Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

Mark Stoneman has been dismissed 22 times for scores between 50 and 60 in first-class cricket, and 27 times between 60 and 99.

Luke Sewell: This partnership is bringing profound joy and nerves in equal measure. It’s worst when they make you hope...

James Doe: I’ve just woken up and England seem to be in a decent position. Hmm. I must be still asleep.

Image source, Getty Images

Jonny Bairstow ducks under a decent bumper from Mitch Marsh. He's read the short ball well.

Maiden.

Two overs until we see the new ball. Can Dawid Malan get to 100 first?

Dan Norcross
BBC Test Match Special

England have not lost a wicket for three hours and 10 minutes.

This partnership is now up to 131 - they have handily doubled the score between them.

Steve Smith continues at the other end and Dawid Malan is into the nervous 90s with a nice clip away.

Well played! Mitch Marsh finds a very good yorker from somewhere but Jonny Bairstow is on to it, chopping it out with his neatly un-marked bat.

Andrew Samson
BBC Test Match Special statistician

This is Jonny Bairstow's first fifty in 10 Test innings.

50 for Bairstowpublished at 76.3 overs

76.3 overs

Jonny Bairstow has looked in great touch today, he's playing as straight as anyone. Even his defensive pushes look solid and sweet as you like.

Joe Root looks fairly nervous still in the stands as Bairstow chops down late on a ball from Mitch Marsh and it races away for four. That's a fifty!

Almost! Dawid Malan reaches for a long hop from Steve Smith and almost chops it to the keeper! It happens so often.

Malan then clubs out to deep cover where it's well fielded. Four overs until the new ball.

The box-to-box batsman? Dawid Malan is closing in on a 100. That'll jinx it.

How about this for a partnership breaker?! Steve Smith is bowling himself now. 17 Test wickets to his name.

Vic Marks
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

I feel we've got a bit of inflation going on here. That's what the Aussies are doing - they're trying to get to the new ball as cheaply as they possibly can.

Nathan Lyon continues, tweaking away without much bounce and turn. Jonny Bairstow guides the ball past slip, neatly steered.

Dawid Malan does a similar job, both men now closing in on landmark scores. It's getting on for three hours since the last wicket fell.

Shot, Jonny Bairstow squeezes the ball down to third man for two, that's England's 250 up. They have rallied very well. The new ball is on the way of course.

Still plenty to play for this evening.

Simon Mann
BBC Test Match Special commentator

When Mark Stoneman was dismissed, it looked like it clipped the right hand.

So I think the right decision was probably made.

To start with I was adamant that it wasn't out, but when you see enough reviews from different angles and you see the right one, it's a little bit different.

I hope my re-arrival doesn't mean a clatter of wickets...

This partnership is up to 115 vital runs for England.

There's a hint of frustration on show from Bairstow as a Lyon delivery bounces up at him and hurries his shot. A shuffle down the pitch allows him to get off strike before another languid drive from Malan adds another couple to the total. Lyon fizzes through the rest of the over.

And with that, Tom Rostance will take you through the final 17 overs.

Ed Smith
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

It has been a captivating day of play.

We're in one of those passages of play where you can sense the tension out here.