The Ashes:Australia's openers endured several anxious moments but survived intact in a promising reply to 332 all out on the second morning at the Oval.
Shane Watson, in particular, looked far from comfortable in trying to lay Australia's foundations alongside Simon Katich for first-innings parity at least in this Ashes decider.
By the time rain brought a slightly early lunch, the tourists - needing only a draw here to retain the urn - were 61 without loss.
Andrew Flintoff and James Anderson both used the new ball well for England, to no avail.
It was not until the 17th ball of the innings that Australia had a run on the board - Watson controlling an edge past the slips off Anderson.
By far the best of a clutch of feasible lbw appeals came from Flintoff against Watson, on four, when the batsman toppled across his crease to try to clip to leg and appeared to be hit in front of middle and off. Umpire Asad Rauf saw things differently.
With pace therefore drawing a blank, England turned to Graeme Swann's off-spin from the Vauxhall End after 12 overs.
Like Australia's Marcus North before him, Swann found some assistance in the pitch. But he and Flintoff's replacement Steve Harmison were both shut out by Australia's earnest openers.
Anderson had earlier finally registered a Test match duck, in his 55th innings - but England still grabbed 24 runs for their last two wickets in 20 minutes of batting.
Anderson has long been out on his own as the Englishman with the longest run before being out for nought for the first time. But his number came up to the sixth ball he faced today when he was pinned lbw on the back foot by Ben Hilfenhaus (three for 71).
Anderson went with only one run added, in the second over of the morning, and England's first innings might have ended on 310 had Mitchell Johnson clung on to a tough chance running and diving in from fine-leg when Stuart Broad mistimed an attempted pull at Peter Siddle.
Instead, Broad and number 11 Harmison stole some bonus runs together - until the former edged a drive at Hilfenhaus to Ricky Ponting at second slip.