England resume on 336-7 in Cardiff hoping to push on towards 400. Ed Hawkins is on hand to take you through the action and the prices. Email him at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

CLOSE 18.08 Aus 249-1
Same old England. When there is no swing, or help from the pitch, they look toothless. For Cardiff read Mumbai, Antigua or Trinidad. It has to be a worry for the hosts that James Anderson has not managed to swing a ball all day. Of greater concern will be the complete ineffectiveness of Graeme Swann and Monty Panesar. Earlier in the day Nathan Hauritz got spit but England's pair have barely managed a dribble between them. With Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting both hitting centuries - the easiest they have probably made - England have lost two of the three session and therefore the day. The match odds market has them out of contention at [11.00]. Australia, just 186 runs behind, are [3.45] and the draw is [1.59]. We'll be back tomorrow to see if England find inspiration from somewhere.

17.26 Aus 215-1
England will need to keep things tight so that when they get the new ball, in about 18 overs' time, Australia are still some way off. They have been reasonably successful. The run rate in the last 10 is just 2.2. Katich and Ponting are neck and neck at 85 in the race for the first century. James Anderson is now running in, hoping to get some reverse with this old ball.

17.08 Aus 198-1
Simon Katich has 83. He wouldn't have been to many people's pick for the first bloke to score a ton in this series. He's not glamorous is he? He has this crabby style which sees him shuffle across but you watch when he hits the ball. His head is still and his nose is right underneath it. He has probably benefitted from being sandwiched between Hughes and Ponting in the order. England would have been more focussed on those two and Katich might have been a bit of an after thought.

16.50 Aus 186-1
During the blackout it should be mnetioned that Katich scored his 15th Test century and Ricky Ponting passed 11,000 Test runs. We should also say that Australia comfortably took the second session to level things for the day and make the score 3-2 overall. It looks as though they're going to take this final session, too. England are a whopping [7.40] as proceedings have gone decidedly pear shaped.

16.29 Aus 163-1
Frustration all round. England are frustrated. I'm frustrated. We can't get the server going, folks. It's had a panic attack at the prospect of Australia getting too close to comfort to England's first-innings score. Since Andrew Flintoff removed Phil Hughes - goodness that seems like a long time ago - they have not looked like taking a wicket. And why would they? It is fair that we should not forget that before a 2-0 win over West Indies at the start of the summer, England had not bowled a side out twice since last August.

14.23 Aus 66-1
That Hughes wicket put a big old dent in England's price. Into [2.60] from [3.50]. It is rare that the market will move by such a margin, especially for a first wicket. What it tells us is that Hughes was beginning to cause a few palpatations, in part by the fast-scoring nature of his innings and his record in South Africa where he scored 415 runs. Indeed, such a dip in price is usually reserved for the best batsman of a team, a Kevin Pietersen or a Ricky Ponting. The 'ordinary Joe', if you will, makes it budge by about 0.5.

WICKET 14.13 Aus 60-1
Flintoff strikes. And it is Hughes who has gone in exactly the way we thought. Trying to find room by stepping back, Hughes found himself out of line with the ball and he edged behind to Matt Prior, who took a good low catch. England will be grateful for that. Ricky Ponting is at the crease and, forgive me, but I can't help thinking Flintoff is in the same sort of mood as Edgbaston 2005 when he produced a memorable over to Ponting. Don't go anywhere now.

14.07 Eng 55-0
Well, chances for England. Simon Katich has edged through the slips and been dropped by Andrew Flintoff from a difficult caught and bowled. Hughes is getting himself in a terrible tangle. His feet are all over the place and he looks shaky against the short stuff. However, he keeps getting bat on ball. He is backing his eye and if you have a good eye - which Hughes clearly does - you can have as many technical problems as you like but still you will score runs. England are on a slow but steady drift. Out to [3.45] now.

13.57 Aus 46-0
Flintoff produced a brute of an over to Hughes and just as Andrew Strauss would have hoped, Stuart Broad has followed suit. The pair are bowling in tandem at 90mph and look extremely awkward. However, it is vital that England claim a wicket during this spell. It would be a surprise if Flintoff bowled more than seven or eight overs in his first salvo (he is in his third over) so we are witnessing a potentially crucial period.

13.43 Aus 39-0
England won the first session but if they are to do continue in the ascendancy they need to bowl much better. Andrew Flintoff has been charged with setting the tone. His first ball was a bouncer to Phil Hughes, the second was a 90mph thunderbolt. The temperature has just gone up out there.

LUNCH 13.00 Aus 39-0
As brainless a period of pace bowling as I've seen from England for some time. Hughes has been allowed to get off to a flyer by Anderson and Broad feeding his strength. Fortunately, they have a chance to regroup but England have drifted to [3.05]. That's a big move.

12.48 Aus 29-0
England are missing their line with Hughes. Too much width. If he gets it, he'll slash and cut all day long because he has a tremendous eye. However, Andrew Flintoff could be his nemesis. Currently it is James Anderson and Stuart Broad who are not bowling with the required discipline to the leftie, who already has 22. Simon Katich has faced only four balls.

12.35 Aus 17-0
The eagle-eyed will spot that in our last post we didn't mention Phillip Hughes, the wunderkind, who top-scored for Australia in South Africa. The reason? A plethora of technical problems. His trigger movement with his back foot is to move it to the leg side. This suggests he is wary of a quick short ball (witness how Steve Harmison roughed him up in a warm-up at Worcester). Also, because he is keen to stay leg he is not as close to the ball outside off as he should be, meaning if the ball moves away slightly he could nick off. It is down to England to expose these weaknesses.

12.28 Aus 0-0
Time to have a look at Australia's top first-innings runscorer market. Our view is that Mike Hussey is the value at [5.60]. He has a ton in his last game and has a fanatsic record in Cardiff - averaging 106, with two centuries. Michael Clarke (average 109 here) and Marcus North (135) also have ridiculously good records. However, we doubt Clarke is tight enough technique-wise while we are unsure whether North is any good at all. Ricky Ponting is, of course, the jolly but he has struggled for form on tour so far.

12.18 Eng 435
You would barely have had time to click on the top bat link as Monty has edged to slip off Hauritz, who has claimed three wickets. Swann was left stranded on 47. No matter, England well in charge at [2.52] with Australia [7.60] and the draw [2.10]. Full analysis of where we are once I get the first biscuit of the day in me.

12.14 Eng 435-9
There is an interesting sub plot going on here. Swann (46) is closing on KP's top score of 66. The question is whether Monty can hang around long enough for Swann to surpass that score, or indeed whether Swann is quick/good enough to get there. If you reckon Swann is going to do it, you can back him at [7.00] as Any Other Batsman.

12.00 WICKET Eng 423-9
James Anderson's fine innings is over. He misjudged a hoik off Hauritz after scoring a hugely influential 26. Monty Panesar is in now, a man who is viewed with such comedy in English cricket that when his career is over he will make a fortune on the after-dinner circuit.

11.56 Eng 421-8
Yesterday we discussed, amid much hilarity, that if England's Ashes Test was a date with a woman, what would be happening?. Well, with England going at seven an over in the last 10 and Swann having struck Hilfenhaus over his head for an imperious four, it would be safe to say that it would currently come with an X-rated certificate. England are [2.44].

11.43 Eng 402-8
Hello. Hauritz is on and there is spin. But not slow and low spin. Big, leprechaun leaping, cobra spitting, seat-of-your-pants ripping, air balooning spin. It highlights why England are such a good bet as the 400 comes up with Graeme Swann (30 off 21 balls) reverse sweeping for four.
12.25 Eng 435
If you had followed our advice on day one, not to mention today (see 11.32) you should be feeling pretty pleased with yourself. England are in total command and not just because they've posted an impressive 435. The ball is turning sharply already which plays perfectly into the giant hands of spinners Monty Panesar and Graeme Swann. Swann should be particularly confident of wickets given that he will spin it away from the left-hander and Australia have four in their top six.

11.32 Eng 379-8
Mahavir, one of this blog's oldest chums, has been in touch to ask what the betting strategy is with regard to the draw, which currently stands at [2.30]. Ordinarily we would be keen to get this laid but not on your nelly in Cardiff. We have rain forecast for Saturday and Sunday and common sense dictates that if we took that price now we could be regretting it if the heavens open on the weekend. It would be much shorter you see. So why don't we back to lay then? Well, for the simple reason that it is too much of a gamble with regard to the amount of overs to be bowled between now and Saturday. So Mahavir, if you are desperate for an interest England are probably still value at [2.70] as they build a formidable first-innings total.

WICKET 11.18 Eng 355-8
Stuart Broad has gone. He has been bowled off his thigh pad by Mitchell Johnson, an unfortunate way to go. A blow for England, too because they would rather have paired Broad with new man Graeme Swann, an axis which could prove to be a crucial edge for England in this series. The prices have barely budged.

11.06 Eng 343-7
So let's have a quick look at the prices. England are [2.82], Australia [4.50] and the draw [2.30]. The latter, as ever, will get plenty of attention. The weather forecast is not good for Saturday and Sunday with heavy rain and showers respectively. Who'd have thought it eh? Rain in Wales. Whatever next? Some jowly Boyo belting out Land of Our Fathers at any opportunity. Yes, we've had that too.

10.58 Eng 336-7
Morning all. Day two of this first Ashes Test is about to get underway with England, according to all logic and the match odds market, in charge. We are happy with that having advised a back of them on day one. But not because we're English. Oh no. "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" according to Dr Johnson. Although I'm pretty sure he was not the biggest of punters, Doc could well have been moonlighting as a gambling expert in between writing his dictionary thanks to that weighty piece of advice.

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