Close of play England 333 for 5 with a lead of 566 runs

Root on 178 and Bairstow on 11 are the not out batsmen.

With 2 days left of the match there's plenty of time left, no rain forecast tomorrow but the possibility of rain on Monday afternoon.

Will England declare overnight or will they carry on for an hour or so, possibly giving Root a chance of a double century? The radio commentators are arguing about this with Boycott saying they should declare as there isn't a chance for Australia to get a victory.

I won't be around for the morning session.

Two early wickets for Australia – Root out for 180 and Bairstow out for 20 – England declare on 349/7.

With just under two days of the match remaining Australia require 583 to win.

Watson out for 2

Rogers out for 6

Hughes out for 1

Australia making a bit of improvement and are currently 84 for 3 with Khawaja (or Koala if you are Blowers ) not out on 36 and Clarke  not out on 19.

Clarke out for 51 caught by Cook off Root's bowling.

Australia are 134 for 4 and need another 449 runs to win. It would make test history if they succeeded.

Khawaja is on 54 and the new batsman is Smith.

Khawaja out for 54 caught by Anderson again of Root's bowling.

Australia 135 for 5.

Me thinks Root is going to be man of the match.

Smith out for 1.

Australia 136 for 6.

3 wickets lost for 2 runs.

Odds on Australia winning must be as remote as the odds on Elvis Presley in a UFO crash landed on top of the Loch Ness monster (probably an urban myth supposedly offered by William Hill to a Glasgow postman at odds of 20 million to 1).

Agar out after a brisk 16.

Australia 154 for 7

Finished tonight... maybe!

Haddin out for 7

Australia 162 for 8.

Hmmm, let me think about that.

After a millionth of a second consideration I think you could be right. Even if no further wickets fall before the scheduled close of play the extra half and hour would almost certainly be taken.

Siddle out for 18

Australia 192 for 9

In the last possible over the day Pattinson is out lbw for 35. Harris is the not out batsman on 10.

Australia all out for 235 so England win the second test by 347 runs.

Joe Root declared man of the match.

I thought Australia were about to take it into a fifth day!

What does Ian Bell need to do to win MOM? Oh well maybe third Test lucky...

I think it was inevitable that Root would win MOM as breaking the record for the youngest man to get a century at Lords.

Nottinghamshire batsmen James Taylor may be recalled to the England team:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/cricket/23437195

Perhaps now would be as good a time as any to present him with another opportunity...

No recall for James Taylor. David Warner comes back in for Australia.

Australia won the toss and are making a much better start than the first two tests. Although they have lost Watson for 19 and Khawaja for 1, Rogers is currently on 84 and Clarke on 25 - Australia 129 for 2 at this time.

And just after I posted the above Rogers was out for 84. Clarke is currently on 53, Smith on 18, Australia 176 for 3. Scoring is quite rapid and at this rate Australia may be over 300 by close of play.

Clarke currently on 125, Smith on 68, Australia 301 for 3. Still playing today but unless there is an extraordinary collapse, it is definitely Australia's day and it looks highly unlikely that they will lose this match.

Smith out for 89, Warner for 5, Clarke eventually out for 187, Siddle out for 1.

Haddin currently on 48, Starc on 11, Australia 457 for 7.

The likelyhood of an England whitewash is now all but vanished and the most they can hope for is a draw.

At tea Haddin not out on 57 and Starc on 54 - Australia 507 for 7

Although Saturday is forecast to be dry, Sunday and Monday showers are forecast throughout the day so unless England's batting disintegrates a draw is the most likely outcome.

Australia have declared on 527 for 7 with Haddin on 65 and Starc on 66.

England have to get at least 328 to avoid a follow on.

Root is out for 8. Bresnan has come in as night watchman though there's another 8 overs to go today.

Bresnan out for 1.

Close of play England 52 for 2 with Cook on 36 and Trott on 2.

Trott out for 5. Cook has got his 50. He's going to need to get over 150 for England to get away with a draw.

Yes, a couple of big scores are essential - and to carry the England first innings into day 4.

Cook out for 64 leaving England 110 for 4. Australia must be strong favourites to win this Test. They will definitely enforce the follow on as the weather tomorrow is looking dodgy.

At lunch England 119 for 4 with Pietersen on 33 and Bell on 4 the not out batsmen.

England reach 200 with no further wickets lost. Australia have taken the new ball. Pietersen is on 76 and Bell on 44.

Bell out for 60. England 225 for 5.

Pietersen has got his 100, the 23rd for England and the 4th against Australia. Bairstow is on 2, England 245 for 5 so another 83 runs required to avoid the follow on.

Kevin Pietersen is now England's leading run-scorer in all formats having exceeded Graham Gooch's total of 13,190 runs (8,900 Test, 4,290 ODI) (Alec Stewart is 3rd with 13,140 runs (8,463 Test, 4677 ODI). But that does include T20s which didn't exist until recent times.

Bairstow out for 22. England 277 for 6 still 51 runs needed to avoid the follow on.

Pietersen out for 113, England 280 for 7 and need another 48. Much depends now on Broad and Prior.

Close of play 294 for 7 with Prior on 6 and Broad on 9 the not out batsmen. 34 more runs needed to avoid the follow on.

Broad out for 32

Swann out for 11

England 353 for 9 so the follow on has been avoided.

Prior out for 30

England all out for 368 so Australia have a lead of 159 runs.

Australia will now have to decide how many runs to score before they declare and send England in. They know that the weather is likely to impact on the amount of playable time left. Australia have to win this match otherwise England will retain the Ashes, a draw is no good to them.

Australia may decide to go for a ODI approach or even a T20 approach to get as many runs as possible between now and the next two hours of playing time, send England in for an awkward 30 minutes before tea and the whole of today's last session.

Rogers out for 12

Warner put in as opener with Rogers is not out on 11 and Khawaja yet to score with Australia on 24 for 1 at lunch with a lead of 183 runs.

Warner out for 41

Khawaja out for 24

Australia 99 for 3 so a lead of 258 runs

Watson out for 18.

Currently Australia 118 for 4 - lead of 277 runs.