Gilchrist blasts Australia to massive lead

CRICKET: PERTH, Australia, Dec. 16 (AFP) - Australia were on the verge of regaining the Ashes after their batsmen, led by a devastating Adam Gilchrist, smashed England all over the park on day three of the third Test at an oppressively hot WACA Ground here Saturday.

On a day which brought temperatures in the low 40s in the shade and 10 degrees hotter on the field, the Australians declared late in the day at 527 for five, with Gilchrist not out on 102 after belting the second fastest hundred in Test history from just 57 balls.

Trailing by 556 runs, England were already in trouble in their second innings at 19 for one at stumps, with Ian Bell not out on nine, and Alastair Cook on seven.

England opener Andrew Strauss again failed, adjudged lbw for a duck padding up to Brett Lee from the fourth ball of the innings.

The Australians, already 2-0 up in the series, would regain the Ashes with victory here.

Mike Hussey, Michael Clarke and Gilchrist all made centuries in the Australian second innings, the latter launching an extraordinary assault on the tiring England bowlers late in the day to burst out of his Ashes form slump.

Gilchrist reached his half-century in 40 balls and then took just another 17 to reach triple figures, with 12 fours and four sixes, and in doing so replicated Doug Walters' famous century in a session in 1974 at the same ground.

After reaching 50, Gilchrist thrashed four sixes from the next six balls he faced as Viv Richards' record of a century in 56 balls came under threat.

Panesar went for 24 runs in one over, an unwanted Ashes record for a player who claimed three wickets in the second innings to have eight for the match.

Gilchrist seemed certain to break the record, but was ultimately denied by England seamer Matthew Hoggard.

When Ricky Ponting declared Australia's innings closed, Clarke (135 not out) and Gilchrist had added 162 in 98 minutes.

Clarke reached his century in 130 balls, with 13 fours and one six.

Hussey, controversially overlooked during the entire 2005 Ashes series in England, continued his incredible run at the top level when he notched his maiden Test century against England and his fifth overall.

The left-hander pulled the unlucky Harmison straight down the ground for his 12th four to bring up the milestone in 213 minutes from 148 balls, but was caught behind from the bowling of Panesar from the last ball before tea.

Hussey had enjoyed a fair slice of luck, as he was lucky to be given not out on 15 and was dropped twice.

It was a horror day in the field for the English, who showed great spirit but could only watch the Ashes slipping away as they not only bowled without luck, but had to contend with energy-sapping heat.

A number of catches went begging, Geraint Jones missed a stumping and confident appeals were turned down as they claimed just four wickets on the day.

Earlier, opener Matthew Hayden missed out on a century when he fell for 92, while Australian captain Ricky Ponting made 75.

Ponting was in an aggressive mood and looked set for another big score as he passed the 500-run mark for the series, but he pushed hard at a Harmison delivery and got an outside edge to Jones.

Hayden lived dangerously and his extravagant shot selection came back to haunt him when he tried to cut against the spin of Panesar and was brilliantly caught at the second grab by Paul Collingwood at first slip.

Highlighting the enormity of the task facing England, the highest successful fourth innings run chase at the WACA is 342, when Australia beat India back in 1977.

AUSTRALIA - 1ST INNINGS 244

ENGLAND - 1ST INNINGS 215

AUSTRALIA - 2ND INNINGS

(overnight 119-1)

J. Langer b Hoggard				  0
M. Hayden c Collingwood b Panesar     		 92
R. Ponting c Jones b Harmison         		 75
M. Hussey c Jones b Panesar          		103
M. Clarke not out                     		135
A. Symonds c Collngwood b Panesar   		  2
A. Gilchrist not out                 		102
EXTRAS (LB-15, W-2, NB-1)        		 18
TOTAL (for 5 wkts dec. 112 overs)     		527
FALL OF WICKETS: 1-0, 2-144, 3-206, 4-357, 5-365
BOWLING: Hoggard 20-4-85-1, Flintoff 19-2-76-0, Harmison
24-3-116-1, Panesar 34-3-145-2, Mahmood 10-0-59-0 (w-2 nb-1),
Pietersen 5-1-31-0
ENGLAND - 2ND INNINGS
A. Strauss lbw b Lee				0
A. Cook not out                     	 	7
I. Bell not out                       		9
EXTRAS (LB-1, NB-2)                     	3
TOTAL (for one wicket, six overs)   		19
FALL OF WICKET: 1-0
To bat: P.Collingwood, K.Pietersen, A.Flintoff, G.Jones,
S.Mahmood, M.Hoggard, S.Harmison, M.Panesar
BOWLING: Lee 3-1-5-1 (nb-1), McGrath 3-0-13-0