1. Flamingo
We said yesterday that Kevin Pietersen was back to his best. We were a tad premature. So good was his best that we'd quite forgotten what it looked like. Now he's back to his best after a day of quite breathtaking strokeplay in which no bowler escaped punishment. He was brutal when Peter Siddle unwisely decided to target him with 80mph short balls. He demolished the left-arm spinner. And best of all he wandered across his stumps to whip a Doug Bollinger from outside off stump through midwicket. It was almost - almost - the Flamingo, long believed to be lost forever. It was just a shame the rain game before he got the switch hit out of the locker. Welcome back, Kev. We've missed you.

2. Five Alive
Remarkably, given the outrageous exploits of Alastair Cook and KP over the last week, Ian Bell still looks England's most in-form batsman. We're just not getting the chance to see it. His 41 not out today is perhaps the most stylish 41 not out ever compiled as he cut, pulled and - most memorably of all - cover-drove the beleaguered Australian attack to shreds. We'd like to see more of him. While a repeat of the oft-attempted but never successful number-three experiment would be unwise, a promotion to number five above Paul Collingwood does appear to be in order.

3. Match Awareness
Shane Warne continuously bangs on about this, and he's right. Even if the phrase is the sort to bring all right-thinking people out in a nasty rash. But anyway, Kevin Pietersen showed it in fine style in an over that encapsulated the all-for-one, one-for-all confidence running through the England side presently. With one over to go before tea, Pietersen - having just reached 200 - could have been forgiven for simply playing safe and getting back to the dressing rooms to receive the congratulations of his mates. Not a bit of it. With rain falling and clearly getting heavier, two lofted drives brought boundaries as Doherty was plundered for 14 runs to take England past 550 and the lead past 300 before the players disappeared not to be seen again. Psychologically nowjust that little bit easier for Andrew Strauss to do the right thing and declare on the overnight total.

4. Never Forget
Or perhaps not. Pietersen, though, was perhaps guilty of only showing awareness for this match by foolishly guiding England to 551 for tea. It will take a brave England captain to declare on 551 in Adelaide again. Mind, it would show a certain wit and nerve for England's batsmen to go back out in the morning and leave a couple of straight ones to allow Strauss to call the players in on 551/6...

5. Leading From The Back
And while on the subject of Strauss, he will - assuming the declaration comes as expected - be England's lowest scorer for the third innings out of three. He's collecting the tea money again.

Dave Tickner