Australia Routs on Huge Victory as England Slump

Marcus North scored his second century in the Ashes to hurt England.

Leeds: Australia inflicted a dramatic England collapse for the second time in the match as they eyed a fourth Test win inside three days at Headingley that would leave the Ashes level at 1-1.

England, at stumps on the second day were 82 for five, still needing a further 261 runs to make Australia bat again after Marcus North's 110 had been the centre-piece of the visitors' 445 all out.

In England's meagre first innings 102 their numbers three, four and five had managed nine runs between them.

But on Saturday the trio of Ravi Bopara, Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood contributed an even worse seven runs in total, once more justifying Australia captain Ricky Ponting's assertion they were a weak link in the England team.

Ben Hilfenhaus struck twice in two balls to spark the latest decline, when with England 58 without loss, he had captain Andrew Strauss lbw.

Bopara fell the same way next ball for a golden duck, a dismissal that left him with a mere 100 runs this series at an average of 15 and one that could leaver him facing disciplinary action after he showed dissent at Pakistani umpire Asad Rauf's decision.

Bell survived the hat-trick but exited soon afterwards for three when he edged Mitchell Johnson to Ponting at second slip.

Collingwood, lbw playing across his pad to Johnson and opener Alastair Cook, who made 30 before he was caught behind, also fell to the left-armer.

England were now 78 for five and had lost five wickets for 20 runs in 44 balls with Johnson taking three for one in 14.

James Anderson was nought not out and Matthew Prior, dropped in the slips by North off the last ball of the day, four not out.

North, seven not out off 42 balls overnight, bided his time before completing a third century in his sixth Test before he was last man out to pace bowler Stuart Broad, whose figures of six for 91 were his Test-best, to bring about tea.

Worryingly for England, paceman James Anderson - who sustained a hamstring injury while batting on Friday - didn't bowl between Saturday's lunch and tea.

Western Australia left-hander North, out for 96 in the drawn third Test at Edgbaston, got to his hundred in style by sweeping off-spinner Graeme Swann for six, reaching the landmark in 193 balls, including 12 fours.

Such was Australia's command that even tailender Stuart Clark, whose accurate fast bowling saw him take three for 18 on his Test return on Friday, drove Swann for six and later pulled Broad high over square leg for two sixes in as many balls during a brisk 32.

By then the damage had been done.

Australia were 151 for four, a lead of just 49, when the 30-year-old North came to the crease.

He proved an ideal foil to Australia-vice captain Michael Clarke, who made 93, during a stand of 152 that all but doubled the score.

Australia started Saturday on 196 for four, a lead of 94, with Clarke 34 not out after Ponting had led the way with a dominating 78 on Friday.

North set the tone when, off Saturday's first ball, he punched Anderson through the covers for four off the backfoot.

Clarke, who made 136 in England's second Test win at Lord's and 103 at Edgbaston, was in sight of a third hundred in as many Tests, when he was lbw to Graham Onions having faced 136 balls with 13 fours.

England had insisted throughout this season they could regain the Ashes without star batsman Kevin Pietersen, ruled out of the series after their second Test win with an Achilles injury or Flintoff, whose longstanding knee problem saw him replaced on the morning of this match.

But in their first Test without either man for nearly six years, England had so far been overwhelmed, with the knowledge that Australia had not picked Clark earlier in the series their only consolation.

Brief Score: England 102 and 82 for 5 (Anderson 0*, Prior 4*) trail Australia 445 (North 110, Clarke 93, Ponting 78 Broad 6-91) by 261 runs.