Marsh content to just play out the rest of the over. A tidy maiden for Woakes.

Nervy moments for Marsh as he pulls Woakes towards Malan in close at mid-wicket but it falls well short in the end.

Woakes gets one through to the pads - a strangled appeal but not out. Going over.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

Image source, Getty Images

I don't know how damaged Smith's hand is but he seems to have played with more caution. It hasn't lessened his impact but he hasn't cracked the ball as hard. He has played carefully and sensibly.

50 for Smithpublished at 77 overs

77 overs

Aus 218-3

Malan drifts into Marsh's pads, with the number five clipping square for a couple.

England are letting this drift too. I'm not sure the new ball is going to be the tonic needed, given how lifeless the first one looked this morning.

Finally, Smith drives wide of mid-off and takes two to reach his 22nd fifty in 60 Tests.

He also has 22 Test hundreds to his name. Heck of a conversion rate.

Geoffrey Boycott
Ex-England batsman on BBC Test Match Special

The morning was all about Australia - Warner played really well. Bancroft struggled - he doesn't look in great nick nor a good player.It's a flat batting pitch, like one you'd get in India. England have bowled with a lot of energy. They have stuck at it. The only disappointment has been Moeen Ali.

Yeesh. Anderson gets a touch of reverse swing from round the wicket, the ball leaving Marsh, who plays and misses. More of that needed for England.

Marsh pushes square for one and here is Smith on 49.

A dot. Another dot. And another, the Aussie skipper remains one short of his half-century.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

Malan is more reliable than Moeen Ali at the moment. Moeen is a shadow of his former self. He's not enjoying this tour at all.

Malan continues to do the job that Moeen can't right now. Tying things up as Smith can't find that run he needs to reach 50. Another maiden.

Image source, Reuters

Australia won the toss, elected to bat and racked up 102 without loss in a chastening opening session for England, with David Warner looking imperious.

Cameron Bancroft was looking scratchy though and Chris Woakes removed him plumb lbw for 26.

Tom Curran then had Warner caught out on 99 via a leading edge...only for replays to show it was a no ball. Warner was reprieved and reached his 21st Test century.

But he only added four more runs - James Anderson forcing him to nick off to Jonny Bairstow as Australia scored just 43 runs in the second session.

Stuart Broad got into the action, also having Usman Khawaja caught behind by Bairstow. But Steve Smith and Shaun Marsh have steadied things for the hosts since...

Jim Maxwell
BBC Test Match Special

Where are England's spinners? Moeen Ali can't turn a single delivery and Mason Crane is a touring fielder, it seems.

Anderson to Marsh, who is happy to just defend all six balls in an uneventful maiden.

Graeme Swann
Ex-England spinner on BBC Test Match Special

I think England are missing a trick. I understand what they are doing, getting through to the new ball and Malan is doing good job, but in the period earlier Broad had the ball reverse swinging and had appeals turned down.

I don't know why they haven't gone for that more. Broad and Anderson have looked far more dangerous with the reversing ball than in five overs with the new ball.

I don't see the point waiting for a new ball when the old one is talking.

Smith drives Malan to the covers for two, moving to 49.

The part-time leggie prevents him from reaching his 50 in this over at least with a few flatter deliveries that Smith can't score off.

Great control from Anderson, giving Smith no scoring chances for the first five balls, before the Aussie skipper drives into off for a quick single.

James Anderson returns to the attack, with still nine overs to go until the new ball.

Image source, Reuters

Malan flights it up, perhaps trying to play on the fact that both these batsman would be gutted to get out to his part-time leg-spin.

He's keeping the Aussies honest at least, just one off the over to Smith.

And that's drinks.

Image source, Getty Images

Curtis Dora: Curran trying very, very hard, working his socks off, but doesn't look to have an X-factor ball at the moment.

Curran undoes decent work in the last few overs, a loose short ball that Smith easily gets on top off and cuts through backward point to the fence.

Short again and Smith steers it round the corner for one, but Marsh just plays out the rest of the over, equal to a slower ball yorker off the last.

Malan continues to Smith, who impudently suggested the Middlesex man was England's best spinner in Perth. This is a sign England are just trying to keep things tight until the new ball in 12 overs.

Just one off the over, Malan doing a tidy enough job for his captain, where Moeen wasn't.