BIRMINGHAM (England), Aug 6: Shane Warne, with six wickets, and Brett Lee, with four, put Australia back in the second Ashes Test on Saturday as England were dismissed for 182 in their second innings on the third afternoon. That left the world champions needing 282 to win and go 2-0 up in the five-match series.

All rounder Andrew Flintoff produced an extraordinary display of big hitting at the end of the innings, however, to keep England’s hopes alive after a dramatic collapse. Flintoff, who needed treatment for a left shoulder problem earlier in the innings, hit four sixes and six fours, top-scoring with 73 before he slogged at Warne and was bowled.

He added 30 for the eighth wicket with Ashley Giles and a sizzling 51 off 49 balls for the last wicket with Simon Jones on a deteriorating two-paced pitch of increasingly uneven bounce.

Lee took four for 82 and Warne six for 46, the best by an Australian against England at Edgbaston. It left him on 599 Test wickets. England, 99 runs ahead after the first innings and resuming the third day on 25 for one, had slumped to 95 for six by lunch.

Lee broke through in the morning with three wickets for four runs in 11 vitriolic deliveries before Warne snapped up Kevin Pietersen (20) and Ian Bell (21) within six balls to leave the world champions well on top.

Pietersen, who looked unlucky to be given caught behind off a Warne delivery ball that ricocheted off pad, body and elbow, put on 41 with Bell. Adam Gilchrist’s glovework, however, to get rid of Pietersen was quite breathtaking as he scooped up the ball an inch off the ground near his left heel.

Earlier Marcus Trescothick, flat-footed, wafted at a short, wide delivery and snicked the strike bowler behind for 21 in the fifth over of the day. Captain Michael Vaughan managed just two minutes and two balls, his bat coming down askew as he failed to get forward to a Lee off-cutter which plucked out his off stump.

Matthew Hoggard, the nightwatchman, then guided a delivery straight to gully. The procession continued in the first over after lunch break when Lee getting rid of Geraint Jones with a sharp lifter which was gloved to second slip.

Giles and Flintoff hung around before Warne got rid of Giles, caught at slip, and Steve Harmison, caught at silly point, with consecutive balls.

Jones survived the hat trick ball and clouted the next for four through extra cover. Flintoff responded by hoisting seamer Michael Kasprowicz for two sixes over mid-wicket, reaching his half-century in the process off 64 balls, while Jones snicked a four just past second slip as 20 came off the over.

Flintoff drove Lee on to the pavilion roof and cut the next ball for another boundary, with another straight six next delivery.

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