Now or never for England

Decision day is upon England in the third Ashes Test at Trent Bridge.  

They must produce a rousing performance with bat and ball otherwise the coveted urn is set to stay with Australia.

Most punters and observers would fancy Australia to retain the Ashes today after Shane Warne's heroics.

But Warne himself thinks it's too close to call.

The leg-spinner still rates the match as "50-50", though he accepts other people will make them slight favourites.

England are only 139 runs ahead with four wickets standing - with Ian Ward the one remaining front-line batsman, urgently needing some support from the late order players against a fresh Australian attack.

If England can nudge the lead to 200 they will feel they are in business if the quick bowlers can reproduce their Thursday night fire, with Australia needing to make the biggest score of the match to win.

Warne said: "I still think the game's in the balance.

"If we can hopefully knock over the tail quickly the Ashes is up for grabs.

"But if they can churn out some runs and get 200 it will be a real close game, especially as we only made 190 in the first innings.

"Anything can happen, it's another day and it will be a waste if don't go out and get the runs when we have to get them.

"But I still think it's a 50-50 game. It depends what happens tomorrow, Tudor can bat a bit, as can Croft, Gough and Caddick.

"The situation of the game was pretty tense, at one stage they were batting very well and to get some wickets like that was very rewarding.

"I thought I bowled really well, but I bowled a short one that got me Stewart's wicket.

"I think we can chase anything, but it depends on how England bowl. On this type of wicket, it's very hard for the new batsman.

"Mark Ramprakash was set, and it was a big wicket, and to play a shot like that at that stage of the game gave us confidence, and disappointment in the England dressing room.

"I saw that as a big turning point, and Atherton is big wicket for us, he occupies the crease and is a class act."

But Surrey's Alex Tudor remained defiant after his five-wicket first innings haul.

"There's still a lot work to be done with the bat, I'll try and get a few runs and put them under pressure.

"We'll try to get up to 200 and in the past they've shown a little bit of a weakness in chasing low totals, and try to eke out as many runs as we can.

"There's a lot of cricket left and when we come out to bowl we've got to have all guns blazing. It's up to the lower order to contribute."