<p>The tourists recovered from a shaky start to post 5 for 444 at stumps and put a miracle recovery by the home team further out of reach.<br /><br />The Australians, all out for just 98 on the first day, were buoyed when English openers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss added just 7 runs to their overnight total before being dismissed by in-form bowler Peter Siddle (3 for 58) in the space of four overs.<br /><br />Siddle played a part in all the dismissals, removing Kevin Pietersen leg-before-wicket for 51 and taking outfield catches off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson to send Paul Collingwood (8) and Ian Bell (1) back to the dressing room.<br /><br />In an ugly scene likely to earn him a reprimand from the match umpire, beleaguered Australian captain Ricky Ponting had words with field umpire Aleem Dar over an unsuccessful referral.<br /><br />The heroics were from Trott, whose 141 at stumps, alongside Matthew Prior on 75, steadied the middle order.<br /><br />Trott's partnerships, with Pietersen and then Prior, left Australia with the prospect of losing the Melbourne Test to put England 2-1 up in the series.<br /><br />The Brisbane match was drawn and England lost to Ponting's side in Perth.<br /><br />The final Test, in Sydney, could only give Australia a consolation victory because England only needed to draw the five-match series to retain the Ashes trophy.<br /><br />England are brimming with confidence. The last time a team won a Test match after scoring less than 100 in its first innings was back in 1907.<br /><br />"We have no excuses," Australian vice captain Michael Clarke said of his team's lowest first-inning score against England in 133 years.<br /><br />"The positive is that we will get another bat and another opportunity in the second innings."<br /><br />Clarke is favourite to supplant 36-year-old Ponting, who has scored just 93 runs in this Ashes series, averaging a tad over 15 runs.<br /><br />"When he bats, the ball just seems to get to him quicker now; that happens when you are 36," cricket commentator Robert Craddock said of Ponting, who seems destined to lose three of the four Ashes series in which he has captained Australia. <br /></p>
<p>The tourists recovered from a shaky start to post 5 for 444 at stumps and put a miracle recovery by the home team further out of reach.<br /><br />The Australians, all out for just 98 on the first day, were buoyed when English openers Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss added just 7 runs to their overnight total before being dismissed by in-form bowler Peter Siddle (3 for 58) in the space of four overs.<br /><br />Siddle played a part in all the dismissals, removing Kevin Pietersen leg-before-wicket for 51 and taking outfield catches off the bowling of Mitchell Johnson to send Paul Collingwood (8) and Ian Bell (1) back to the dressing room.<br /><br />In an ugly scene likely to earn him a reprimand from the match umpire, beleaguered Australian captain Ricky Ponting had words with field umpire Aleem Dar over an unsuccessful referral.<br /><br />The heroics were from Trott, whose 141 at stumps, alongside Matthew Prior on 75, steadied the middle order.<br /><br />Trott's partnerships, with Pietersen and then Prior, left Australia with the prospect of losing the Melbourne Test to put England 2-1 up in the series.<br /><br />The Brisbane match was drawn and England lost to Ponting's side in Perth.<br /><br />The final Test, in Sydney, could only give Australia a consolation victory because England only needed to draw the five-match series to retain the Ashes trophy.<br /><br />England are brimming with confidence. The last time a team won a Test match after scoring less than 100 in its first innings was back in 1907.<br /><br />"We have no excuses," Australian vice captain Michael Clarke said of his team's lowest first-inning score against England in 133 years.<br /><br />"The positive is that we will get another bat and another opportunity in the second innings."<br /><br />Clarke is favourite to supplant 36-year-old Ponting, who has scored just 93 runs in this Ashes series, averaging a tad over 15 runs.<br /><br />"When he bats, the ball just seems to get to him quicker now; that happens when you are 36," cricket commentator Robert Craddock said of Ponting, who seems destined to lose three of the four Ashes series in which he has captained Australia. <br /></p>