Can England redeem themselves after an awful first day in Yorkshire? Ed Hawkins will keep you in touch whether good or bad. Email him at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk

18.34 Eng 82-5 CLOSE
England in turmoil at the end of day two. Australia will win this Test tomorrow. Join me for the last rites where we will discuss the consequences for the series of this Australia charge.

WICKET 18.22 Eng 78-5
Alastair Cook the next to go. We can't have Cook on this blog so we're not sorry to see the back of him for 30 after being caught behind for 30 off Mitchell Johnson, who has three wickets and has swung it in, out and shake it all about. Cook averages only 29 in this series. Not good enough for your opening batsman. Australia could claim the extra half hour here.

WICKET 18.12 Eng 74-4
The Procession II. Sounds like a Hollywood movie. Collingwood lbw b Johnson 4. England have sent in James Anderson as nightwatchman to protect Matt Prior with three overs left.

18.11 Eng 70-3
England have problems ahead of The Oval. And not just because the series will be tied at 1-1. They're in a total muddle selection-wise. Ravi Bopara, with a run of scores of 35, 1, 18, 27, 23, 1 and 0, should be dropped. But who do they play at No 3? Bell (see 17.59) or Jonathan Trott? Trott would represent a gamble given it is his first Test and one England have to win.

17.59 Eng 67-3
Ian Bell (3) the next to go. Mitchell Johnson got one to nibble away and Bell bit. Caught at slip by a sprawling Ricky Ponting. Bell's having a rubbish game. He's managed only 11 runs and you have to question the wisdom of the England selectors who brought him back. He has is a proven poor performer at this level. And that's not after-timing. We've filled many column inches on this blog discussing better uses for Bell other than an international cricketer. I think the most amusing we came up with was a Bell Hop (you can see what we did there).

17.49 Eng 62-2
Wickets have come in clusters haven't they, even if we forget about England's first-innings? I feel a bit sorry for Bopara. He got a fair chunk of it on that inside edge. So often batsmen who are desperate for a score get a poor decision. But we mustn't have a pop (or a Bop, geddit!) at Umpire Rauf. It looked dead in real time. Besides, Rauf is not a man to mess with. He looks like the baddy out of Indian Jones: The Temple of Doom.

WICKETS 17.42 Eng 58-2
Whoops! Strauss has gone. Leg before. Almost identical to the shout he survived first ball of the match. Caught on the crease nd hit plumb in front. Hifenhaus was bolwer then and he was this time, too. Ravi Bopara ... GONE FIRST BALL! Leg before again. Disaster for the Essex man. Replays show he hit it.

17.38 Eng 58-0
There are 10 overs left tonight as Michael Holding explains how England have batted much better in this second dig, leaving balls alone which got them out first time around. Ashed whether they'd learned from their mistakes, Holding offered a sobering "yep, that's what you've got to do in life, on and off the field."

17.30 Eng 53-0
This is the seventh 50 partnership for the first wicket in the last nine Tests at Headingley. Another seven runs and it will be only the fifth of 60 or more for the first wicket in the last nine. I'm full of stats me.

17.14 Eng 42-0
England's price has been chopped in half to [25.00] thanks to this reasonable start. Bonkers really but there you go. Just going back to the subject of the metronomic Stuart Clark, does anyone else agree that he is the type of bowler Stuart Broad should try to be? Broad should be quite capable of plonking back of a length just outside off all day long at the high 80s. He'd be a cracker of a bowler if he did that instead of trying to be all things to all men in his current guise.

16.57 Eng 25-0
Stuart Clark has a darn fine record at Test level. the chap has an average of just 22. Brilliant stuff. He's a sort of no-nonsense, Mr Reliable, Handyman, fix-your-car-for-a-fiver type of bloke isn't he? I think he's great anyway. Currently he's trying to get Strauss caught at short midwicket with two close catchers. Actually, that's rather decandent for a man of Clark's rep.

16.32 Eng 17-0
They're betting on top England second-innings runscorer. A tricky one this because some players will find it harder than others to knuckle down in such a losing cause. I was going to suggest that Ian Bell would have been the bet at [6.00] because he has a reputation for scoring runs when the pressure is off. Remember his 87 at Perth in the previous Ashes? The stats don't back it up, though. He has a poor third-innings record in this country. The numbers back up Paul Collingwood, who is [6.80].
Third-innings averages in England
Strauss 39
Cook 39
Bopara 14
Bell 15
Collingwood 47
Prior 24

16.16 Eng 8-0
It would be reasonable to assume that England should be capable of making Australia wait for victory. They should avoid an innings defeat, at the very least. This is a good batting wicket and those third-innings scores provide further proof. The worry for the hosts is their morale. Are they utterly demoralised? It must be hard to reconcile that they have thrown away their 1-0 lead. This is a time when captains and coaches earn their corn. They have to lift the players and instill the importance of finding some sort of momentum before The Oval contest, which they will have to win.

16.04 Eng 0-0
England are about to start their innings. They need a minimum 500. 327/345/309. Those are their last three third-innings efforts at Headingley. They are [2.14] for 375 runs or more.

15.47 Aus 445
Marcus North has holed out for 110 to give Stuart Broad a sixth. A fine dig. Australia are on course for victory with a lead of 343. Australia are [1.09]. They should be much, much skinnier than that if you ask me. England need 500 to even have hope.

15.38 Aus 440-9
Five wickets for Broad as Clark is bowled for an entertaining 32. An irrelevant haul for Broad, who has been a bit irritating in this session. Too much posturing, too much aggression, too much staring. Too late, pal. England needed that yesterday or first up this morning, not when you're running in against tailenders trailing by 338-odd.

15.28 Aus 434-8
Marcus North went to his century with a mighty six. And Australia are now adding insult to injury. Stuart Clark has started smashing the England attack to all parts. He has just creamed two consecutive sixes off Stuart Broad to go with the one he connected with earlier off Graeme Swann. Cracking stuff. Broad looks about to cry.

WICKET 15.13 Aus 398-8
Stuart Broad has his fourth wicket which must be bitter sweet for England. In a Test they will have to win at The Oval, Broad's spot could have been up for grabs. They may find it difficult to drop him now. Peter Siddle lasted only one ball, by the way, bowled neck and crop. North needs five for a ton. Get on with it, fella. Stuart Clark has joined him.

WICKET 15.07 Aus 393-7
Big news. England have taken a wicket. It's Mitchell Johnson who has gone, caught at deep square leg for 27 off Stuart Broad.

14.50 370-6
There are a few examples of some uneven bounce out there, which will not help England's chances of being just well-beaten instead of thrashed. The lead for Australia is 268. Marcus North is closing in on a century. He has 84.

14.33 Aus 353-6
Only once in their history have England won from a worse position (they currently trail by 250 runs). A deficit of 261 in 1894 in Sydney. So to cheer all you England supporters up, here's a reminder of something topical and extraordinary.

14.22 Aus 350-6
Luton are also in the Conference this season following relegation and they look a cracking bet at [3.35] to win the thing. A lot of non-league aficionados will tell you that teams coming down into the section from the Football league always struggle. They are right. I don't know the stats off hand but it is a trend to say the least. The flaw this season is that Luton were relegated because of a 30-point deduction so they don't have the stigma of being bad at football, like every other side relegated before them. They are a mid-table League Two side. They'll romp it.

14.18 Aus 344-6
The football season starts today, of course. It always seems to come round ridiculously early doesn't it? My team, Oxford United, are in action against York CIty in the Conference. Now, now before you start ribbing me about my choice of club, let me remind you that non-league football is proper football. None of this passing to your teammates nonsense with one-touch fanciness. It's kick the ball as hard as you can and if you can't do that kick the person nearest to you - and it doesn't matter if it's a teammate.

13.59 Aus 324-6
That was the new ball working for England then. Australia may be well advised to attack the new rock with reckless abandon. A quick 30 runs from the blades of Marcus North and Mitchell Johnson would demoralise England and surely put the result beyond doubt. Remember, although the new ball generally means wickets it can also fly to the boundary much quicker.

WICKET 13.55 Aus 323-6
Brad Haddin has gone. He has been bounced out by Steve Harmison, which will only encourage England to pepper the new man, Mitchell Johnson, who has looked unsure against the short ball in his innings during this series. Australia lead by 221.

13.43 Aus 209-5
Steve Harmison and Graeme Swann have opened up for England after lunch. Baffling that Graham Onions has not been asked to start off the session. Perhaps Andrew Strauss is saving his best bowler for the new ball, which is due in three overs.

LUNCH 13.02 Aus 306-5
Australia take the session after increasing their lead to 204 for the loss of only one wicket. Even if England were able to take the remaining five wickets for 50 runs and then score 450 (surpressed laughter), Australia would need only 200. England are cooked, that's for sure.

WICKET 12.48 Aus 303-5
England have their first scalp of the morning - just the 107 minutes too late. Sadly, it's Michael Clarke who deserved a century. He fell seven short, leg before to Graham Onions. It was a full ball which hit him on the toe after dipping in sharply. Australia lead by a massive 201 runs.

12.27 Aus 289-4
Top 5 Reasons Why England Have Been So Poor

1 Headingley is their second least successful home venue with a win-loss ratio of 1.42. Trent Bridge (1.06) is their worst

2 They are without their two best players in Kevin Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff. Flintoff is statistically worth nearly 150 runs more on first-innings.

3 England suffered further disruption by being chucked out of their hotel at 5am on the day of the game, Matt Prior got a back injury in the warm-up and James Anderson is patently unfit.

4 Australia are the No 1-ranked side in the world. England are fifth, which dictates that we should expect inconsistency

5 Only one Englishman (Matt Prior) averages 40 or more at Headingley in Tests

12.15 Aus 278-4
Wait, wait, wait. Hang on. Just before I do the Top 5, I must take issue with Sirloin of Beef's assertion that England have not batted as poorly for "a long, long time." England being bowled out for 51 against West Indies in February anyone?

12.10 Aus 271-4
For a change, Sirloin of Beef is confused. Goodness, life must be hell for the poor man. He is perennially befuddled. A trip to the supermarket, a ringing mobile phone, deciphering a train timetable, hoovering - the most simple things must cause consternation. Sirloin can't understand why England have been so poor, which fits in nicely with our theme this morning which is ... why have England been so poor. So for Ian Botham's benefit, in a mo The Top 5 Reasons Why England Have Been So Poor. Bet you didn't see that heading coming.

11.56 Aus 265-4
Caulfield Chris has been first up to answer my question about why he expects England to be performing better. "It's the Ashes, there just doesn't seem to be any passion! We need to get into them. Oh for Freddie." Forgive me for my chuckle but "passion"? This isn't a football match, Chris. Indeed, I would argue that England have been guilty of showing too much of that most dangerous of sporting emotions. They were roared on by boozed-up hoardes yesterday afternoon which led to too much short stuff, the inevitable consequence of a side which is too pumped. But you're right about Flintoff. England miss him. They miss Kevin Pietersen, too. So really, an England side minus those two are suffering in exactly they way we should expect.

11.43 Aus 259-4
Michael Clarke (74) is on the verge of pipping Ricky Ponting for top Australia runscorer. That would bring to an end our run of four consecutive top bat bets. Ho hum.

11.33 Aus 245-4
In the eight overs this morning, Australia's run rate is 6.13. If you're an England fan, you have probably kicked the cat, clipped the kids round the ear and screamed at the missus (or variations on the aforementioned) but before you end up in the divorce courts with Steve Harmison cited, ask yourself this: why do you expect England to be performing better? Email me at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk and we'll have a debate.

11.22 Aus 227-4
England have drifted to [19.00] in quick time this morning. It was not the start they wanted. So, do we have a nibble on that? It is a golden rule to take such big prices on first-innings in a Test because there is so much that could happen. The problem in this case is that a lot could happen but a lot of it is quite fanciful. England would need to knock these last six wickets over before lunch to keep Australia's lead to under 200, they would have to make about 400 in the third dig and then set Ricky Ponting's side a tricky chase in the fourth innings. Only in that fourth innings would we be able to trade that price for reasonable clicks. And it would probably take a couple of early Australia wickets at that. Michael Clarke has 50.

11.16 Aus 221-4
Suffering a bit this morning. Achey, sluggish, heavy-eyed, headache, feel a bit vommy. Swine flu? Wine flu more like. Too much Chardonnay. England's bowlers have started in the same manner because they had nothing to celebrate last night. Perhaps they were drowning their sorrows. Steve Harmison and James Anderson have bowled too short again. We've had a boundary in four of the five overs bowled.

11.06 Aus 210-4
Good morning sports fans. England, if you didn't know by now, are losing their grip on this series. They have to take Australia's remaining six wickets for fewer than 100 runs otherwise they face almost certain defeat. Here are the prices: Australia [1.12], England [15.00] and the draw [21.00]

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