Live scoring: The Ashes

England celebrate the wicket of Brad Haddin. Photo / Getty Images

Catch live scoring action of Day Two of the final Ashes test between England and Australia in Sydney.

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Update: Andrew Strauss blazed an unbeaten 49, guiding England to 73-0 in reply to 280 as the English openers and Australian tailenders lifted the scoring tempo in conditions starting to favour the bat over the ball in the fifth Ashes cricket test today.

England captain Strauss dominated the opening stand with Alistair Cook (19), stroking six boundaries and a six as the visitors scored at almost five runs per over leading up to tea on day two in pursuit of their first test series win in Australia since 1987.

The English have already retained the Ashes with a 2-1 lead coming into the final match but have shown no signs of easing up on Australia, which swept the last Ashes series Down Under 5-0.

Strauss in particular was intent on attack, scoring his runs from 47 balls in just over an hour.

Jimmy Anderson led the England attack with 4-66, while Mitchell Johnson (53) and Ben Hilfenhaus (34) added some respectability to the Australian total with a 76-run, 10th-wicket stand.

Anderson thrived in overcast conditions conducive to swing before the sun started to emerge, drying out the pitch and the outfield at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

Australia resumed Tuesday at 134-4 - in an extended first session after 31 overs were lost on day one due to rain and bad light - and was in danger of another sub-200 first innings at 8-189 before Johnson and Hilfenhaus combined for the best partnership of the innings.

Anderson finished off the tailend revival when Hilfenhaus swiped at a short-pitch ball and Matthew Prior took an acrobatic, leaping caught behind.

After losing four wickets for 46 runs, the last two Australian wickets added 91 runs to restore some hope for Australia, which is desperate to level the series at 2-2 after England ensured it will retain the Ashes with an emphatic win last week in the fourth test at Melbourne.

Johnson posted the highest score for Australia and dominated an entertaining partnership with Hilfenhaus before he was out for 53, bowled by a Tim Bresnan inswinger.

The 10th-wicket pair belted 16 in three balls after lunch, delighting the SCG crowd, with Hilfenhaus driving Bresnan over the mid-wicket boundary on the last ball of one over and Johnson swiping Swann's first two balls in the next over for four and six through the same area.

Johnson turned Swann for a single in the same over to bring up his 50 from 63 balls, containing five boundaries and the six.

Anderson earlier troubled the Australian middle order in gloomy conditions.

He had Brad Haddin (6) caught behind, chasing a wide delivery, with the addition of only nine to the overnight total.

Mike Hussey shared a 28-run seventh-wicket stand with Steve Smith before he was out for 33, playing a delivery from Paul Collingwood onto his stumps to make the total 171-6. Then Anderson struck twice in one over with the new ball.

Smith (18) slashed recklessly to Anderson outside off stump, giving Collingwood a regulation catch at third slip, and No. 9 Peter Siddle played at an outswinger four balls later and edged to Andrew Strauss, who took a low catch at slip.

Michael Clarke, standing in as captain for injured Ricky Ponting, won the toss and elected to bat on a pitch which usually turns late in a match. All of the top order, with the exception of Clarke (4), got starts but failed to capitalize.

Openers Shane Watson (45) and Phil Hughes (31) batted with discipline and restraint until Hughes was out on the last ball of the first session. Pakistan-born Usman Khawaja made an entertaining 37 on his test debut before mistiming a sweep on the last ball of day one.

- AP