare period of dominance over the baggy greens. It all looks like we're going to Headingley with the series at 1-0.