65th over: Australia 236-6 (Head 29, Cummins 0) England do love to taunt us, do they not, making like they’re going to compete, but that’s a wicket maiden in the Gabba below.

A nondescript ball from Woakes, if describing something as nondescript isn’t tautology, which Carey hauls around himself from off, picking out Pope at midwicket!

65th over: Australia 236-5 (Head 29, Carey 12) In a way, blogging through the night is the best way to sleep during an overseas Ashes, because it means you’re not lying in bed with headphones on, constantly waking up to disaster but feeling like you can’t legitimately have a kip during the day but excuse me while I interrupt myself!

64th over: Australia 236-5 (Head 29, Carey 12) Joe Root invites himself to daven bowl, wjich makes sense given two lefties at the wicket, but after his first five balls yield just a single to Carey, he overpitches and Head swings through the line, zetzing six down the ground. The lead is 89, and this partnerships is taking the game away from England, to the extent they didn’t take it away from themselves. Obviously the batting is the issue, but it’s also the case that only two of their bowlers are seriously threatening wickets.

63rd over: Australia 229-5 (Head 23, Carey 11) Woakes isn’t giving anything away but he’s not really threatening and England need wickets; the ball that’s pitched up a little more elicits a false stroke from Head, who fences a single after Carey pushes one, then Carey hauls over the top for three and this is getting away from England again. Ultimately, you can’t get rolled for 147 and expect to be involved in a Test match.

You know what to do, people.

62nd over: Australia 224-5 (Head 22, Carey 7) Yet again, Stokes is going to flog himself for the cause, and he’s not quite right on his front foot so Head hauls him to the square-leg fence for four, then cuts him to point for four more. England can’t afford this – big overs or Head to settle – but they know that this is their time, so it makes sense to turn to their magic man. It’s not worked though, because when he serves one up on the hip, Head forces it off, an from deep backward square, Leach chugs around the fence, dives, saves the four, then throws the ball into himself and cedes the four. I daresay he’ll be hearing from the crowd at this juncture.

61st over: Australia 212-5 (Head 10, Carey 7) Woakes continues over the wicket, but with two lefties you wonder if at some point he might try around; I’d also like to see Wood and Robinson trying to slant them in and cramp the batters, because if they don’t try something now, this match will be gawn. Another maiden for Woakes.

“Certainly us Aussies can be a parochial bunch, no denying that,” says Tom. “That said Ricky Ponting is just about the best commentator I’ve ever come across in any code. The hardest part about tuning into the cricket so far has been the utterly tone deaf soundtrack provided by the barmy army. If I have to hear you are my sunshine one more goddamn time...”

Agree with all of that, though long-time readers will know that I do have a soft spot for the Barmy army singing Jerusalem, then applauding themselves.

60th over: Australia 212-5 (Head 10, Carey 7) Robinson charges in again and after three dots, Carey gets himself off the mark in Test cricket, a front-foot drive for four punishing a slightly overpitched delivery. And he adds three more next ball, knocking through mid off, before Head turns for through midwicket. Eleven off the over, taking Australia’s lead to 65.

“Somethiing Flintoffian about the laddish swagger of Robinson,” says W McGonagall. “Looks like he lifts the side with character and performance. There is a callow and febrile belly to this Australian batting that hides behind a) its stars and b) the noisier discussion about England’s batting weaknesses.”

Agreed in the second aspect – there’s not much batting in the middle order, though the tail isn’t bad. Otherwise, I’m not sure whether Robinson has Flintoff’s competitive charisma, or if he’s just really good.

59th over: Australia 201-5 (Head 6, Carey 0) It’s Woakes, who beats Head outside off and receives the rich reward of a nod; that’s one to tell the grandkids. In the field, Ben Stokes is making like he’s going to bowl, which has me wincing in my north London box-room, and that’s a maiden. This is terrific stuff, and it’s not too much to say that this Test – and in a way, perhaps even the series – might be set over the next hour or so.

58th over: Australia 201-5 (Head 6, Carey 0) Five slips and a gully for Robinson, so of course Head edges through the gap between them, and the ball scuttles away for four, then another edge – admittedly played with soft hands – drops short of Pope at five. This is intense, intensifying stuff now, every ball an event – this is why we’re here, people – and Head tries to leave instead guiding short of two. A single to midwicket follows, and Joe Root has a decision to make – does he trust a spinner, either Leach or himself, or does he toss Woakes the ball.

57th over: Australia 196-5 (Head 1, Carey 0) Obviously at least two of Starc, Cummins and Hazelwood will make fifties, but in the meantime, let’s bask in the fact that for an hour at least, we’ve got ourselves a series. In decades to come, we’ll look back on it with great fondness, which is more than can be said of the individual who’s run onto the park; where’s Sam Kerr when you need her? Maiden to Wood; how long can England keep him going?

“The BBC doesn’t have international rights this time,” emails Yaseer Mahomed. “But Sydney Radio doesn’t have rights blocking on.” And in similar vein, Daniel says “In answer to Quinton’s question, you can download the SEN app to listen to the cricket from overseas, I’ve been using it today in Seoul. But get ready for some parochial Aussie commentary...”

Is there any other kind? Anwyay, great stuff – thanks a lot.

56th over: Australia 196-5 (Head 1, Carey 0) A leg bye follows, then a dot, and that’s a double-wicket maiden, or is that a double-wicket-maiden, for Robinson. He is good at cricket.

56th over: Australia 195-5 (Head 1, Carey 0) Robinson’s hat-trick ball is full and straight, but Carey digs it out well. Still, he’d’ve took it.

Are you trying to seduce me Mr Robinson?! Robinson is on a hatty, and this is a disaster for Cameron Green, who shoulders arms at a bail-trimmer and departs without having played a shot. It’s going to be a long night of the soul for him, but here comes the hat-trick ball....

Warner’s luck runs out but that’s brilliant from Robinson, fooling the batter with a slower one; Warner goes to smash him, is through the shot early, and finds Stokes at mid off, who dives forward and hangs on! That’s why he’s still out there, but more importantly, do we got ourselves a ball-game? Do we got ourselves a series?!

55th over: Australia 195-3 (Warner 95, Head 1) Warnie’s back on comms and tells us that during the interval, Ben Stokes was investigating whether or not he could bowl; he could not. That’s a shame, because England could seriously use his ability to plough through 824 uninterrupted overs while making something happen. As Warne also notes, he’s probably only still out there because he can’t bat tillas many overs as he was off for have elapsed - and I daresay England also want to retain one of their few safe pairs of hands. Meantime, Wood continues and beats Head’s cross-bat outside off, then Head nurdles a leg-side one off the square to get off the mark and Warner takes a single too.

Off we go again, Australia leading by 46 with seven first-innings wickets intact.

“How do I listen to live radio commentary in Hong Kong?” wonders Quentin Burrows. The link isn’t on the BBC site where it was during the English summer, so if someone can help our brother out, please do.

Email! “Morning, Daniel” begins Ian, Copestake. “Thanks for seeing us through the dark hours. A pavement stomping would also at this point be like a birthday present.”

American History X meets Withnail and I, what a mash-up that is.

And while England are in Australia, enjoy an Australian in England by way of the brilliant Sam Kerr.

Some reading for your break: an interview with John Morris, reflecting on the Tiger Moth escapade, English cricket’s famed sense of humour, and how the stuff peripheral to sport is as important as the sport itself.

54th over: Australia 193-3 (Warner 94, Head 0) The wicket came off the last ball of the over, so England don’t get to go at Head – though if this is the last one before tea, he’ll have 20 minutes to think about being on nought. Meantime, Warner looks to turn away to leg and instead edges four through backward point – this has been a phenomenally spawny knock. In comms, they want Robinson to come around, he doesn’t, and that is tea.

Now then! Wood again goes wide, Smith gets on tippy-toes to leap eithout moving feet, lazily hanging out a bat, and he feathers behind! Wood earned that, though it was a curiously skittish innings from Smith, and might England somehow turn a kicking into a mere beating?

53rd over: Australia 189-2 (Warner 90, Smith 12) I guess with tea coming up in 10, these two can stick about for a burst afterwards ... er, if they want to, Wood skipping wide of the crease in his delivery stride and following-through as Smith clatters through mid off for four.