Walker had Cowdrey caught behind off a ball that bounced surprisingly, but Lillee pulled up with a trapped nerve in his foot and was unable to play for the rest of the Test. With their two strike bowlers removed and the damp spot drying out Australia struggled and Denness and Edrich took full advantage, taking the score from 18/2 to 167/3 with a third wicket stand of 149 and overtaking the home side's total with ease. There were some difficult chances off the England captain, but it was the otherwise impeccable Edrich who was out for 70 edging Walker to Ian Chappell at first slip. The vice-captain was replaced by Keith Fletcher who had suffered so much in the series with Denness, but now proved that they were attractive batsmen when not faced by blistering pace and England were 273/3 by the end of the day. Walker bowled manfully and Mallett tried to stop the flow of runs, but when Walters and Chappell were brought on for long spells the game was up. Denness was almost run out on 94 and bought up his hundred with a leg-glance that just missed Marsh's gloves, but rode his luck well. He was only the fourth England captain to make a Test hundred in Australia after Andrew Stoddart's 173 in 1894–95, Archie MacLaren's 116 in 1901–02 and Peter May's 113 in 1958–59. When Walker finally had him out caught and bowled the next day he had made 188 in 492 minutes with 17 fours, still the highest Test century by an England captain in Australia. Denness and Fletcher had added 192 for the fourth wicket took take the score to 359/4, the first time England had passed 300 in the series. Fletcher made his first Ashes century in 333 minutes with only seven fours, though he and Greig added 100 runs in 71 minutes as the big South African started thumping the tired bowlers around the deserted ground. By tea the third new ball had been seen off and England were 496/4, a lead of 344. Discussion of when Denness would declare were rendered null and void when the bullish Walker ran through the England batting as the tourists lost 6 wickets for 33 runs after tea. The tall Tasmanian had already taken 3/131, but produced a spell of 5/12 as Greig was caught off a mistimed drive for 89 off 94 balls,