The Ashes - Second Test, Day 4: Defiant Australia and rain hold up England
Second Test, Day 4 (at Adelaide): Australia 245 all out (MEK Hussey 93, BJ Haddin 56, SR Watson 51) & 238-4 (MJ Clarke 80, SR Watson 57) v England 620-5 (KP Pietersen 227, AN Cook 148, IJL Trott 78, IR Bell 68no)
Kevin Pietersen claimed a key wicket with the last ball of the day following his earlier heroics with the bat to give England real encouragement in their pursuit of victory in the Second Ashes Test in Adelaide.
The batsman, who scored a career-best Test score of 227 to help England to 620 for five declared, struck with his occasional spin to unseat Michael Clarke for 80 after he had looked to be in for the long haul alongside Australia team-mate Mike Hussey.
The fourth-wicket pair had given Australia, set 375 to make England bat again, hope of forcing a draw but the dismissal of Clarke gives the tourists added impetus heading into the final day of the match.
Australia closed on 238 for four and were left hoping that the forecast adverse weather comes to their aid tomorrow in a bid to keep the series level.
Australia's survival prospects were enhanced by an opening stand of 84. But Graeme Swann, bowling unchanged for 24 overs in tandem with pace, then took two early-afternoon wickets.
Openers Shane Watson and Simon Katich, parted in the first over and without a run on the board at the start of this match three days ago, were unmoved up to and beyond lunch.
Katich had to bat and run almost on one leg thanks to an ankle injury, done no favours by more than two days in the field. But both he and Watson approached a daunting task with an evident intent to take all reasonable scoring opportunities, rather than merely survive.
The introduction of Swann, at 44 for none after just 10 overs, brought a more circumspect response from the batsmen - but still no breakthrough.
England's hope was that their champion off-spinner could make the most of footmarks created by Doug Bollinger's 29 overs of left-arm pace from the river end.
But a clutch of morning miscues and bat-pads did not go to hand, the closest call coming when Ian Bell was just unable to reach a ball which looped over his head at silly-point when Watson was on 26.
It was to be Swann nonetheless who got England up and running, as he started to find slightly sharper turn and variable bounce on a pitch expected to deteriorate.
First, Katich followed an off-break and got a faint edge behind on the back foot.
