Record stand piles on the Ashes agony for England

Michael Clarke today hit his seventh Ashes hundred – in a double-century stand with Brad Haddin – to leave England facing an uphill battle to save the second Test.

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Clarke (148), who was dropped by England yesterday when he had made just 18, put on a batting masterlcass as he and Haddin (118) powered Australia to 570-9 declared.

Clarke's opposite number Alastair Cook was then clean bowled by Mitchell Johnson, losing his off stump to a 92mph thunderbolt, to unhinge England's reply.

Michael Carberry and Joe Root reached stumps without further loss on 35 – but not without a couple of alarms.

There was a run-out scare for Carberry, survived from the penultimate ball of the day when there was no direct hit following a call for a faulty single to cover, and then finally a Johnson lbw appeal turned down but which would have been out on review.

The tourists did not help themselves with some more sleepy and costly work in the field in Clarke and Haddin's ground record sixth-wicket stand against any Test opposition of exactly 200.

Even when it seemed Ben Stokes had broken the partnership at 111, Haddin caught behind pushing forward, umpire Marais Erasmus checked for a no-ball which was confirmed by video replay.

Clarke was unfazed and duly reached his second hundred of the series in Stokes' next over – his 26th in Tests.

He was not done yet either, batting well into the afternoon until he did become Stokes' first Test victim, chipping the first delivery of a new spell to midwicket off a leading edge to end an exemplary, near six-hour innings having hit 17 fours from 245 balls.

There was to be no revenge for Stokes against Haddin, though, the wicketkeeper-batsman instead completing his hundred off the debutant with a fierce pull for his 11th four to add to four sixes.

Clarke might easily have gone without addition to his overnight score after failing to get to the pitch and chancing his arm nonetheless – but thereafter he was masterful.

Haddin's first runs of the day took him to 1,000 against England.

Yet quicker reactions in the field might twice have helped see him off on 18 and then 30.

Carberry was unable to deliver the right throw for a possible run-out after a quick single to short third-man; then Panesar could not make enough ground to take the catch after a faulty hook at James Anderson.

Clarke had one dicey moment, on 91, when Ian Bell was unable to cling on to an especially tough chance at short-leg as the batsman advanced to Graeme Swann and got a thick inside-edge.

Even after Clarke was gone, Haddin kept sweeping the spinners to shreds and carving the pace too.

No.10 Ryan Harris (55no) then weighed in with a near run-a-ball 50, the sixth of an Australia innings containing an Ashes record 12 sixes, as almost another 100 was added for the eighth and nine wickets before Clarke called time.

He had left 21 overs in which Johnson and Harris could make inroads.

In the end, though, only Cook was to succumb.

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