Stoneman dropped on 35published at 17.1 overs

17.1 overs

A chance? Did that carry? I think it did, just. A sweep from Mark Stoneman off Nathan Lyon is top-edged. Josh Hazlewood comes steaming in from deep backward square leg but can't quite cling on diving forwards.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

The fifty partnership came up from 101 balls with eight fours. It's the second fifty partnership between Cook and Stoneman in nine innings. They averaged 21 before this.

Image source, Getty Images

Those of you who are checking the score after a 7:00 alarm have just got a lovely early morning surprise haven't you? And now I have more good news. There's the 50 partnership! Josh Hazlewood is back for another bowl but Stoneman once again calmly prods for a single. Really, really good batting. England flags are waving in the crowd. Big cheers go up.

One hour down. Can Cook and Stoneman see through another 60 minutes to the dinner break? Lyon has one slip and a short leg to Cook but the England opener picks the length early and drops the ball into the off side for a single. Lyon is not bowling from the end where he took four wickets in the first innings. He caused a bit of drama to Cook a few overs ago but may we see a change of ends soon for the spinner?

Nick

Martyn Allen‏: My daughter has asked Santa for snow this Xmas; I've just asked him for something far more unlikely. Come on England.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

Australia's body language will go down. Stay in, leave it, play the ball with the middle of the bat. Block it. There's loads of time!

We're now an hour into this session and England are yet to lose a wicket. Australia just have two slips to Pat Cummins, a sign the openers have seen off the swinging new ball? Mark Stoneman is doing just what every pundit has told him to. The big quick charges in but Stoneman either lets the ball go by or blocks down the pitch. Tire them out.

That's drinks. Big tick to England for the first period of this run chase.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

Alastair Cook and Mark Stoneman's previous opening partnerships in this series were worth 2 and 11 at Brisbane, and 29 in the first innings here.

Jack Shakespeare: Trains busier than usual into London this morning - at least 3 people just muttered ‘batting Cooky’ under their breath - Got to love TMS. Are we up for this?

Dan Norcross
BBC Test Match Special

Alastair Cook's not reaching for the ball against Nathan Lyon. He got out horribly doing that in the first innings, when he almost offered catching practice to slip.

Shouts of catch again as Lyon continues to cause drama but the ball is beyond short leg before he can react. A leg bye is signaled anyway. These two are now six runs short of a first fifty opening partnership of the series.

Chris Harvey: About to get on a flight, and desperately hoping I don’t switch my phone on to find a flurry of wickets!

Phil Purnell: Y'know that carefree saunter adopted by Norman Wisdom just before falling down an open manhole? That's England batting right now.

"Played," says Geoffrey Boycott on TMS as Mark Stoneman gets right behind a short delivery from Pat Cummins. Good defence and now good attack! Short and wide from Cummins and all of a sudden this pitch looks easy-paced. Stoneman cuts behind square for the sixth four of his innings.

Martin Strawson: At this rate, are England just allowed to say they don’t want to use the third session today and come back out tomorrow?

If you're just joining us, then here's the headline: England need an unlikely 354 to win this second Test and level the series at 1-1.

Australia, resuming on 53-4, were dismissed for 138, with James Anderson taking his first five-wicket haul in Australia.

Anderson finished with 5-43 after dismissing Peter Handscomb, Nathan Lyon and Mitch Starc, while Chris Woakes picked up a tidy 4-36.

Australia helped England out with some loose shots but there was definite movement for the England bowlers, which makes their first innings effort more frustrating.

Alastair Cook and Mark Stoneman have begun England's response and Cook has been handed an early life after Australia opted to not review an lbw appeal that would have been hitting leg stump.

Image source, Getty Images

Cook survived there but now Nathan Lyon is looking a right handful. First there's another big appeal, this time for lbw, but umpire Chris Gaffaney shakes his head. Now that's big spin! Lyon turns one past the outside edge of Cook again. The Aussie fans wake up. My heart rate has just increased too.

And breathe. Cook's foot didn't leave the pitch. Carry on.

All sorts going on here. Lyon spins one past Cook's edge and then Tim Paine thinks Cook's foot may have lifted and goes up for the stumping. They're going upstairs.

Mark Stoneman is rattling along at a run a ball but Alastair Cook has just 10 runs from his 30-odd deliveries so far. I'm sure the England fans reading this won't care one bit. He should have been out lbw early on but since then hasn't offered a chance. A single to Cook sees Cummins concede for the first time and steal the strike.