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Message: <blockquote data-quote="chandikagunawardhana" data-source="post: 5197113" data-attributes="member: 11539">England move closer to historic winControversy, not history, dominated discussion at Lord's despite England moving within five wickets of a victory 75-years in the making. A series of incorrect umpiring decisions blighted an otherwise engrossing first two sessions on Sunday, in which Andrew Flintoff and Graeme Swann pushed the Australians to the brink and repriced memories of 2005.Again, much of the focus centered on Rudi Koertzen, whose 100th Test might well be remembered as his most contentious. The South African official began the fourth day by ruling Simon Katich out to a Flintoff no-ball, but the bigger controversy surrounded his involvement in the dismissal of Phillip Hughes to a claimed catch by Andrew Strauss.Hughes was ordered to stand his ground by Ricky Ponting, the non-striker, after edging Flintoff low to first slip and, as has been the case twice previously this Test, Koertzen sought the counsel of Billy Doctrove. But unlike Nathan Hauritz's claimed catch on Saturday, the on-field officials did not refer the matter to Nigel Llong, the third umpire, and Koertzen ordered Hughes back to the Pavilion for 17.Replays were inconclusive as to whether Strauss' fingers were completely between ball and turf, and a third umpire referral might have resulted in a benefit-of-the-doubt ruling, similar to that granted to Ravi Bopara the previous day. Hughes, though, was not so fortunate, and now finds himself under immense pressure to perform at Edgbaston after false starts at Sophia Gardens and Lord's.Michael Hussey also had reason to feel aggrieved at his dismissal, ruled caught at first slip to a Swann delivery he appeared to miss, but the Australian batsman could have counted himself most fortunate to have survived an earlier lbw shout from James Anderson. Hussey's wicket in the 33rd over almost certainly signaled the end of Australia's survival prospects in the match, although Michael Clarke and Brad Haddin held firm to tea, advancing the Australian total to 178 for five.The various controversies of the day may have made for heated debate in the stands, but could not detract from a virtuoso performance from Flintoff, playing his last ever Test at Lord's. Storming in from the Pavilion End, England's enigmatic allrounder bowled seven overs of pure menace for figures of 2 for 9 before lunch, accounting for both Australian openers in the process, and followed with seven more in the second session.Presumably, Flintoff will not be offering conciliatory handshakes and embraces to the Australians in the event of a second Test victory, as was the case at Edgbaston four years, given the ferocity of his encounters with Hughes and Ponting in the first session on Sunday. In the second over of the morning, Flintoff unleashed a ferocious bouncer that barely cleared Hughes' helmet, and followed with an exaggerated verbal barrage delivered while walking backwards to his mark. The chirping also extended to Ponting, somewhat more practiced at the art than Hughes, as tempers frayed in this most pressurised of atmospheres.Ponting's blood pressure rose further when James Anderson struck him a painful blow to the right index finger, and again when a loose cut-shot resulted in him edging a Stuart Broad delivery onto his stumps. Marcus North also chopped on in the lead up to tea - his from a faster, flatter Swann delivery - as Australia stumbled to 128 for 5.Clarke and Haddin ensured England did not have it all their own way, combining for an unbroken stand of 50 heading into the tea break. Clarke raised his defiant half-century from just 58 deliveries, and will require more of the same if Australia are to survive a day which will be extended by an hour due to earlier rain delays.Earlier, Strauss declared England's second innings closed at 311 for 6, holding an overall lead of 521.</blockquote>

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