Hosts build on after Harris strikes

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Kevin Pietersen and Ian Bell halted Australia’s advance after a treble strike by Ryan Harris on the third day of the fourth Ashes Test at Chester-le-Street on Sunday.

At tea, England in their second innings were 123/3, a far from decisive lead of 91 runs, with both Pietersen and Bell 37 not out having so far added an unbroken 74 for the fourth wicket.
England, who at 2-0 up in the five-match series had already retained the Ashes, were in dire straits at 49/3 as 33-year-old fast bowler Harris inflicted their latest top-order collapse this series.
Harris, playing a third straight match for just the second time in a 15-Test career plagued by injuries, took three wickets for 18 runs in 24 balls either side of lunch.
Before the interval, Harris bowled Joe Root (two) with a superb seaming delivery that clipped the top of off stump.
Soon afterwards, with conditions still overcast, he induced England captain Alastair Cook, on 22, into nicking a loose drive outside the left-hander’s off-stump to wicketkeeper Brad Haddin.
Jonathan Trott, with Australia captain Michael Clarke attempting to restrict his run-scoring by packing the on-side field, then gloved Harris and was well caught down the legside by a leaping Haddin for 23.
Pietersen, fresh from his 113 in the drawn third Test at Old Trafford, showed fellow South Africa-born batsman Trott how it should be done by pulling a short ball from Harris for four.
England dismissed Australia for 270 earlier on Sunday, the tourists held to a slender first innings lead of 32 after they added 48 runs to their overnight 222/5.
Stuart Broad finished the innings with five wickets for 71 runs in 24.3 overs.
Rogers had added just nine to his overnight score when, pushing forward defensively to off-spinner Graeme Swann, he was brilliantly caught off glove and pad for 110 by wicketkeeper Matt Prior, diving in front of the stumps.

SCORECARD (AT TEA)
England (1st innings): 238
Australia (1st innings, o/n 222/5): C. Rogers c Prior b Swann 110, D. Warner b Broad 3, U. Khawaja c Prior b Broad 0, M. Clarke c Cook b Broad 6, S. Smith c Prior b Bresnan 17, S. Watson c Prior b Broad 68, B. Haddin lbw b Swann 13, P. Siddle c Cook b Anderson 5, R. Harris lbw b Broad 28, N. Lyon lbw b Anderson 4, J. Bird (not out) 0.
Extras (b2, lb11, w1, nb2) 16. Total (in 89.3 overs) 270.
FoW: 1-12, 2-12, 3-49, 4-76, 5-205, 6-224, 7-233, 8-245, 9-258.
Bowling: Anderson 25-8-65-2, Broad 24.3-7-71-5, Bresnan 19-3-63-1, Swann 18-5-48-2, Trott 3-0-10-0.
England (2nd innings): A. Cook c Haddin b Harris 22, J. Root b Harris 2, J. Trott c Haddin b Harris 23, K. Pietersen (batting) 37, I. Bell (batting) 37. Extras (lb2) 2. Total (for 3 wkts, in 36 overs) 123.
FoW: 1-17, 2-42, 3-49.
Bowling: Harris 12-1-40-3, Bird 9-2-30-0, Watson 5-1-17-0, Siddle 5-1-27-0, Lyon 5-1-7-0.