Nerveless Woakes seals record win

England 9 for 158 (Morgan 43, Watson 4-15) beat Australia 7 for 157 (Watson 59, Yardy 2-28) by one wicket

In pic: Chris Woakes kept his cool to guide England to an eighth Twenty20 win in a row © Getty Images

Chris Woakes showed nerves of steel on his international debut to seal England a thrilling one-wicket victory at Adelaide and a world-record eighth Twenty20 win on the trot. Woakes finished unbeaten on 19 from 15 balls as he struck the final ball over midwicket having lost Graeme Swann at the start of the last over with four needed.

Ajmal Shahzad faced two dot balls before scrambling to the non-striker's end then Woakes scythed Shane Watson, who produced an outstanding all-round display with 59 and four wickets, through backward point to level the scores and ensure, at worst, England couldn't lose. They really shouldn't have pushed it so close having always been in control of the asking rate, but it's a credit to their belief that they could still pull through for victory despite a late clatter of wickets.

Watson will feel the defeat particularly acutely having almost pulled the match back for Australia. Eoin Morgan, in his first major innings since September, had eased 43 off 33 balls when he drove to cover and Michael Yardy fell first ball as he failed to get his bat out of the line of a short ball. But Woakes, a replacement for Stuart Broad in the England squad, showed why he was sent in ahead of Swann when he pulled Shaun Tait for a mighty six and was there to see his side home.

Australia were still some way short of the standards they set themselves having lost momentum with the bat after a fine start and their fielding display included a number of errors. They should have struck first ball of the innings but Steve O'Keefe dropped a regulation chance at square leg as Ian Bell went to pull Tait. Bell responded with three boundaries, including an effortless back-foot drive which oozed the class he has shown all tour.

England clearly weren't going to hold back in the first six overs. It was thrilling cricket to watch as the sides traded boundaries and wickets. Steven Davies drove his second ball to cover to give Brett Lee a wicket on his international return then Bell was given a second life, again off Tait, when David Warner dropped a tough chance at backward point.

Bell unleashed an uppercut over third man of which Virender Sehwag would have been proud and Kevin Pietersen didn't want to be left behind as he joined in the boundary hunt. Australia continued to lapse in the field as O'Keefe let one through his legs at deep square-leg with England scoring at more than 10-an-over.

The batsmen didn't want to rein themselves in, however, even though the asking-rate was plummeting, and Bell drove Mitchell Johnson's third ball to cover. O'Keefe, meanwhile, must have feared how his evening would develop when Pietersen hit his first two balls for four and six but the left-arm spinner struck back when Pietersen failed to clear a leaping David Hussey at mid-off. It was a needless shot in terms of the run-rate, but England's tactic - which has reaped rich rewards - has been to go hard regardless in the first six overs.

The situation was made for steady accumulation and for a period Morgan and Paul Collingwood calmly ticked off the runs. It was hard to tell which batsman had barely played an innings since the end of the English season. Morgan pulled Lee for six then placed him perfectly over mid-off, but kept losing partners when Collingwood top-edged a sweep and Luke Wright walked across his stumps. And for once, Morgan couldn't finish the game himself.

Australia had threatened a far greater total than 157 when Watson was cutting loose to take Swann's first over for 26 on the way to a 27-ball half-century. He added 83 for the first wicket with Warner, but when the pair were separated the innings struggled to regain momentum and Australia failed to double their score.

Watson struck one boundary off Bresnan so hard that his bat broke, but the real damage came against the spinners. Yardy's opening over cost nine before Watson took Swann's first three deliveries over midwicket for increasingly large sixes and he added another boundary to reach fifty. Yardy, though, is a canny operator and fired one past Watson's attempted cut to give England a much-needed boost and he later had Warner taken at deep midwicket.

Despite Watson's departure Swann was whipped out of the attack but when he returned he produced a tight three overs which only went for 14. Hussey struggled to find his usual striking range, and though he eventually pulled Bresnan over midwicket for six. he then missed a perfect yorker next ball. England's bowlers were superb in the closing overs and the final result once again showed how the smallest of margins can make the difference in Twenty20 cricket. -ESPNcricinfo

Another Cook hundred gives England total control

England 2 for 317 (Cook 136*, Pietersen 85*, Trott 78) lead Australia 245 by 72 runs

	In pic: Another day, another Ashes hundred for Alastair Cook © Getty Images

Alastair Cook's colossal series continued on the second day in Adelaide, where he and his batting colleagues ground Australia into submission and delivered complete control to England. At the end of a stiflingly hot 37-degree day, Ricky Ponting's men were sapped not only of energy, but also of virtually any hope of winning the Test, the ghosts of the Adelaide Ashes Test from four years ago notwithstanding.

Australia knew their first-innings total of 245 was a long way below par, but the optimists in the team might have hoped it could become competitive if a few early wickets fell their way. Any such dreams were dashed by Cook, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, all of whom made batting on the placid surface look like a net session, and by stumps England were 72 in front, with only two wickets down.

A few more hours of batting from England, and they will be in a terrific position from which to push for victory. And what's a few more hours to Cook? Since the start of his second innings at the Gabba, Cook has batted for 17 hours without being dismissed, a display of concentration and physical durability worthy of a marathon runner. Add in his first innings in Brisbane, and he has made 438 runs in nearly 1400 minutes of batting.

Australian fans fondly remember Steve Waugh's efforts in the 1989 Ashes, when he was almost impossible to dismiss. It took him four Tests to score as many runs as Cook has made in one and a half. He registered his top score, an unbeaten 235, in Brisbane and there is no reason he can't match that effort in Adelaide, where he closed the second day on 136 not out.

Pietersen was with him, on 85, which was an equally ominous sign for the Australians, who knew Cook and Trott were in form but hoped they could exploit Pietersen's supposed weakness against left-arm spin. Pietersen had one nervy moment early against Xavier Doherty, when he advanced and tried to drive aggressively down the ground, only to see his thick edge lob safely wide of point.

Apart from that, he looked every bit the confident, dominant batsman who plundered 158 at the venue four years ago. He used his feet and placed the ball superbly against the spinners and had little trouble against the fast men, cruising to his half-century from his 77th delivery with a whip through midwicket for four off Peter Siddle. It's 18 months since Pietersen has scored a Test hundred, but it would be a brave person to bet against him breaking that stretch on Sunday.

The Cook-Pietersen partnership had blown out to 141 by stumps, with Pietersen rapidly gaining ground on his partner. Cook reached his 15th Test century from his 171st delivery, which was expertly cut forward of point for a boundary off Doherty, who had felt the brunt of Cook's power square of the wicket earlier in the day.

Cook had cut three consecutive fours in almost the same place, just forward of point, showing the Australians once again that while he was generally patient enough to leave fuller balls tempting him to drive, anything short would be treated harshly. Cook's innings was impressive not only for his fine judgment, but for being chanceless throughout the day.

On the one occasion that Australia won a decision against Cook from the umpire Marais Erasmus it was overturned on review; the caught-behind verdict off Siddle's bowling was shown on replay to have come off Cook's arm. Not that Australia had anyone to blame but themselves for failing to make more than two breakthroughs throughout the day, as they gave Trott three lives before he was eventually caught for 78 flicking Ryan Harris to Michael Clarke at midwicket.

Doherty missed an opportunity to run out Trott on 6, when his throw from square leg flew a metre wide of the stumps. Trott had enjoyed a direct hit from an almost identical position on the first morning to remove Simon K

Siddle hat trick as Australia in Ashes command

Brisbane: Peter Siddle took six wickets, including a rare Ashes hat-trick, as Australia took command of the first test against England at the Gabba on Thursday by bowling out the tourists for 260. Siddle celebrated his 26th birthday in style by dismissing Alastair Cook, Matt Prior and Stuart Broad in successive deliveries after tea as England collapsed from a strong position at 197-4.

In pic:Peter Siddle celebrates the third wicket of his hat-trick

In reply Australia were 25-0 at stumps, with Simon Katich and Shane Watson on 15 and nine respectively. Siddle, who was surprisingly selected ahead of Doug Bollinger for his first test in ten months, earlier halted England's momentum in the second session when he took the wickets of dangerman Kevin Pietersen and Paul Collingwood, both nicking to the slips, in the space of 11 balls. He reaped rewards for a probing line outside off stump after tea getting Cook to edge to Shane Watson at first slip after a patient 67. Then Prior was late trying to prod the ball through the leg side and saw his off stump uprooted. And on the hat-trick ball, Stuart Broad was caught on the toe from a full delivery to make Siddle the 11th Australian to grab a test hat-trick and the fifth of his countrymen to do so in England-Australia contests. Broad challenged the decision, and - after the initial roar from home fans and celebrations on the pitch - there was a delay until the hat trick was confirmed by the TV umpire. Graeme Swann also fell to the same bowler being caught on the pad playing across the line. Four balls later, Brad Haddin could have completed a seventh wicket for him but diving to his left he dropped James Anderson.

The day began in a dramatic fashion when England captain Andrew Strauss, after winning the toss and electing to bat on a slow Gabba pitch, was dismissed without scoring from the third ball of the day, caught by Mike Hussey at third slip off the bowling of Ben Hilfenhaus. Midway through the first session Jonathan Trott was bowled for 29 between bat and pad by a Shane Watson delivery that seamed in off the pitch before hitting middle and off stump. Watson, who was the pick of the Australian bowlers in the morning session, was also unfortunate not to take the wicket of Cook who hit a loose cut shot on 26 to Xavier Doherty in the first session only for the debutant to drop the high chance.

Australia, who had come into this series amid doubts over player form and injuries, were not made to rue this drop, thanks to Siddle's efforts. The lone bright spot for England on the day was the form of Ian Bell who top-scored with a sparkling 76 before becoming the ninth man to fall when he lofted the ball to Watson at deep point, becoming Doherty's first test wicket. Although he failed earlier in his career batting at three, Bell's assured innings and impressive recent form may see him moved back up the order. Pietersen - booed as the man Australian fans love to hate - looked in good form but again failed to translate a strong start into a big score, extending his run without a century to 27 innings. Anderson became Doherty's second victim when he was the last man out bowled for 11 while attempting an ambitious reverse sweep. To complete a fine day for Australia, their openers didn't offer England's bowlers a chance in reaching the close unbeaten.