Ian Bell sounded loud and clear on the first day of the second Test with his second hundred of the series. Bell's 109 drove England to 289/7 at the end of a yo-yoing day of Test cricket.Queen Elizabeth was in attendance. But it is not known if she remembered a similar encounter with one Dennis Lillee, whose birthday was on July 18 and who famously thrust an autograph book and pen in her face during the 1977 Centenary Test.
England started batting first after winning the toss. Shane Watson's early deployment by skipper Michael Clarke yielded immediate dividend: a snarling inswinger into Alastair Cook for the first wicket.England were 18/1 when Cook was out after scoring 12.
Ryan Harris, who replaced Mitchell Starc in the team, struck twice in the next over, the sixth of the morning. Harris trapped young Joe Root leg-before. Root reviewed, but replays indicated his inside edge was preceded by ball hitting pad, and England were down 26/2.
Three balls later Harris produced an outside edge from star batsman Kevin Pietersen's bat. A key wicket that left the hosts reeling on 28/3. It was a toss well lost for Australia. There was swing with the new ball and their bowlers used it to advantage. Then was the time for Trott and Bell to build the inning. No.3 Jonathan Trott fought back with a dazzling half-century that contained ten fours. He added 99 with Ian Bell and neutralised Australia's early breakthroughs somewhat. But no sooner was Harris introduced after lunch that Trott was lured into a pull shot he didn't quite time. Harris finished the day with 3/43. Trott was taken comfortably by Usman Khwaja, in the team for Ed Cowan, at deep square leg. His dismissal for 57 arrested England's swift recovery on 127/4.
But Bairstow on 21 lost his middle stump to a Peter Siddle beauty. Unfortunately for the Aussies, Siddle had overstepped by a whisker and the batsman lived on to score 67. Bell went on to complete his second successive hundred (109) of the series, scored yet again in a difficult situation for his team.
Bell and Bairstow had added 144 for the fifth wicket when Clarke made another masterstroke bowling change by bringing on leg-spinner Steven Smith. Smith removed both Bell and Bairstow, the former with a beautiful legbreak, the latter with a rank lousy full-toss.
The part-time leggie took his third when he dismissed Matt Prior as he went for the cut. England had suddenly slid from from 271/4 to 283/7. The day ended an over short, England in the driver's seat, but Australia keeping themselves in business, especially through Smith's 3/18 towards close of play.
