The third Test match, in Manchester, was heavily affected by weather. An entire day’s play was lost to rain, while bad light delayed starts on the other days.
This time Australia batted after winning the toss and made 263, opener Shane Watson top-scoring with 62 out of 263. James Anderson took 5-80.
England batted and established a first-innings lead by making 376, with Andrew Flintoff, Andrew Strauss, Ian Bell and Stuart Broad making half centuries.
In their second innings, Michael Clarke produced a Player-of-the-Match performance for Australia with an unbeaten 103, while Marcus North made 96 and Michael Hussey 64. But Australia were 375/5 both captains shook hands with no realistic prospect of a positive result for either side.
In emphatic fashion, Australia levelled the series in the fourth Test match, at Headingley, Leeds.
England won the toss and batted on a green pitch in overcast conditions, a decision they soon came to regret as they were bowled out for just 102, Peter Siddle taking 5-21 and Stuart Clark 3-18.
Australia were determined not to let the home side off the hook. Watson made 51, captain Ricky Ponting 78, Clarke 93 and North 110, helping them to 445.
England needed 343 just to make Australia bat again, but they could not manage it. Despite an attacking partnership of 108 between Broad and Graeme Swann, they were all out for 263, Mitchell Johnson claiming 5-69 and Ben Hilfenhaus 4-60. Australia had won by an innings and 80 runs.
That meant that the fate of the Series was dependent on the fifth Test match, at The Oval.
England critically won the toss and batted, making 332, Bell leading the way with 72, while Strauss scored 55.
They then bowled Australia out for 160, Broad taking 5-37 and Swann 4-38.
England set about consolidating the first-innings lead, Strauss scoring 75 this time and Swann 63. However, it was Jonathan Trott’s 119 that really helped then build up a winning position before they declared on 375/9.
Australia needed 546 runs to win, but despite 121 from Hussey and 66 from Ponting, it was always going to be beyond them. England won by 157 runs and regained the famous urn once more.