For a third day in row England's demoralised bowlers wheeled away with all the luck of someone who's just walked across the path a black cat and smashed a mirror while walking under a ladder.

In all honesty they didn't deserve any fortune after another day's abject bowling display and signs from Strauss early on that it was a damage limitation exercise by time wasting with field placings and underbowling key bowlers.

Australia eventually put England out of their own misery, a cricketing version of shooting a lame horse if you like, by declaring on 674 for 6, once wicket keeper Brad Haddin completed his balmy century and holed out on the attack to Ravi Bopara in the deep.

Marcus North by that point had already joined Ponting, Katich and Haddin on the Cardiff honours board, further undermining pre-series reports that he was no more than a solid county professional, much like the much maligned spinner Nathan Hauritz who took more wickets in England's first innings than Swann and Panesar combined in Australia's.

The declaration, which gave Australia a 239 -run first innings lead, was inspired from Ponting, leaving England a tricky 30 minute period to negotiate before tea or as it happened before the rains came.

England's frail top order failed to repel the burning heat emanating from the Australian fast bowlers as both Alistair Cook and Ravi Bopara missed straight deliveries and succumbed lbw to Johnson and Hilfenhaus respectively, leaving England teetering on 20 for 2 before play was finally suspended for the day.

England will need to regroup overnight and come again in the morning, but we've been saying that for the last three days.

Psychologically and physically the joyless 180 overs England have spent in the field will have left them flushed and weak and a dominant Australia will be scenting victory before tea on the final day.

Andrew Strauss will need to show his hand with a captain's innings, supported by a show of concentration and obduracy from Pietersen, Collingwood and Prior, if England are to save this test match.

More concerns for England: the amount of turn the pitch showed at times during the fourth day, though England's bowlers failed take advantage of it, and that there are only three rest days between now and the second test, leaving drained bowlers little time to refuel.

It's the last chance saloon for England's batsmen but the can they hold during a final day showdown?

PHOTO: Australian captain Ricky Ponting gestures from the pavilion as he declares at 674 runs for 6 in their first innings during the first Ashes cricket test against England in Cardiff, Wales July 11, 2009. REUTERS/Andrew Winning

What an extraordinary first day of Test match cricket, even by Ashes standards. A day that ebbed and flowed, that tormented and teased both sets of supporters and ultimately left us with the question: where does the balance of this match lie?

As Kev notes, lunch for England would have been the equivalent of trying to digest tarmac, a disconcerting affair to say the least. Having won the toss and electing to bat England were reduced to 92-3 by a persevering if unspectacular Australian attack, which left the Barmy Army cowering behind their beer snakes fearing the worst.

Tea would have been sweeter -- "two more sugars please" -- after Pietersen and Collingwood put on a hundred runs for the loss of no wickets. If Pietersen batting is like watching an artist paint a masterpiece, then watching Collingwood is like sitting through a blacksmith beating a horseshoe into shape.

Then came an astonishing final session. Collingwood played at one outside off as unconvincingly as he'd hit a boundary a few balls earlier, and was snaffled by Haddin behind the timbers.

Shortly after, the least impressive bowler Nathan Hauritz took the wicket of England's best batsmen Kevin Pietersen, who played shot that would've had Geoffrey Boycott charging for him with his stick of rhubarb, and England were again teetering on the brink at 241-5.

Cue the Prior and Flintoff show. In a blink of an eye the pendulum had swung again as the bruise brothers rocketed England to 327 with a series of blazing cover drives and thumping pull shots through midwicket, and suddenly it looked as though England would finish close to 400 with 5 wickets in hand and the game, if not in the bag, then at the till ready for packing.

But back came Australia again with the redoubtable Peter Siddle removing Flintoff and Prior in a crazy last 15 minutes to leave England 336-7 at stumps.

So where does the balance of power lie? I think Australia will be the happier of the two sides. Their bowling on the whole was ordinary, yet they managed to winkle out seven England wickets and keep them to under 350.

However, England, despite cursing the fact that five out of seven batsmen conspired to give their wickets away, will be happy with what they have seen in the pitch, despite being 25 or 30 runs short and 2 wickets down from where they would like to be.

Much will depend on how long England can bat for tomorrow.

If England can get a score of 450 they'll be cock-a-hoop and Aussies will feel the game slipping away. However 3 quick wickets for Australia and they'll rightly feel in the ascendancy.

One final point. Check out the foot marks that are already appearing outside the left-hander's off stump (3 of Australia's top 4 batsmen are left handed).

It's hard to tell how and if a pitch is going to deteriorate, but having opted to play two spinners, England will be heartened by what they've seen, which could aid them in defending a below par score.

Where do you think the balance of power lies?

PHOTO: England's Andrew Flintoff looks over at Australian wicket keeper Brad Haddin during the first Ashes  test in Cardiff, Wales, July 8, 2009. REUTERS/Andrew Winning

With the furore over Cardiff being awarded the first Ashes cricket test still bubbling, here’s a run down on each venue for England v Australia and how the results might pan out.

Cardiff: Starts Wednesday, July 8th
A controversial choice for the first test, given that Trent Bridge and Old Trafford were overlooked entirely, but we’ve been told to expect the wicket to turn sideways. Don’t be surprised to see: England field two spinners, Shane Warne drooling over the pitch … from inside the commentary box, Ricky Ponting cursing the fact his only spin front-line option is Nathan Hauritz and rain.

Result: Draw – it can’t rain all the time. It can in Cardiff.

Lord’s, London: Thursday, July 16th
The home of cricket has been as a dry as a desert and as flat as a pancake in recent years and England haven’t beaten Australia at Lord’s since 1934. Expect a seam bowler, most likely Graham Onions, to replace Monty in England’s attack, but the Aussies will arrive without fear given their history on this ground.

Result: Australia win - history is on their side.

Edgbaston, Birmingham: Thursday, July 30th
In 2005, Edgbaston was a scene of carnage for Ponting’s crew as spectators witnessed one of the greatest test matches of all time. For Australia, Glenn McGrath was crocked in the warm-up, the captain then won the toss and mystifyingly chose to bowl, promptly conceding over 400 runs in under 80 overs, and lost the test that swung the series in England’s favour by 2 runs. Moral: Win the toss and bat then take advantage of the deteriorating pitch.

Result: England win and turn the series again.

Headingley, Leeds: Friday, August 7th
Swing glorious swing. It always swings at Headingley, and we're not just talking about the boisterous West Stand. Australia should field the fast bowling quartet of Siddle, Lee, Johnson and Clark, providing they’re fit, but don’t be surprised if England opt for a horses-for-courses bowling option and bring Ryan Sidebottom in for one of the other seam bowlers.

Result: England win – Sidebottom could be England’s swing out sister.

The Oval, London: Thursday, August 20th
A batsman’s paradise, which means, if he hasn’t been dropped already, even Paul Collingwood will make a score at the Oval. A sun trap of a venue, the pitch gets baked and dusty but offers good bounce for the fast bowlers and spinners a like. Win the toss, bat first, stick 600 on the board and the urn will be within touching distance.

Result: Draw, England win the series – start the open top bus tour and dig out your MBEs.

PHOTO: Australia's Mike Hussey and coach Tim Nielsen (L) check out the pitch during a cricket training session before the first Ashes Test against England at Cardiff, Wales July 6, 2009. REUTERS/Philip Brown

British charity fundraiser Ben Southall is preparing to begin the “best job in the world” – caretaker of an Australian tropical island — after winning a highly publicised contest this month.

The job involves exploring the islands of the Great Barrier Reef for six months and reporting back to Tourism Queensland and the world via blogs, a photo diary, video updates and interviews. If he feels like it, he can feed the fish, collect the mail and clean the pool, all at a salary of about 74,000 pounds.

Not a bad little earner, then. But despite the obvious attractions of the great outdoors, it might not be to everyone’s taste. All that sun? And what about those legendary Australian insects or jellyfish that can kill at a thousand yards?    

There could be better jobs around, maybe even here in Britain. Being an MP sounds a pretty good number just now for example, what with all the junkets and expenses. 

What would be your choice as best job in the world?  

Australian athletes have asked the Chinese authorities to allow them permits so they can take, what some might say, is their secret weapon for success at this year’s summer Oympics - Vegemite.

With just under 100 days to go until the August games, a directive that the Australian Olympic team must source all food supplies within China has been dubbed the “vegemite ban” by local media.

This little issue got me thinking — is Australia’s national spread, a dark, savory paste made from yeast extract, that good that we need it to help our athletes with Olympic Gold? Would the British government ask for a similar directive for the English equivalent, Marmite?

As the resident antipodean in the London office, I thought such a directive from the Australian Olympic Commitee was right. But my arguments however, that Vegemite was light years ahead of Marmite was met with howls of protest. My Pom mates also disagreed with my thoughts on their sacred spread.

So the question remains, who is right? Which is better? Is it the case that the two are that different or it is a battleground of Ashes’ proportions?