Classy Cook crushes Australia

Prolific Alastair Cook ticked off another clutch of Ashes run-scoring milestones as he approached his second double-century of the 2010/11 series.

Cook (188no) and Ian Bell (62no) shared an unbroken stand of 152 to carry England to 378 for five, a first-innings lead of 98 and apparent control of the final Test on the third afternoon at the SCG.

By then, Cook was second in England's all-time list - behind only Wally Hammond, more than 80 years ago - of record runscorers in an Ashes series.

His tally of 765 compares with more than 1,000 in his 15 first-class innings on this tour, and is one of the main reasons England are wonderfully placed to become - at some point over the next two days - the first tourists since 1986/87 to win the Ashes outright in Australia.

There was just one conspicuously anxious moment for Cook today when, on 99 this morning, he rightly survived a controversial incident which had echoes of a similar close call during his match-saving 235 not out in the first Test at the Gabba.

Unlike then, when Cook already had 209 to his name by the time Ricky Ponting claimed a low catch at midwicket, justice was clearly done after Phil Hughes initially appeared to get his hands underneath one at short-leg off Michael Beer.

Cook stood his ground, as he had back in November, and was vindicated when the umpires consulted video evidence - which demonstrated the ball had bounced.

Beer was therefore denied a maiden wicket for the second time, a late no-ball verdict having stopped him opening his account when Cook mistimed him to mid-on yesterday. But the slow left-arm debutant did not have to wait much longer, before the out-of-form Paul Collingwood got him started when he aimed to hit over the top but fell to a steepling catch at mid-on by Ben Hilfenhaus.

Cook's 16th Test century was already on the board, including nine fours from 202 balls. Yet after the earlier loss of nightwatchman James Anderson, bowled off-stump playing up the wrong line to Peter Siddle, plenty was needed from England's sixth-wicket pair to ensure a mid-match advantage.

Cook would have been run out for 129, had Mitchell Johnson hit the stumps after turning round in his follow-through in an attempt to cut off an unwise single into the off-side in the final over of the morning.