England, who just need to draw the match to secure a first
series win in Australia for 24 years having already retained the Ashes, were on
488-7 with Matt Prior (54) and Tim Bresnan (0) at the crease when bad light
stopped play.
Cook put on another dazzling display of concentration and
not a few fine shots and was given a rousing standing ovation by the 40,000
crowd after taking his series tally to 766 runs.
"It's been an amazing five-six weeks for us as a side
and for me personally," Cook told reporters.
"It's great to be on the crest of a wave and enjoying
it. We had a really good plan coming into this series, a good build up and
we've played some good cricket but we want to come home winning our series.
"That was our aim coming into this game and that's what
we'll try to do with another two days left." Australia did not lack effort
in the field but their bowlers asked too few questions of the batsmen on a
deadening track and their hopes of squaring the series were fading away in the
early evening gloom.
"What Cook showed was a lot of discipline,"
Australia stand-in captain Michael Clarke said. "He let a lot of balls go
and played to his strengths. We didn't have the discipline to hold our lines
and he exploited that." Those hopes were still high at the start of the
day when the tourists resumed on 167-3 and Peter Siddle quickly picked up the
wicket of nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson for seven.
At the other end, though, was the outstanding batsman of the
series and Cook, who had started on 61, was soon accelerating toward his third
century of the series.
By the time he was caught low in the gully by Mike Hussey
off Shane Watson just after tea, England had overhauled Australia's first
innings tally of 280 and were 100 runs ahead with four wickets in hand.
Most of the crowd at the Sydney Cricket Ground were clad in
pink in honor of the breast cancer foundation started by Test bowling great
Glenn McGrath and his late wife Jane but the English batsmen were in no mood
for charity.
Bell picked up where Cook had let off and he finally scored
his first Test century in 31 innings against the Australians but there were
boos mixed with cheers as he doffed his helmet.
The 29-year-old had been given out caught behind on 67 when
the ball went between bat and pad but he stood his ground and was reprieved
when the television review England demanded proved inconclusive.
The cat calls came again when Bell departed for 115 shortly
before the end of the day after being caught by Clarke off the bowling of
Mitchell Johnson.
"(It's) the best knock that I've played in an England
shirt against Australia, so a fantastic moment to eventually get a hundred
against Australia, it's great," Bell said.
Cook had few scares in his 488-minute innings and had stood
his ground when he was on 99 and Australia's Phillip Hughes claimed a catch at
short leg.
"It was very close and to be fair to Phil Hughes he
said straight away, 'I wasn't sure'," Cook said.
"I obviously was going to hang around. On 99 you're not
going to walk off very quickly, you're going to be dragged off." The
umpires checked the TV pictures and concluded that the ball had not carried to
Hughes and Cook went on to claim his 16th Test century with a single to
midwicket shortly afterwards.
Debutant spinner Michael Beer, who had lost two potential
wickets to TV reviews, finally got his maiden Test wicket when Paul Collingwood
danced down the pitch but sent the ball looping into the hands of Ben
Hilfenhaus at mid-on for 13.
Despite England's strong position, Clarke said he thought
Australia could still win.
"If we can go out strong in the morning and get these
last few wickets, then bat our backsides off and fight hard and get a lead of
180-200 on the final day at the SCG, I'm confident we can still win this
game," Clarke said.
