Hussey and Lee hand Australia 3-0 lead

Australia 6 for 215 (Hussey 68*, Haddin 54) beat England 214 (Trott 84*, Lee 3-27) by 4 wickets

In pic: Brett Lee was Man of the Match for his 3 for 27 © AFP

Australia put themselves within touching distance of taking the one-day series with a four-wicket victory at the SCG. David Hussey guided them home in an uncertain run chase with an unbeaten 68 alongside Victoria team-mate John Hastings after Brad Haddin's aggressive 54 set the early pace. England were kept interested by early wickets and a double for Paul Collingwood but there were always too few runs on the board for a depleted bowling attack.

It was an important innings for Hussey, who reached his fifty with a six, after he was named in the World Cup despite not playing ODI cricket for 18 months and he showed the finishing skills that have so often been evident for his domestic teams. He had important support from Steve Smith (26) after Australia wobbled on 5 for 114 then, after Smith departed to a horrid swipe, Hastings showed why he's off to the World Cup with a composed 18.

It was a match low on batting quality as England limped to 214 only thanks to Jonathan Trott's determined 84. Continuing their pattern of the series they handed wickets to Australia, this time including the run-out of Andrew Strauss, but the home side weren't blameless when it came to their dismissals. That at least kept the contest interesting until Hussey rattled down the target with consecutive boundaries off Ajmal Shahzad and Australia had four overs in hand.

When Collingwood, recalled to the side to replace the injured Kevin Pietersen who has a groin strain, claimed two wickets in the first two overs England suddenly sniffed a victory to haul themselves back into the series. Collingwood failed again with the bat when he missed a straight ball from Xavier Doherty, but trapped Cameron White lbw with his second delivery and then had Haddin, who was earlier dropped on 37, caught at long-on for 54 from a needless shot.

Haddin put Australia well ahead of the rate but kept losing partners. Shane Watson missed a drive at Chris Tremlett in the second over and Shaun Marsh, promoted to No.3, was brought back down to earth after his 110 at Hobart when he was lbw to Shahzad. Michael Clarke's form showed no signs of improving as he chipped Chris Woakes' sixth ball in one-day international cricket to midwicket, where Michael Yardy juggled the catch.

It should have been 4 for 68 when Haddin drove to mid-off but Tremlett couldn't take the chance low to his left and Haddin brought up his fifty with a fine cover-drive only to put pressure on his team-mates with poor shot selection. The difference at the moment, though, is Australia's belief is on the rise and England's is taking a hit, which is especially evident in the batting

With the exception of Trott, whose innings is also likely to spark debate, no one covered themselves in any glory against an Australia attack lacking two first-choice options in Nathan Hauritz and Shaun Tait. Injuries are a problem for both sides - Tim Bresnan has been ruled out of the series - but the hosts are covering their casualty list with much more aplomb. On this occasion, Doherty was impressive with 2 for 37 and Hastings showed his all-round value.

Brett Lee was the overall pick, though, and began England's problems in the first over when he removed Matt Prior lbw for his second consecutive duck since his recall. A wicket to the new ball is forgivable, but the mix-up between Strauss and Trott was shambolic as they were left standing at the same end. The only reason the third umpire was needed was to decide Strauss was the man to go.

Ian Bell got a leading edge back to Watson who took it with a dive in his follow through before Trott and Eoin Morgan began a recovery with a stand of 50. Morgan, though, had struggled to settle with two near-misses in his innings before pulling a long hop from Hussey to midwicket. He's just lost his knack of finding the gaps.

There was help on offer for the spinners but England made it look even harder. Collingwood opened his account with an edge past leg stump then missed a delivery which took off stump. Yardy continued to struggle when he chipped a limp return catch to the bowler and it left Trott needing to bat out the innings.

He and Luke Wright added 49 but it was slow progress as Trott dealt in singles for 40 consecutive scoring shots, then Wright gave it away with a loose drive at Hastings. Lee hustled through the lower order and Tremlett's run-out when he failed to ground his bat summed up how England, so outstanding during the Ashes, are starting to make costly basic errors. It's a long way back from here. -ESPNcricinfo

England fight to save Ashes opener

Brisbane: England were battling to save going one down in the Ashes series after Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin posted centuries to give Australia a massive innings lead in the first Gabba Test today. Hussey registered his highest Test score of 195 and Haddin contributed 136 in a Gabba record stand of 307 runs to propel Australia to a 221-run innings lead on the third day. England, who have not won a Brisbane Test since Mike Gatting's team prevailed by seven wickets in 1986, reached the close at 19 without loss with Andrew Strauss on 11 and Alastair Cook six.

In pic: Michael Hussey and Brad Haddin during their enormous partnership

Australia rammed home an early psychological advantage by keeping England toiling in the field for 158.4 overs and almost 12 hours before they got their second turn to bat. The leviathan sixth-wicket partnership ended 20 minutes after tea when Haddin was snapped up by Paul Collingwood at first slip off spinner Graeme Swann for 136. The belligerent stand, spread over six and a half hours, trumped the previous Gabba record partnership of 276 between Don Bradman and Lindsay Hassett for the third wicket against England in 1946-47. It also ranked as the 12th highest stand in Ashes Tests and the fifth best in Australia.

Hussey surpassed his previous highest Test score of 182 against Bangladesh in Chittagong in 2006. He more than justified the selectors' faith to register his 12th Test century and ended a lean trot since his last hundred (134 no) against Pakistan in Sydney last January, 14 Test innings ago. Hussey was finally out when he pulled Finn to Cook at deep square leg ending an eight-hour 330-ball vigil with 26 fours and a six. It was Haddin's third Test century and second against England and came in 398 minutes with 16 fours and one six. Haddin brought up his hundred with a flourish by slamming Swann over his head for six. It was deflating day for England, who began promisingly and had little luck in the extended morning session, but fell away under the onslaught from the Aussie pair.

James Anderson put down Haddin on 113 in Stuart Broad's 29th over after the wicketkeeper had given an earlier chance on 63 when Cook could not take a running catch at long-off from Collingwood's bowling. The tourists' fielding became ragged and there were several fumbles in the field as the Aussie pair continued to pick runs off their bowlers. The runs began flowing after an excruciating morning for the Australian pair with Hussey, in particular, having an lbw dismissal against him overruled by referral as England made use of the second new ball. Hussey on 82 referred to the third umpire after he was given out lbw to Anderson in the third over of the second new ball. Replays showed that Anderson's delivery was pitching just outside leg-stump and umpire Aleem Dar's decision was overruled and Hussey survived.

Hussey had another 'life' on 85 when an Anderson delivery appeared to hit his pads in front, but England had no referrals left to challenge much to skipper Strauss's disappointment. Finn, the 21-year-old Middlesex giant, finished with a Test best of 6-125 off 33.4 overs to help clean up the Australian tail. Finn bowled Mitchell Johnson for a duck, had Peter Siddle caught by Swann for six and debutant Xavier Doherty caught in the deep for 16.

Australia team restores advantage against England

Brisbane: Australia's top scorer Mike Hussey feels the first Ashes Test is there to be won by either team, after his unbeaten 81 today got the hosts out of trouble on day two and poised to take a first-innings lead. Hussey and Brad Haddin combined for an unbeaten sixth-wicket stand of 77 to put Australia on 220-5 at stumps, chasing England's total of 260. The pair combined with Australia in trouble at 143-5, and while the hosts had wrested back a marginal ascendancy, Hussey felt the game remained in the balance. "The game is 50-50 at the moment," Hussey said. "We'd love to be two or three down and the same as them scorewise but the two teams are very tight. "Its going to ebb and flow throughout the Test match.

In pic: Australian batsman Michael Hussey plays a shot during the second day of Ashes Test

We are very close and it could well come down to pivotal moments in the game. One ball or one diving catch." Australia began today on 25-0 and extended the opening partnership to 78 before James Anderson dismissed Shane Watson and Ricky Ponting either side of lunch. Steven Finn, on his Ashes debut, followed that up by snaring Simon Katich (50) and Michael Clarke (9) before Marcus North (1) fell to Graeme Swann, leaving Australia still 117 adrift of England's first innings total with the top order already removed.

Hussey belied the pressure of intense scrutiny upon his position in the team, combining with Haddin to bat Australia out of trouble with some assured strokeplay before bad light then rain cut the day's play about an hour short. England will take the new ball when play begins on day three half an hour early to make up for time lost today. Hussey almost went first ball, nicking a Finn delivery just short of Swann at second slip. Immediately he took advantage of that reprieve with the first of a series of aggressive pull shots for boundaries and the Test's first six, hitting Swann over long on.

Hussey insists he did not have any pre-conceived intentions to play more positively but acknowledged he felt more confident playing on a pitch that was more like his high-bouncing home ground in Perth than the usual low seam-friendly conditions at the Gabba. "Nothing's changed at all, I just tried to stick with what works for me," Hussey said. "My mind is a bit clearer and I'm maybe seeing the ball clearer out of the bowler's hand. "At other times, particularly in the last couple of years, there's negative thoughts or situations that go through your mind; about the game or what the pitch is doing so it stops you playing with the same freedom."

Earlier, the lone wicket to fall in the first session came when Watson nicked an Anderson off-cutter to Andrew Strauss in the slips. The ball before his dismissal Watson survived an lbw appeal which was turned down but then referred to the video umpire. The review showed the ball may have clipped the top of leg stump, but was inconclusive enough for the initial not-out decision to stand. Katich also survived a video referral in the first session after he was initially given out lbw when on 29 but replays showed the ball would have bounced over the stumps. The opener could also have been run out earlier in his innings had Alastair Cook connected with a direct throw from midwicket.