[ZenGum]

Day five started with England on 2 for 20. The first goal was to not get out, and thus achieve a draw. If they could score more than 239, they would force Australia to bat again, and the extra time this would take would make the draw easier.

England struggled early, losing three wickets for 70 runs in the morning session, with Pietersen absurdly bowled not offering a shot to one from Hilfenhaus that came back in and knocked the top of off stump, and captain Strauss and keeper Prior beaten by the spin of Hauritz. Australia looked on track to win.

After lunch Collingwood and Flintoff put on a determined stand, adding 57 very slow runs before Flintoff fell to the pace of Johnson, and Broad was plumb LBW to Hauritz. Swann joined Collingwood, and was met by a barrage of short, fast bowling from Siddle. Swann was struck on the fingers, then the elbow, and then the helmet, by Siddle's 90 mile per hour (145 kph) bowling, requiring treatment each time. He toughed it out until tea, but with just three wickets in hand and 38 overs to play, England still looked in trouble.

Swann finally fell after tea for a hard fought 31 runs. Collingwood had been the anchor of the innings, playing carefully with great concentration for five hours and 44 minutes, making just 74 runs off 245 balls, but when he was finally out caught, the score was 9 for 233, and it was left to England's worst two batsmen to see out the last 12 overs.

Somehow, they did it. The Australians threw everything at them, but to no avail. The English managed to erase the deficit and post a tiny lead - the runs were trivial, but it meant Australia would have to bat again, and every minute taken up would be precious. Very late in the day, with less time left on the clock than it would take to change innings, the Australians conceded the draw and England escaped.

It was not a dull draw. It went right down to the wire and required great character from the England tail-end batsmen to survive. The draw was an achievement to lift the spirits of the England players, after their poor bowling performance and lack of application with the bat.

The Australians will be disappointed by their inability to cut through the English line-up as they have in the past, and frustrated that the series score is 0-0 despite their excellent batting performance. Nevertheless, England took a mental beating, and the scars of this will still affect them in the next test starting on Thursday at Lords.