England started day three of the second Ashes Test looking to bat Australia out of the game by securing a big lead at Lord's.
The hosts took advantage of the hospitable batting environment, with Joe Root and Tim Bresnan (38) calmly accumulating runs in the early stages of the day against a tired Australian bowling attack.
Michael Clarke's side took just two wickets in the day as Ian Bell, who continued his good form with a fluent 74, and Bresnan both picked out Chris Rogers on the leg-side with poor pull shots.
However, Root performed superbly to end the day unbeaten on 178* to guide England to 333-5, a lead of 566, at the close of play.
Read below to find out how Root and his teammates helped England to a commanding position on day three.
Good morning. We saw the fight we expected from Australia late on yesterday but day three begins with England in a very commanding position. Can they close in on a 2-0 series lead? Stick with Sports Mole to find out.
The lead for England is 264 at the moment and they're 30-3 in their second innings. There's three days left in this match, so I imagine the hosts will be thinking about batting for most of today at the very least.
It's not a certainty that England will be able to bat for the majority of the day. Peter Siddle (3-4) bowled superbly yesterday to give his side some hope and the tourists will be desperate to dismiss their rivals cheaply.
It may not be the batting paradise we thought it was at Lord's but some of the dismissals yesterday were unforgivable. Too many players gave their wicket away on a pitch, where if you play well you'll score runs. There will have been plenty of miserable faces in Australia's hotel yesterday. Usman Khawaja and Phil Hughes, in particular, were guilty of being reckless at a difficult time.
Australia's coach, Darren Lehmann, revealed his disappointment with his side's batting display yesterday. He'll be expecting a response from his side today but in truth, he doesn't have too many worries in the bowling department.
It could be a big day for Joe Root today. The opener hasn't had the best of starts to this series but he has a good opportunity to score runs at his own rate today as England look to bat Australia out of the game.
It will spin today. That's good news for Graeme Swann, who will be expected to tear through the Australian batting lineup. However, it could make life difficult for England today, if Ashton Agar can't hit the right areas. Does Steve Smith have a big role to play?
There's plenty of laughter on the outfield at Lord's at the moment. Nasser Hussain is attempting to show everyone how to do things at short-leg but let's just say he's not Ian Bell. Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott find it all very funny from the balcony.
We're just 10 minutes away from play now. As always, the first hour will be vital. England are in complete control but they'll be well aware that they cannot afford a disastrous start this morning.
Bresnan came in as nightwatchman yesterday and he's yet to get off the mark. He's certainly not the worst man to send in at that stage. Australia know he can bat well and Bresnan will be hoping to cement his place in the side with a big contribution as the debate over whether he, or Steven Finn, should occupy the third seamer spot.
The players are heading out to the middle now. Could this be the day England edge closer to retaining the Ashes? My head says we will seem some play tomorrow, but the way this series has played out so far, you never know.
It will be Siddle to bowl the first over of the day. England lead by 264. Root 18* Bresnan 0*
Great start to the day for Root as he leans on a full delivery to earn four through mid-wicket. Siddle finds a better line just outside off-stump and there's a hint of movement in the air on a slightly overcast morning in the capital. Just the boundary from the over.
Surprising move from Clarke to turn to Pattinson, who has struggled, rather than the impressive Harris. It's a promising start from the seamer though as he forces Bresnan to play for the majority of the over. Bresnan blocks well and it's a maiden.
Root gets off strik by nudging Siddle off the hip for a single. Bresnan opens the face of his bat in an attempt to find a run through third-man but Smith does well at gully to keep the same batsman on strike. Siddle is forcing Bresnan to play in the area close to off-stump but the seamer has been met by some good defence so far. Bresnan is still yet to get off the mark. It's another good over from Siddle.
Pattinson is getting some good shape on the ball early in the over but Root looks comfortable when the seamer pulls his length back slightly. A nudge behind square on the leg-side brings England's opener a single. Pattinson fires in a bouncer but Bresnan has enough time to dodge the ball as it travels quickly to Haddin.
Root looks almost Atherton-like as he leans forward to defend in the early stages of Siddle's over. The right-handed batsman is eager to leave the wider deliveries from Siddle, having learned his lesson after being given a life in the slips yesterday evening. Siddle's accuracy is admirable and it's a maiden.
Bresnan finally gets off the mark from his 30th delivery when he spoons a short ball into the leg-side for a run. Pattinson goes full to Root, which is definitely the right tactic. The seamer stays full but is punished when he strays slightly wider, with Root steering four runs through the off-side. Will Clarke have an early go with some spin?
Bresnan drives the ball short of point early in the over. Siddle is left frustrated when he catches the outside edge and the slips fail to prevent a boundary as the ball drops short once again. Bresnan whips the next ball through mid-wicket, beating the fielder to collect four more. England finally reach 50 in the 27th over. Two boundaries from an unusually expensive Siddle over.
Pattinson is looking far better with the ball in hand today. However, five dot balls are ruined when the final delivery of the over drifts down the leg-side for four byes. It looks like Harris will be coming into the attack.
Harris has Bresnan's wicket in his sights but he can't find the movement to catch the edge in the over. Bresnan does threaten to lose his head when he plays at a wider delivery outside off-stump. A fuller delivery is then well kept out by Bresnan. Maiden.
Watson comes into the attack now to replace Pattinson. The all-rounder starts with a slightly shorter length to Root, who can't pierce the field on the leg-side. A thick inside edge brings a single to square-leg. Watson is too straight to Bresnan too and the newly-crowned nightwatchman picks up a run to fine-leg. Just two from the over. England lead by 289. Steady start from the hosts.
Harris is too wide to Bresnan and the batsman takes advantage to drill four past point. Siddle is forced into some good fielding at cover when Bresnan targets the boundary again. A straighter delivery is nudged through mid-wicket for a couple more runs. Harris almost sneaks through when he catches the inside edge but the ball hits the pad and squeezes to safety, luckily for Bresnan.
Too short, too wide from Watson and Root cashes in to pick up four behind point. Watson's length is suiting Root, who is happy to defend on the back foot. It's a decent over, with one delivery sneaking under Root's bat. Australia desperately need a wicket.
Harris starts the over with a decent bouncer but Bresnan dodges the threat easily. A wider ball invites the drive and Harris is left frustrated as the ball misses the edge by an inch or two. Bresnan clips a fuller delivery off his toes for a single to steal the strike from the final ball of the over.
Watson is much fuller in the over, with Bresnan being forced to defend a few deliveries at his toes. A thick edge drops well short of the fielder at point. England looking comfortable at the moment. Maiden over.
Siddle, still boasting figures of 3-17, returns to the attack for a new spell. Brilliant technique from Root to get on top of the bounce outside off-stump and punch the ball through the covers for three. Siddle is too wide to Bresnan and the batsman is happy to leave. The umpires call for drinks, so the players will take a quick break.
The first hour of the day certainly belongs to England. Australia needed early wickets and they haven't taken them. England currently lead by 303. It looks like Agar will have his first bowl of the day. Root 36* Bresnan 17*
Agar is too full as he begins his spell but Root picks out the fielders on a couple of occasions. The spinner is finally punished for his poor length when Root drives the ball through the covers for three, with Khawaja preventing the boundary in the deep. Agar finds the inside edge later in the over but Bresnan is safe as the ball drops in a gap.
Good line from Siddle and he gets one to leave Root in the middle of the over as England's opener goes fishing outside off-stump. Root is forced to defend for most of the over but he shows his class from the final ball to drive Siddle straight down the ground for four runs. Shot of the day so far.
There's some turn for Agar at the start of the over but Bresnan gets a thick enough edge on the ball to earn three through third-man and bring up the fifty partnership. The spinner goes too full outside leg-stump and Root flicks a single to deep square-leg. Four from the over. I just wonder whether Clarke may test the batsmen's patience with a short spell of Smith before lunch.
Root is keen to target the third-man region but he can't beat Smith at gully early in the over. Siddle hangs the ball outside off-stump before bringing one back, but the movement comes too late to worry Root. Brilliant shot from Root, who shows the full face of the bat to drive four past mid-on. The Yorkshire ace is looking in good form and he moves to 48.
Much better line from Agar and he almost beats Bresnan with a delivery that turns away from the right-handed batsman. Just a slip and a short-leg in place for Bresnan but they're not called on in the over.
Pattinson comes back into the attack and, after two dot balls, Root reaches his HALF-CENTURY with two through the covers off the back foot. That's his first 50 as a Test opener. Root's confidence is there for everyone to see as he punches the next delivery past point for four more. The lead is now 324.
Agar delivers a freebie down the leg-side but Bresnan misses out with the big sweep shot and England must settle for a couple of byes. A nudge past short-leg brings Bresnan two runs, before a second sweep earns a single to deep square-leg. England are in cruise control at Lord's.
Bresnan gets off strike with a quick single to cover. Root adds another, before Pattinson comes back with a good bouncer to force Bresnan into a duck. We've seen the better side of Pattinson today but he, and Australia, could do with a breakthrough.
Agar is targeting the off-stump but Root's defence is straight out of the handbook. The left-arm spinner slows his pace in the latter stages of the over but he can't find any big turn to worry the opener. A quicker ball forces Root onto the back foot but he completes the maiden easily.
Harris is back into the attack. The seamer's short delivery gets stuck in the pitch slightly and Bresnan pops the ball into the air. Fortunately for Bresnan, his mistake isn't fatal as the ball drops well short oft he fielder at point. A nudge into the leg-side brings a single. Root continues to sit deep in his crease but he can't pierce the field on the off-side to add to his total. Good return for Harris.
Poor from Agar as he drifts down the leg-side again but Bresnan doesn't offer a short, so the spinner isn't punished. The teenager throws the ball out wider to tempt the batsman into a wild shot, with no reward. A late cut from Bresnan beats the fielder behind square on the off-side and earns him four runs. Just the boundary from the over.
Root hammers a cut shot off Harris but the ball races straight to Hughes at point. Harris goes too straight and England's opener nudges a single to mid-wicket. The seamer comes round the wicket to try some short stuff to Bresnan but England's nightwatchman is well aware of the threat and he easily negotiates the remaining balls.
Here's the change I spoke about earlier. Smith comes into the attack with 10 minutes remaining in the session. The leg-spinner is too short at the start of the over and Root pulls to deep mid-wicket for one. Bresnan drives a fuller delivery to Agar at mid-off and Root responds well to complete the single. Root adds one more run through extra cover to keep the strike. Four from Smith's first over.
Agar swaps ends to replace Harris. The spinner settles on a good length in the middle of the over and Root is forced to reach for the ball to defend. A full-toss is driven into the off-side for a single, meaning Root will steal the strike again.
Smith's full-toss is whipped through mid-wicket for a couple by Root. The same batsman rocks back to cut a single to deep point. Bresnan targets the same area to add a run of his own, before Root drills the ball through the off-side to rotate the strike again. Bresnan steal the strike from the final ball of the over.
Agar completes the final over of the session without conceding a run. A maiden takes us to lunch but it's England who head inside the happier of the two sides.
LUNCH: That has been the perfect start to the day for England. Australia are almost out of this second Test. The hosts now lead by 347 runs and they be thinking about declaring later today. Root 63* Bresnan 32*
Australia need wickets, but I feel they have left it to late. There's still two and a half days left in this match and Swann will be licking his lips at the prospect of getting another go at Australia.
We'll take a break during the lunch interval but make sure you return in around 35 minutes for the second session.
Welcome back everyone. Is it time for Joe Root to silence his small number of critics? Surprisingly, there has been some people who believe Root should be sent back down the order after only three innings as an opening batsman. However, the Yorkshire ace, who is currently sitting pretty on 63*, could convince a few more people about his enormous potential with a century today.
Bresnan has his own chance to prove his worth to the side. Root's county teammate has made his way to 32* and he's rarely look threatened today.
Australia are almost ready to continue their pursuit of a breakthrough but is it too late? England lead by 247 and a 2-0 lead to the hosts is looking the most likely result at the moment.
Everyone is back out in the middle. It will be Pattinson who resumes proceedings with the ball in hand. Play.
Pattinson begins the over with a couple of short-pitched deliveries but Bresnan is untroubled by the threat. A fuller ball almost sneaks through, with the batsman being forced to dig the ball out at the last possible moment. Good start to the session for the bowler. Maiden over.
Siddle brings one back in towards Root's pads and the opener flicks a single into the leg-side. Bresnan clips a run off his toes to fine-leg. Siddle force Root back with some good bounce but the defence continues to come out on top.
Two runs for Bresnan with a nudge off the hip to fine-leg. Pattinson pleads for lbw when he nips one back at Bresnan but there seems to be an inside edge involved and Clarke isn't interested in reviewing. This is probably the quietest period we've seen in this series so far.
Siddle starts the over with a very straight line to Root before taking one away from the batsman, with the opener left fishing for contact. No edge and that frustrates Siddle even more. Root readjusts and defends the remaining deliveries. Maiden over.
Australia have been much better since lunch and Pattinson continues to build pressure with a maiden, forcing Bresnan to play throughout the over. The lead is 352.
A polite round of applause breaks out around Lord's when Root drills the ball through mid-wicket for four runs. Root targets the same area later in the over but he picks out Khawaja on the leg-side. Siddle is close to sneaking through the opener's defence but an inside edge results in another run to deep square-leg.
Pattinson looks in good rhythm during this spell as he pushes Root onto the back foot with some decent pace. Root thinks there may be a single on at mid-on but Bresnan sends his partner back as Harris dives across to block the ball. A thick inside edge makes life uncomfortable for Root but he still manages to hurry a single.
Agar reacts well at wide mid-on to stop Root from piercing the field on the leg-side again. Siddle's short ball almost invites the hook but Root thinks twice about taking the risk. Bresnan gets the strike later in the over and he does attempts the hook but not with enough conviction to make contact.
Root goes to pull a wayward ball from Pattinson and he's fortunate not to glove the ball through to Haddin behind the stumps. Pattinson abandons an lbw appeal when notices how far the ball would have missed leg-stump. Interestingly, Root has now passed 1000 runs for the first-class season. Pattinson completes another maiden.
Harris is into the attack for the first time in the session and he continues the good work started by his teammates. A potential maiden is ruined when Bresnan flicks the final delivery through the leg-side and runs three.
Bresnan fails to punish Pattinson when he miscues a wide delivery straight to Nathan Lyon, the substitute fielder, at cover. A short ball is then worked into the leg-side and Bresnan is forced to rush back to his crease when Root rejects a single.
WICKET! BRESNAN (38) C ROGERS B PATTINSON
Pattinson delivers another short ball and this time he gets his man. Bresnan pulls, but picks out Rogers, who takes a simple catch on the leg-side. Australia will be hoping that dismissal sparks an unlikely collapse. The in-form Ian Bell is the new batsman.
Pattinson wants lbw late in the over but it looks like Bell gets outside the off-stump before he's struck on the foot. Good over from Pattinson, who deserved that wicket.
Root hands the strike to his new partner with a single on the leg-side. Bell is keen to use his feet early in his innings, as usual. Harris asks plenty of questions with his line and length, but he's met by some stubborn defence. Just one run from the over.
No freedom offered to Root by Pattinson. However, the opener remains patient and takes his opportunity to earn a single later in the over with a nudge wide of mid-on. Once again, just one from the over.
Harris gets the ball to leave Root at the last second and Haddin is left scratching his head as England's opener survives a close call. There's a hint of reverse swing for Harris, who is beginning to look like a tired bowler out there. Harris isn't happy with the ball but the umpires aren't interested in a change. Time for a drinks break.
Even after that wicket, it still doesn't look good for Australia. England lead by 364 runs. Shane Watson is going to have a bowl. Root 74* Bell 0*
Bell gets off the mark with a single on the leg-side. Watson tests Root against the short ball and the opener looks comfortable, although he can't beat Rogers at mid-wicket with the pull. It's all a bit quiet at Lord's.
Harris goes full to Bell, who shuffles across his crease to flick the ball into the leg-side for a couple of runs. Bell finds cover with a drive before chipping the next ball short of Agar at mid-on when Harris sends down a scrambled-seam delivery.
Root splits the two fielders on the off-side to pick up two early in Watson's over. Root can only smile as he misses a wider one from the seamer, who doesn't seem to see the funny side. The situation doesn't get any better for Watson when Root punches the next ball through the leg-side for four. Root closing in on a century.
Umpire Dharmasena has decided that he's not happy with the ball now and the box of balls is brought out onto the field. The men in charge settle on a suitable replacement and throw it to Harris.
Oh, dear. All of a sudden we've got some controversy at Lord's. Smith claims a catch at gully when Bell spoons the ball into the air off Harris. The third umpire wants to check if the ball carried. It looks close but Smith appears to just get his fingers under the ball. However, Bell is saved by the third umpire and the Australians cannot believe. That's an awful decision.
Agar comes into the attack for the first time in the session and he starts his spell with a good over, conceding just one runs Clarke and Smith both look furious in the field. I still can't believe the umpires didn't sell Bell on his way. It just gets worse for the tourists.
Root gets off strike early in a new over with a single to fine-leg. Bell plays a lazy cut outside off-stump and he's close to edging the ball towards the wicketkeeper. Only one talking point at Lord's right now. Smith still hasn't stopped shaking his head.
Agar starts the over with a quicker ball and Root is forced on the back foot to defend. A leg-side delivery is nudged behind square for a single by the same batsman. Bell continues his second life by earning a run of his own on the leg-side. Root cuts a shorter ball from the spinner through the off-side to rotate the strike again. Bell adds one more from the final ball of the over. The lead is now 379 runs.
Siddle returns to the attack for a new spell. The replacement ball seems to be getting some extra bounce off the pitch and Bell is war of this as he sits back to keep out Australia's seamer. A late cut beats gully and Bell reaches the rope for the first time in his innings. Bell makes it two boundaries from two balls by flicking the final delivery of the over off his pads for four through fine-leg.
Root steers a single through cover midway through the over to move to 85. Agar finds a good line to Bell, who is forced to defend before finding a run through point. Good control from Agar. 15 minutes left in the session.
Bell is struck on the glove by a ball that bursts off a length from Siddle. Plenty of surprised faces following that delivery. Bell does well to keep the ball from flying into the air. Siddle's optimistic appeal for lbw is quickly rejected, with the ball clearly going down the leg-side. England take the opportunity to cruise a leg-bye. Just the extra from the over.
Agar does find some turn midway through his over but England are able to rush a single, despite Hughes hitting the stumps from point. Root continues to show good patience as he blocks, before driving a single to deep cover. England are not rushing anything at the moment.
Root moves into the nineties when he drives Siddle straight past mid-off for a boundary. A thick inside edge squeezes into the leg-side and Root settles for a single this time. Bell gets on top of a slightly shorter ball to earn one on the leg-side. Root will keep the strike thanks to a slightly miscued pull to deep square-leg. Seven from Siddle's over.
There's probably time for one, maybe two, overs before tea. It's Smith's turn to begin a new spell. The leg-spinner is too short and Root moves to 96 with a cracking cut shot through the off-side for four. Smith delivers another poor ball but Root picks out Agar this time at extra cover. A full-toss is then nudged to the fielder at mid-off. Smith continues the mixed over with a full delivery that Root drives through cover for one. Bell is shocked by some extra bounce but he makes sure the ball doesn't go to slip. Root will have to wait for his century.
TEA: England continue to dominate. There may soon be some questions asked about when the declaration will come but I wouldn't be surprised, with so much time left in the game, if England bat for the rest of the day. Root heads into the break on 97, alongside Bell, who has made 16 so far. England lead by 404 runs.
If Australia are looking for positives, they won't find many. However, the second new ball will be available in just two more overs.
The big talking point from that session is, of course, the catch from Smith. Bell should be out but he remains at the crease with Root. You can have all the technology available but that was just a poor decision from the third umpire, Tony Hill.
I'm sure Smith is still furious about that decision but in truth, it probably won't make much difference. That's not really the point, though. Especially with all of the controversy we've already had in the series. It's worth saying that Bell wasn't at fault. He had every right to stand his ground but the umpires let down Australia there.
Do England kick on from here? I'd be surprised if we see a declaration anytime soon, so should the hosts switch to an attacking mindset? Bairstow and Prior are the next two players in and England could really exhaust the Australians in the field with some one-day style batting.
We could be about to witness something special after the tea break. Root needs just three more runs for a first Ashes century and a maiden hundred at Lord's. I really don't think it would be his last either. He's a special player.
The players have had their cups of tea and they are waking out to the middle now. England lead by 404. Root 97* Bell 16*
It's Watson to bowl the first over after the break. Can he spoil Root's party?
Root is made to wait for the milestone a bit longer. A mixture of excellent fielding from Smith at gully and some accurate bowling, with Watson finding some extra bounce, results in a maiden over.
Agar has a smile on his face when he delivers a ball way outside leg-stump to Bell. The left-arm spinner, who is currently bowling from over the wicket, is then pushed through the off-side for a single by Bell. Agar is close to sneaking past Root's bat with a ball that keeps very low. Root survives. The new ball is now available.
No sign of the new ball just yet. Watson continues and invites a false shot from Bell when he nips the ball back between bat and pad. Bell is surprised by a shorter ball, taking a painful blow to the chest as he misses with a pull shot. Maiden over from the all-rounder.
Agar starts the over with a full toss and Root earns two through mid-wicket. CENTURY! Root brings up his second Test century in style as he cuts the ball between two fielders to earn four. Brilliant innings from Root, who joins some great names on the Honours Board at Lord's. We've seen great discipline and some superb shots in the innings. The crowd stand to applaud a batsman who will surely be starring in many Ashes series to come. Fantastic scenes.
Bell hands the strike to Root at the start of Watson's new over. The bowler fires in a bouncer and, after Root misses with the pull shot, the ball evades Haddin to result in four byes. Root decides against playing at the next short ball, which is delivered outside off-stump. A thick inside edge brings the centurion two more on the leg-side. Root 105* Bell 18*
Agar is looking to test Bell by pitching the ball in the rough outside the leg-stump but the batsman is playing the ball late to give himself time to react. Bell rocks back to guide the ball through third-man for a couple runs, before getting off strike when Agar concedes a bye down the leg-side. The spinner is struggling to build pressure at the moment. It might be time for the new ball.
Pattinson returns for a new spell but it's not a good start for the seamer as Bell flicks the ball through fine-leg for four. Bell elegantly pushes the next delivery through the covers, with Rogers being forced to do the chasing to restrict the batsman to two runs. A thick inside edge allows England to rotate the strike and Root adds another run behind square on the leg-side.
Agar continues to target the rough outside the leg-stump. Despite the help from the surface, Agar can't find the turn necessary to trouble Root, who has looked as good as anyone against spin in this match. A wayward delivery is clipped fine and Root picks up four. Agar finally gets the turn he wanted out of the rough, with Clarke being forced to collect the ball at slip. The lead is 433.
Bell moves into the thirties with a nudge off the hip for four early in Pattinson's over. The bowler over-adjusts and is punished for a wide ball outside off-stump as bell cuts for four more runs. Lyon is on as a substitute fielder and he does well at point to restrict Bell to one. Root will keep the strike, thanks to a quick single to cover. Root 111* Bell 36*
Nice moment on the Lord's outfield as Billy Root, Joe's brother, comes on as 12th man and shares a quick hug with his brother before handing him a drink. Great moment for the family as well as the individual.
Root plays and misses outside off-stump as Smith comes on for a new spell. An awful long-hop is pulled powerfully by the same batsman, but just for one run. Bell quickly adds another on the leg-side to get off strike, before Root crunches a fuller ball through the covers for four. England are beginning to accelerate at Lord's.
Bell dances down the pitch to loft Agar over mid-off for four runs to take the lead past 450. The left-arm spinner hits the target on a couple of occasions but is punished when he strays again as Bell drops to one knee to sweep four more behind square on the leg-side. The Warwickshire batsman nudges a single through square-leg later in the over to keep the strike. Are England actually thinking about declaring sooner, rather than later?
Bell moves to 47 at the start of Smith's over with a single on the leg-side. Root attempts an expansive cut, picking out Agar at extra cover, before cutting to deep cover for one. Bell sits deep in his crease to cut two more to third-man. HALF-CENTURY! Bell's fantastic form continues as he reaches his 36th Test 50 with a single on the leg-side. Australia just can't deal with him at the moment but they may argue that he should already be back inside. Bell's knock comes from just 82 balls. Seven from the over.
Bell is at his fluent best right now as he drives the returning Siddle through extra cover for four runs. A clip off the pads brings the same batsman a single. Root pulls a short ball through square-leg for two more before hurrying a single behind point. Surely it's time for the new ball, isn't it?
Agar is back into the attack and his new spell starts with two boundaries. Root follows a delicate flick through fine-leg for four by sitting deep in his crease to hammer a short ball through the covers to reach the rope again. Poor bowling but Root is punishing the spinner well. A sweep shot is slightly miscued but Root still earns a single. This partnership has cruised past 100.
The boundaries continue to flow as Root drills Siddle's wide delivery past backward point for four more. There's not even a slip in place at the moment for Australia, who are focusing on damage limitation. The England duo trade singles in the middle of the over to make it six from the over. Not even the dependable Siddle can't stop the flow of runs. Time for a drinks break.
These two have clearly been told to start accelerating. I wouldn't rule out a declaration in the last hour of the day at Lord's. A breakthrough this evening would give England a big boost heading into Sunday.
Bell hands the strike to Root, whose own pursuit of a quick single on the off-side is abandoned. Brilliant from Root as the centurion steers the ball past point in superb style for four runs. A push to mid-off earns Root a single and he'll keep the strike.
Clarke doesn't seem to be too interested in the second new ball as he brings back Smith for another spell of spin. The leg-spinner begins with a short ball, which Root pulls away for a single. Bell shows good foot movement to cut a ball just in front of point for another run. England continue to cruise along at a comfortable rate.
Bell takes the lead past 500 with a gorgeous reverse-sweep for four runs. Agar responds well to force Bell into an uncomfortable defensive stroke. A flick through square-leg earns one, making it five from the over.
It's another inconsistent over from Smith, who seems to follow every good ball with either a long-hop or full-toss. One of those short-pitched balls are pulled away for a single by Bell and the next one is cut away by Root for another run. England lead by 503.
Root moves to 144 with a cut through the off-side. Bell attempts the reverse-sweep again but he can't make contact with his shot this time. A leg-side delivery races away from Haddin and to the rope without a touch, but Bell is still awarded the runs. Agar drops his length and Bell reaches the boundary in front of point to take the partnership past 150. The same batsman adds two more to third-man to make it 11 from a poor Agar over.
It's Root's turn to get the reverse-sweep out but he only picks up a single.
WICKET! BELL (74) C ROGERS B SMITH
It's a bit of a village cricket moment at Lord's. Smith delivers a juicy half-tracker and, with a boundary looking certain, Bell hammers the ball to Rogers at mid-wicket. It's a poor way to get out but Bell has once again shown his class in this series.
Bairstow is the new batsman and it's still unclear how long England will stay out there for. The new arrival survives the remainder of the over.
Root edges closer to 150 with a single to deep square-leg. Bairstow gets off the mark by adding a run towards a similar area. No runs on offer for Root when he clips the ball behind square on the leg-side. A cheeky reverse-sweep brings three to Root, who has moved to 149. Will England declare if he reaches the next milestone?
It might be worth remembering that the highest ever successful fourth-innings run-chase is 418-7 by the West Indies in 2003 against Australia. England currently lead by 520.
150! Root continues to cruise along and he accepts the applause of his teammates and the crowd again by reaching 150 with a single to deep mid-wicket. His day just keeps getting better. Bairstow misses out when Smith delivers yet another short ball. However, the fresher batsman refuses to miss the next opportunity to score as he lofts a full-toss over mid-wicket for four.
Root pushes Agar, who is yet to claim a wicket in the match, through cover for a solitary run. Bairstow skips down the pitch but his aggression doesn't bring any runs as he picks out mid-on with his miscued shot. Agar drifts down the leg-side and a flick off the pad gifts England four leg-byes. England lead by 530.
Root guides the ball just behind square on the off-side and takes the opportunity to sneak a single to add to his collection. Bairstow quickly hands the strike back to his partner, who is left smiling when he prods a full-toss straight back to the bowler. An outside edge beats Haddin, before racing through third man for a couple more.
Bairstow drops to one knee to sweep Agar away for a single. Khawaja does the fielding at deep cover when Root pushes the ball through the off-side for two runs. Root finds the same fielder with a cut shot later in the over. It looks like Cook may make his bowlers wait until tomorrow morning.
It doesn't look like Clarke will be taking the new ball tonight. The spinners continue to bowl in tandem, with Smith's latest over coming for the cost of just one run. Root 158* Bairstow 7*
Nick Compton offers his congratulations to his replacement on Twitter: "Well played @joeroot05 great effort and well deserved pal #rise #Ashes."
Agar finds some big bounce to beat Bairstow but the ball isn't close to catching the edge. The same batsman takes a risk when he sweeps, and misses, out of the rough. Just a single for Root from the over. Four overs left in the day.
Root continues to accumulate runs at a good rate as he paddle-sweeps to fine-leg for two. No surprise to see Smith lose his length, allowing England's opener to cut a single to deep cover. When Smith does hit the target, he delivers a beauty to take one past Bairstow's outside edge. Bairstow hasn't looked fluent so far, but he displays his power with a lofted shot down the ground for four from the final ball of the over.
Root nudges a single into the leg-side. Bairstow wisely avoids another ripper from Agar out of the rough. Swann knows the damage he'll be able to do to the left-handed Australians with those foot-holes to aim at. One from the over.
Wow! Root shows us another side of his game as he launches Smith for a massive six over mid-wicket. That me be the last time we see Smith attempt the googly. Root continues to go about his business with that infectious smile and his grin gets bigger when he repeats the trick to clear the rope at mid-wicket again. Two sixes from the first three balls are followed by a single to deep point. Three leg-byes are awarded to England when Smith drifts wide of leg-stump. Smith's over just gets worse when he catches the edge and Root is able to earn two more. 18 runs from the over.
This partnership is now worth 51 from 64 balls. Australia cannot wait until the close of play.
Agar deceives Bairstow with some good flight early in the final over of the day. The left-arm spinner continues to bowl the ball into the rough but all he's doing now is giving us a glimpse of what Swann has to look forward to later in the game. It's a maiden over. Superb day for England. There's only one hero at Lord's...
CLOSE OF PLAY: Root raises his bat for the final time today as he walks off the hallowed turf at Lord's to a standing ovation. The Yorkshire youngster ends the day unbeaten on 178 and he's one of the main reasons why England lead by 566 at the end of day three. Bairstow heads back inside with 11 to his name.
It's difficult to say what this day has done for the spirit inside the Australian camp. The tourists have taken just two wickets and they'll have to produce a special performance to steal anything from this game.
England may bat for a while tomorrow morning, just to exhaust their rivals even more. Cook may wait until his opening partner reaches 200 before turning his attention to finding those 10 wickets to secure a 2-0 series lead.
Once again, it's England who end the day as the happiest side. Darren Lehmann will have a difficult task of rallying the visiting troops following another demoralising day for the men in baggy green caps.
I'm sure the declaration will come sooner, rather than later, tomorrow. When it does, Australia will have to battle against the new ball bowlers before facing trial by spin when Swann is introduced to the action.
England dominate once again. The lead is currently 566. I'll leave you to admire that fantastic innings from Root for the rest of your evening. Join me again tomorrow at 10.30am as England look to move a step closer to retaining the Ashes. Goodnight.
Written by
Callum Mulvihill
Callum Mulvihill
