England's efforts, sustained in commendable fashion over five compelling sessions of this Test, withered in soft sunlight yesterday afternoon. They were undone by a great batsman, abetted by one with as much pretence to batsmanship as Bruce Willis has to classical acting, and then by the early inroads Australia made into their second innings.

Australia reached 340 in their first innings, a lead of 70 and a position of strength that had a ring of familiarity about it. At teatime, though, it had seemed highly unlikely. They had just lost their eighth wicket, the deficit was still 18, Darren Gough was cock-a-hoop at his first fivewicket haul of the series and a new ball was imminent.

At this point, of course, it went pear-shaped for England. Steve Waugh, who was on 77 at the time, went on to make an unbeaten 122 - the 17th century of his Test career, his seventh against England and second of the series. He added 88 for the ninth wicket with Stuart MacGill, who had never made more than 25 in a first-class match before but now held things up for 98 minutes and got within seven of a Test half-century.

It was Brisbane all over again, because in that partnership, which swung the initiative so devastatingly from England to Australia, the destiny of this Test may have been decided.

Alec Stewart cracked out his runs again in the final 90 minutes of a day that lasted eight long hours, cutting and driving the new ball with the assurance of his first-innings century behind him and once lifting MacGill's leg-spin straight back over his head with contemptuous ease.

His unbeaten 43 helped England to finish the day only five runs behind, but they lost Michael Atherton and Mark Butcher. Atherton was bowled by Damien Fleming for his second nought of the match, giving rise to the possibility that he has played his last Test innings.

Butcher batted with the assurance of his Brisbane century until a moment of fluke brought about his downfall. He swept MacGill firmly towards midwicket where the ball lodged under the armpit of Michael Slater, taking evasive action at short leg, and he plucked it out in triumph. If ever there was a sign that this was MacGill's day and England's winter of discontent, this was it.

Such moments cannot be allowed to detract from the brilliance of Waugh's innings, however, one of his finest in a distinguished list that has now brought him more than 7,000 Test runs.

It was masterly and an education for those England batsmen who had suffered from the lack of fibre shown by their own lower order. Perhaps it stemmed from a player with sufficient centuries to his name for another not to make much difference to his status. But, quite simply, MacGill, a genuine tailender, was given his head.

Any of the first three deliveries with the new ball might have accounted for MacGill, but there was no attempt to hide him, no chiding by Waugh if he played a false shot. Imagine the effect on MacGill's confidence. He did not let Waugh down.

Thus was the shine taken from what had been a triumphant return of Gough to the embrace of Lady Luck. Fraser took the first wicket of the morning, that of Mark Waugh after an hour, but Gough's two wickets over night, when he bowled with genuine pace, were then followed by those of Justin Langer, caught in the gully for 44 after a tortured morning, and Darren Lehmann, who became Warren Hegg's first victim behind the stumps. Neither dismissal came from a distinguished delivery, so the omens were good. Nicholson was just a yorker waiting to happen - and happen it did. Gough's eventual figures of five for 96, including a clattering from a tailender, did him scant justice.