England v Australia - no result due to rain

An unusually accurate weather forecast allowed only 56 overs out of a scheduled 100 yesterday with England 37 for one after six overs chasing an original target of 262, later amended under Messrs Duckworth and Lewis.

Both sides put on a superb game at Edgbaston and both captains will claim an advantage before Saturday's Final at Lord's. Head groundsman Steve Rouse, his staff and umpires David Shepherd and Billy Bowden performed wonders to keep the game alive until 9.30pm, when the rain which followed a violent thunderstorm at 7pm forced an abandonment.

The truncated game had everything. A blast out of the blocks by Matthew Hayden and Adam Gilchrist in which Darren Gough's opening spell was 2-0-23-0. Then a mini fightback by Simon Jones who did for both; a patchy innings of 34 by Ricky Ponting before a claw-back thanks to Ashley Giles and Andrew Flintoff to make the game evenly balanced at 105 for three after 25 overs.

But, and there is always a but with Australia, for the third successive game since he served his two match ban for allegedly going close to a ten hour drinking binge in Cardiff, Andrew Symonds was still there. He is as influential in one-day cricket as Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen, as he proved by dominating a fourth wicket partnership with Damien Martyn of 101 in 14 overs.

Selection was revealing before the coin went up and Ponting guessed correctly. Michael Vaughan was fit and replaced Vikram Solanki, and Jones replaced Chris Tremlett, giving a full hand of five bowlers. Australia brought back Michael Clarke for Shane Watson which lengthened the batting and offered a second spinning option on a dry pitch.

The Edgbaston authorities have received a great deal of criticism about their international pitches in the last 15 years, but Rouse deserves more praise for a surface which had carry for the faster bowlers, and turn for Giles.

The Australian innings thus had ebb and flow, and any thoughts that this was a nothing game in a dead series disappeared in Jones's fourth over, when an incident concerning the fast bowler and Hayden suddenly became more than handbags at five paces with the involvement of Paul Collingwood, Flintoff, Ponting and umpire Billy Bowden.

Hayden blocked, Jones followed through and had a shy at the stumps. The left-hander had not moved and took the throw on his left chest and immediately reacted angrily, despite an immediate hands-up full apology from the bowler.

On a 1-10 sledging scale, it seems that few Aussies, if any, come nearer to an all ten than Hayden, which is why one of England's chief recipients, Paul Collingwood, chucked in his two penn'orth.

Hayden continued to pursue the matter until his captain waved him away and umpire Bowden pleaded for peace to break out.

Jones proved the point his colleagues and the crowd wanted most - first having Gilchrist giving Geraint Jones the first of what would be five catches, and then getting Hayden lbw with a good one.

Ponting gave Geraint Jones No 2, before Martyn holed out to a brilliant catch by Pietersen at deep third man off Harmison, England's best bowler. It was taken at ground level, but David Shepherd confirmed it was a fair catch - mainly because he could only refer it if he and Bowden were unsighted.

At 123 for four in the 30th over, the game was evenly balanced, but Symonds is always eager to impose himself, as he did in the next 14 overs. He bludgeoned his way to 74 before he was run out to start a mini-collapse of five wickets for 37 in nine overs with the irrepressible Gough taking three of them before Brett Lee hit a gutsy unbeaten 21.

Still 1-1 and all to play for at Lord's.