set aggressive fields and it took 25 minutes for Australia to score their first run. In the Melbourne heat Geoff Arnold was replaced by Old after four overs, but Lever stayed on for seven overs and was rewarded with figures of 4/13 as Greg Chappell was caught in the covers by Denness, Ross Edwards was taken by Dennis Amiss at leg-slip for 0 and Australia were 23/4. The ball was now leaping dangerously, Ian Chappell had to fend a ball off his head and Greg had been hit on the chin. The captain decided that attack was the best form of defence and made 43 of his team's 66/5 by lunch, with Doug Walters popping the ball off Old to Edrich in gully with a frightful stroke. The exhausted Lever only managed two overs after lunch and Chappell and Rod Marsh hit 54 runs for the sixth wicket. Chris Old (3/50) had Chappell (65) caught behind after making a too fine a glance and bowled Marsh (29) for 115/7. Max Walker and Lillee hit out a few more runs, even turning down bad light so that they could continue play and get England in. The burly Tasmanian ran straight into Umpire Brooks trying to avoid a run out they were both sent to the ground. Lever returned to remove Lillee and Mallett and Greig ended the innings by having Dymock out for a duck, with Walker 20 not out. Lever's 6/38 was his best bowling in Tests and Australia were out four minutes before tea for 152, easily their lowest score of the series. England – First Innings Denness's 188 beat by 15 runs the next best score by an England captain in Australia. A.E. Stoddart's great innings on this ground just eighty years before. It was also the highest Test score made by an English batsmen in Australia since the war – a fact which escaped general notice at the time. E.W. Swanton The gloom increased during tea and play was delayed regardless of the vocal protests of the 32,000 strong crowd, with some being arrested as they tried to invade the ground. When play resumed Amiss and Cowdrey – his 114th and final Test – came out to open. They stayed out long enough for Amiss to be out lbw to a Lillee swinger for his third successive duck and stumps were drawn at 15/1. In the morning