After a massive rain delay, the controversial dropping of Phil Hughes and a last-minute injury to Brad Haddin, the cricket got underway yesterday and Australia got off to a flyer. Ed Hawkins talks us through day two. Email him at hawkeyeview@hotmail.co.uk.

18.13 Eng 116-2 CLOSE
We've got a bit of rain now. They won't get out again tonight so we'll be back here tomorrow to report on what will, hopefully, be a thrilling day. England have won all three sessions today to give them a 3-1 advantage in the match.

18.01 Eng 116-2 BAD LIGHT
The players have got to be out on the field in the next 29 minutes otherwise that will be it for the day. The draw is [1.40], England have drifted to [5.90], which shows what the market thinks of their decision to go off, while Australia are [9.60].

17.48 Eng 116-2 BAD LIGHT
Unbelievably, England have taken the light. Can't agree with that one I'm afraid chaps. Do England want to win this series or not? Andrew Strauss and Ian Bell were going well, seeing the ball nicely and tightening their grip on the urn. But they have given Australia an unexpected, and completely unwarranted, opening back into the contest. When Strauss and Bell re-emerge they will be starting from scratch. A new innings. Australia will be refershed and regrouped.

17.44 Eng 114-2
I hate to get at umpires but we've just seen the Hawkeye replay of the Johnson v Bell leg before shout and it was hitting middle and off. I wonder if that is the stroke of luck that Bell needs to revive his Test career? So often he has looked good at the crease only to fall inexplicably. he most certainly has been given a life. Andrew Strauss is absolutely solid at the other end. He is granite personified. Nowt shall pass. Granite is also rather good for kitchen top surfaces as well as obscure batting references. By the way, isn't it about time we saw Shane Watson with the ball? Don't tell me the lad's injured again!

17.40 Eng 110-2
It looks as though Mitchell Johnson is going to test out Ian Bell with some short stuff. He's never really struggled with such a tactic, though. The best bet with Bell is to keep on tempting him outside off. He is prone to nibble at it, particularly if he gets caught flat footed. As I type, Johnson has swung one back into his pads and for all the world it looked out. We don't even need to see Hawkeye for that one. Lucky boy, Bell. Typically, he whacks the next ball for four.

17.23 Eng 99-2
Two sumptuous boundaries from Strauss and a previous mighty hit for six by Ian Bell off Nathan Hauritz gives one the feeling that England are beginning to turn the scew. Strauss has his 50 and according to the statistics Australia should have a horrible feeling in the pit of their stomachs. Strauss has the fourth highest conversion rate in Test history for going onto make 100 after passing 50. Only Don Bradman, George Headley and Ashwell Prince have better figures. It's useful to know isn't it when we are in the business of trying to predict runs and wickets?

17.12 Eng 82-2
There is shape for Hilfenhaus but very little for SIddle. By contrast, England has Anderson and Onions working in tandem after the 30 over mark, which we have just passed. Hauritz is on now, replacing Siddle. Strauss needs two for a 50 while Bell looks untroubled even if he is not quite timing the ball.

16.55 Eng 65-2
Nine runs in six overs since tea. A hint of swing for Hilfenhaus after 24 overs. Ricky Ponting should get Hauritz off and another paceman on. Oh good, he's doing that. It's Peter Siddle. Let's watch closely now to see if Siddle gets it to go.

WICKET 16.38 Eng 60-2
Oooh big wicket. Ravi Bop-ra has been bowled by Ben Hilfenhaus. Just a loose shot from the England man. Nothing to do with swing. The bat was a long way from the body, dangling and he got an inside edge. He's got to get on top of the ball, smell the leather. Ian Bell is the new man and I expect he should be good to hang around for a few. True he averages only 25 against Australia. But that is a hugely misleading statistic because Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne were in the Aussie team that he faced. This bunch aren't fit to lace the duo's velcro on their OAP boots.

16.35 Eng 60-1
I guess it would be fair to give Australia 30 overs before we right them off in this innings. After all, that was how long it took England to get some movement. It might be clutching at straws, though because, as we said, it was the overcast conditions that helped the hosts. Australia will be desperate for that breakthrough because they reckon that Ian Bell is a walking wicket at No 4.

TEA 16.15 Aus 56-1
Australia are in dire need of finding some swing. But the muggy overhead conditions which helped England earlier have long gone and they could be staring down the barrel in the final session. The pitch is flat and when the ball does not bend it just goes straight on off a surface for batsmen. Australia will be cursing that they had the worst of the conditions. Andrew Strauss and Ravi Bopara are 33 and 23 not out respectively. Bop-ra, in particular, has looked in good touch.

15.51 Eng 40-1
Nathan Hauritz is into his second over for Australia. So much for swing. It it ain't bending, then Australia have problems. Runs will only shorten the draw here, folks but England could be building a commanding position. Having said that, Hauritz is bowling quite tidily. He's getting a bit drift in the breeze.

15.33 Eng 24-1
Bop-ra is looking in solid touch. A couple of nice drives for four, one of them down the ground. Always a good sign that a player is in nick. We are eight overs in now so let's look closely to see if the ball starts to bend now they have had time to get some spit and sweat into the ball.

15.21 Eng 15-1
Value is in short supply on that top runscorer market. Andrew Strauss is just too short now at [3.15] given he has only six. If there is to be any wager, it would have to be the [4.10] on Any Other Batsman but that is hardly an ideal price. We'd like at least [6.00]. Any Other is effectively everyone from Andrew Flintoff down. Fred has a great record here as you will see from our stats posted earlier.

WICKET 15.08 Eng 6-1
Cook gone. Something of a blessing because regular followers of this blog know that I would rather eat my own eyes than watch him and his crooked bat all day. Bop-ra the new man. He will be nervous, particularly after he dropped that easy catch. Peter Siddle, he who runs in as if his trousers are on fire, got the wicket. Graham Manou took a smart catch behind the stumps.

15.07 Eng 2-0
England are underway. So let's have a look at the top England first-innings runscorer market. Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook are the favourites at [4.00] and [4.20] respectively. Remember how we highlighted in Australia's innings that openers dominate? Well, Watson TV became the fifth opener to top score in the last seven first digs. So England's pair have good credentials. Here are the records of England's top six.

Averages at Edgbaston first-class/Test
A Strauss 26/21
A Cook 66/47
R Bopara 73*/n-a
I Bell 41/24
P Collingwood 41/40
M Prior 32/n-a
A Flintoff 47/47
*from one match

14.49 Australia 269
Graham Onions, the man who started Australia's rot, has, er, stopped it by taking the final wicket of Ben Hilfenhaus, caught by Graeme Swann, for 20. That was Onions' fourth. James Anderson took five. So, will Australia get it to swing? England are [3.90], Australia [5.10] and the draw is [1.80].

14.44 Aus 257-9
A frustrating partnership for England this. Now worth 27 valuable runs to Australia. Nathan Hauritz looks reasoinably tidy. He gets in line and tries to get his nose over the ball. He has a highest first-class score of 94, which is not too shabby. However, Andrew Flintoff wasn't bowling in whatever game that was. England will hope he can end this innings now.

14.26 Aus 246-9
Nathan Hauritz is going to try to play some shots to get Australia somewhere close to the respectability of 300. Long way off, though. Ben Hilfenhaus is the sort of batsman who would bat at No 12 if teams were allowed one more player. My point has just been proven by Hilf playing a truly atrocious shot against Onions. He went for a hook and the ball balooned to Ravi Bop-ra, who, running back, shelled an easy chance. It would have been tougher to drop a toilet roll.

WICKET 14.07 229-9
The sun is out at Edgbaston now as Peter Siddle goes to give James Anderson his fifth. Could it be just in time for England to get the best batting conditions? On such things are series decided. At Lord's Egland got the better of the conditions with the ball and Australia the rough end. That is the rational explanation of England's victory there. But one cannot help but feel increasingly nervous about Australia's batting. Their ability, or lack of it, to play swing bowling, which was brutally exposed in 2004, appears to have worsened.

13.47 Aus 208-8
I have to take issue with Stuart Broad's comments this morning that England had "a new ball". He said it twice. Bearing in mind the ball was 30, yes 30, overs old there have to be serious question marks over the intelligence of the lad. At the very least we must fear for him when he buys a car. "Is it new?" asks Stuart of the car dealer. "You bet it is son, only done 30,000 miles." "I'll take it."

13.40 Aus 203-8
We're back after the break. Stuart Broad has the ball. Er, what is he doing with it? It should be with Onions and Anderson, the architects of England's strong position.

WICKET 13.06 Aus 203-8 LUNCH
Manou believe it! Well, yes actually. James Anderson has 4-11 in this spell by castling the replacement Australia wicket-keeper. Poor old Manou didn't know what hit him. The ball bent, dipped, zipped and clipped his off stump to leave him completely dumbfounded. England in complete control of this Test and it has to be said that the seven wickets (Onions got the other three) in that morning session has rendered the loss of overs yesterday almost irrelevant in terms of the draw price. The game has moved on so quickly that the odds have had to do likewise. Out to [1.95] now. England are [3.60].

WICKETS 12.54 Aus 203-7
Two in two for James Anderson as the Edgbaston crowd chant "Easy! Easy!" And England are most certainly shorter than Australia now. First to go was Marcus North thanks to a diving Matt Prior, who clung on expertly to an edge. Too expansive from North and Australia's problem against swing bowling is costing them again. He pushed one a little wide and North went for it. Next ball, Mitchell Johnson left a straight one and Ump Rudi reckoned it would have hit had his leg not got in the way. England as skinny as [3.70]. Australia [5.30] and the draw on a real march north to [1.83].

12.45 Aus 202-5
The wicket of Clarke has brought Graham Manou to the wicket. Here he is. Manou has caused much frivolity because of his unusual name. A headline writer's dream, you could say. This is his Test debut so he is the Manou kid on the block. But with Australia in trouble, he must knuckle down and start to Manou-the-field. Contrived.

WICKET 12.42 Aus 197-5
Michael Clarke has gone leg before to James Anderson. I was just about to post about the top Australia runscorer market, which Clarke headed at [2.05] and Watson TV at [3.25]. Well, with Clarke on his way back for 29, TV is down to [1.41]. There is more interest on the match odds market. England look big at [6.40] don't they? Australia are shorter at [5.30]. It should be the other way round.

12.24 Aus 183-4
Andrew Flintoff has dropped a barbie doll off Michael Clarke. Onions was the bowler again. Clarke went to play but tried to withdraw the bat with one of those cavalier leaves which always looks a little too cocky for my liking. Anyway, he got an edge and it flew to Flintoff who seemed to be taken by surprise.

12.13 Aus 171-4
A shot of two firemen using their crane to watch the cricket. Scandalous. A waste of taxpayer's money. If I was an Edgbaston resident I would now be writing to my local paper. Actually, scrub that. I'd set fire to my airing cupboard so their little sojourn would be brought to an abrupt end.

12.00 Aus 168-4
"Someone's put a rocket up their arse," says TB about England's improvement. Succinct. But it is swing which has lit the fuse. Really bending now and Michael Clarke and Marcus North have a battle on. Indeed, quite why Clarke is still at the crease. He has just been hit peach-plumb in front by that man Onions. Ump Aleem Dar didn't give it, though. Looks like he's been to the same optician as Mr Hussey.

WICKET 11.42 Aus 163-4
I give up. Don't listen to me. Ricky Ponting has gone for a pull and edged behind to the keeper. Onions the man again. Ahhh, but we shouldn't be surprised by that. Remember he has averaged a wicket on this ground every 29 balls in first-class cricket. Australia's good start is but a distant memory. England into [8.60] with Australia [5.10] and the draw [1.45].

11.40 Aus 163-3
We should expect Ricky Ponting and Michael Clarke to go well now, which will only mean the draw price, [1.40], shortens up. In the context of the 38 overs we have had, the two in two from Onions is a freak and punters should not expect wickets to keep falling at regular intervals. This actually looks a pretty decent wicket. Yes, the ball is moving around but it does not appear to be particularly tricky to bat on.

11.20 Aus 149-3
Lucy Verasamy, who is looking rather wistful in this picture, as if she is trying to comprehend how Hussey was bowled, has not made an appearance today to give us a weather update so it will be left to me to keep you informed: no rain. Easy peesy.

11.10 Aus 128-3
Word has it Mike Hussey, has not made it back to the pavilion. He was last seen wandering around the car park muttering to passers-by "have you got a kind face? Which way to the dressing room?" Hussey must have had sleep in his eyes this morning to leave a straight one from Onions. It is the only possible explanation. That or he forgot his contact lenses, although I doubt he wears them.

WICKETS 11.01 Aus 126-3
Jerusalem obviously got Onions' juices flowing. He has trapped Shane Watson TV plumb in front with the first ball of the day and England's price has plummeted to [12.50]. Mike Hussey ... CRASH! Two in two for Onions. And as Nasser Hussain says "what a difference a day makes!" Onions on a hat-trick. England [8.60]. Hussey just left a straight one! Has he got myopia?

11.00 Aus 126-1
The strains of Jerusalem are echoing around Edgbaston. Makes a change eh? It's not like the ECB have over-egged that pudding. But at least it means play is about to start at a green and pleasant (see what I've done there?) Edgbaston. Graham Onions is going to kick things off. England are [17.00], Australia [4.10] and the draw is [1.41].

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