Cricket/Second Test:It is a measure of the benign nature of the Adelaide Oval pitch, and therefore of the magnitude of the achievement of Matthew Hoggard's seven-wicket haul yesterday, that it is more than 40 years since an Ashes Test - that at Old Trafford in 1964 - witnessed a mutual run-fest in which both sides exceeded 500 in their first innings. It is something that had not previously happened at all between the two countries in Australia itself.

Hoggard's was a triumph for honest endeavour and a versatility brought to his game over the past year, and he came within a single wicket of producing the finest set of innings figures ever from an England bowler at this ground. As it is, only JC "Farmer" White, with eight for 126 in 1928-29, can beat his seven for 109, and if they were bettered only two Tests ago in this country, by Andy Caddick's seven for 94 in Sydney, then the conditions and circumstance were rather different.

Hoggard, in his 60th Test, now has 231 wickets, passing Darren Gough's 228 on the stroke of tea when he had Shane Warne leg before wicket.

There was a landmark for the young Australian batsman Michael Clarke, too. After almost 4½ hours at the crease he clipped the single from James Anderson that took him to his third Test century. He may have put in motion the chain of events that will eventually lead to the inevitable dismantling and restructuring of the Australian side.

Had the all-rounder Shane Watson not tweaked a hamstring in a state game before the first Test, Clarke would not have played in Brisbane, where he scored a half century, nor probably this match. It is an ill wind: Clarke's good form - he looked to be in wonderful touch from the moment he eased the first ball of his innings from off stump to the square leg boundary with little more than a turn of the wrist - and the twin failures of Damien Martyn in the two matches must put the Test career of the latter in jeopardy now if, as surely they must, Australia seek to play five bowlers in the third Test in Perth.

One of those bowlers, Brett Lee, has been fined 25 per cent of his match fee for excessive appealing on the second morning here.

The brunt of the seam bowling has been shouldered by Hoggard in this match thus far, his 42 overs outstripping by a distance each of Steve Harmison, Anderson and the captain, Andrew Flintoff, who sent down four overs first thing yesterday morning and no more for the rest of the day. If his left ankle, that which underwent surgery in the summer, is sore then it is to be hoped it is nothing more than a natural reaction to the massive force generated by his front foot in delivery.

It is fortunate the third Test does not begin until December 14th, by which time any discomfort should have settled down if there is no more serious problem.

It was at Nagpur last March, in the aftermath of the knee injury to Simon Jones, and on a pitch that in terms of pace bore some resemblance to that in Adelaide, that Hoggard elevated his game to a new level, generating reverse swing where once he had been unable and taking six for 57.

Already before that he had demonstrated the capacity to drop his bowling arm a little and, at a reduced pace, in the manner of Fred Trueman for one, bowl off-cutters of a kind that can just bite on wearing surfaces and make timing difficult.

No Australian batsman here, even Ponting, whom he had dismissed with the second new ball, and Clarke was ever able to treat him lightly.

Scoreboard

England 551-6 dec(P D Collingwood 206, K P Pietersen 158, I R Bell 60). Australia 312-5(R T Ponting 142, M E K Hussey 91; M J Hoggard 4-76).

AUSTRALIA First Innings

M J Clarkec Giles b Hoggard 124

A C Gilchristc Bell b Giles 64

S K Warnelbw b Hoggard 43

B Leenot out 7

S R Clark b Hoggard 0

G D McGrathc G Jones b Anderson 1

Extras(b4, lb2, w1, nb7, pens 0) 14

Total(165.3 overs) 513

Fall of wickets:1-8, 2-35, 3-65, 4-257, 5-286, 6-384, 7-502, 8-505, 9-507.

Bowling:Hoggard 42-6-109-7; Flintoff 26-5-82-1; Harmison 25-5-96-0; Anderson 21.3-3-85-1; Giles 42-7- 103-1; Pietersen 9-0-32-0.

ENGLAND Second Innings

A J Straussnot out 31

A N Cook c Gilchrist b Clark 9

I R Bellnot out 18

Extras(lb1, pens 0) 1

Total1 wkt (19 overs) 59

Fall of wickets:1-31.

Bowling:Lee 5-1-13-0; McGrath 4-1-12-0; Warne 5-1-20-0; Clark 5-2-13-1.