Gough's hat-trick

The Yorkshire fast bowler dismissed Ian Healy, Stuart MacGill and Colin Miller in successive deliveries to become the ninth Englishman in Test history to achieve the feat and enabled the tourists to complete another superb recovery after it seemed that Australia were on course for a huge total.

Gough's feat, coupled with another magnificent performance from MCG hero Dean Headley, caused Australia to lose their final five wickets for three runs in just 15 deliveries and kept English hopes alive of claiming the victory required to square the series following their Melbourne triumph.

But until the late collapse, Australia had dominated all but the opening stages of match with Mark Waugh claiming his first Ashes century in 26 matches while brother Steve fell just four runs short of his second in the last three innings against England.

The turning point of the day came when England took the new ball with Australia coasting on 311 for five and Mark Waugh unbeaten on 116 just five overs before the close.

Three overs later, Headley ended Waugh's 293 minute stay at the crease by having him caught behind to set up Gough for his thrilling hat-trick in the next over to leave Australia shell-shocked at the close.

Healy, who had battled for almost an hour for his 14, was the first victim when he attempted to leave a lifting delivery but instead edged behind to give wicketkeeper Warren Hegg a simple catch.

That brought Stuart MacGill to the crease, and his middle stump was uprooted with a perfect yorker. Then Colin Miller, perhaps sensing the inevitable, was left rooted in his crease as the next ball crashed into his off-stump.

Headley completed the innings in the next over, having Glenn McGrath caught at second slip by Graeme Hick after Shane Warne was dropped off the previous ball by Nasser Hussain in the gully.

Until the dramatic conclusion, it appeared England had once again let an opportunity slip through their fingers, having reduced Australia to 52 for three inside the opening 14 overs.

Headley, picking up where he left off with his match-winning six for 60 in Melbourne, removed Australian captain Mark Taylor with the 13th delivery of the innings, having him caught at second slip by Hick, to take his tally of wickets to 50 in his 13th Test.

The Kent seamer struck again 10 overs later by inducing Michael Slater, who had just begun to look dangerous with two firmly struck boundaries, into hooking at a short ball which he edged behind to wicketkeeper Warren Hegg.

Justin Langer fell in the next over from Tudor, failing to get over the top of an attempted cut and instead finding the safe hands of Mark Ramprakash at point for 26, having twice been reprieved during his innings.

Langer, who has recently signed a new contract to return to Middlesex next summer as vice-captain, enjoyed his first escape when he edged Tudor behind off a no-ball when he was on 12 and two overs later he was given not out on 26 after Mark Ramprakash threw down the stumps as Slater called for a quick single. TV replays indicated he was just out of his ground.

English fielding lapses went on to see Mark Waugh being dropped twice, firstly before he had scored and again on 78 by John Crawley at short leg, while captain Alec Stewart made a mess of a potential run out when he was on 74.

Those lapses proved very costly, with the Waugh twins adding a crucial 190 in just 202 minutes before Steve fell for 96, bowled by Peter Such.

Mark carried on to make his century. before being dismissed by Headley shortly after Darren Lehmann had cut Tudor straight to Nasser Hussain at point.

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