England moral victors in drawn Test

England head to this week's second Adelaide Test with all the momentum after dominating Australia over the final two days of the Ashes opener which ended in a draw at the Gabba on Monday.

England ensured they would not be beaten in the first match of their Ashes defence after conceding a 221-run innings deficit when Alastair Cook and Jonathan Trott shared in England's highest partnership in Australia of 329 runs. Cook became only the fourth Englishman to score a Test double-century in Australia with his unconquered 235, while Trott hit 135 not out before skipper Andrew Strauss called a halt at 517 for one, 40 minutes before tea.

Australia tried to avoid further collateral damage in their 26 overs to the close and were 107 for one when the match finished in a draw. Ricky Ponting scored his 56th Test half-century to be 51 not out and Shane Watson was on 41.

Records and personal bests kept tumbling for England on the anti-climactic last day as Cook and Trott pummelled the Australian bowlers.

Cook joined Wally Hammond (3), Reg Foster and Paul Collingwood as double centurions with his 625-minute epic off 428 balls in the highest score by either team in 19 Ashes Tests at the Gabba.

Their unbroken partnership surpassed the previous highest stand by England in this country of 323 held by Jack Hobbs and Wilfred Rhodes at Melbourne in 1911-1912.

When Trott's 100 came up it was the first time three English players have scored a century in an innings of a Test match since 1924.

AFP

England 
1st innings: 260 

Australia 
1st innings 481 

ENGLAND 
2nd innings
overnight 309-1

A. Strauss  stpd Haddin b North		110
A. Cook  not out			235
J. Trott   not out			135

Extras (b17 lb4 w10 nb6)		 37
TOTAL (1 wkt declared, 152 overs)	517
Fall of wickets: 1-188 (Strauss)
Bowling: Hilfenhaus 32-8-82-0 (1w 3nb), Siddle 24-4-90-0 (2w 3nb), North 19-3-47-1,
 Johnson 27-5-104-0 (5w), Doherty 35-5-107-0, Watson 15-2-66-0 (2w).

AUSTRALIA 
2nd innings
S. Watson  
not out	41

S. Katich  c Strauss b Broad		 4
R. Ponting    not out			51

Extras (b4 lb1 w1 pen runs 5)		 11
TOTAL (1 wkt, 26 overs)			107
Fall of wicket: 1-5 (Katich)
Bowling: Anderson 5-2-15-0, Broad 7-1-18-1 (1w), Finn 4-0-25-0, Swann 8-0-33-0, Pietersen 2-0-6-0.