Cricket: Record Test score then vital wicket for talisman

The batsman, who scored a career-best Test score of 227 to help England to 620 for five declared, struck with his occasional spin to unseat Michael Clarke for 80 after he had looked to be in for the long haul alongside Australia team-mate Mike Hussey.

The fourth-wicket pair had given Australia, set 375 to make England bat again, hope of forcing a draw but the dismissal of Clarke gives the tourists added impetus heading into the final day of the match.

Australia closed on 238 for four and were left hoping that the forecast adverse weather comes to their aid tomorrow in a bid to keep the series level.

Pietersen replaced spinner Graeme Swann, who had earlier taken two wickets, as England captain Andrew Strauss searched for variety in a bid to break Hussey and Clarke's stand.

The pair had put on 104 runs when Clarke nicked an inside edge on to his thigh pad which looped up to a diving Alastair Cook at short square leg. In truth it was a routine off-break from occasional bowler Pietersen, but what a vital wicket it could prove. Clarke was also out to the last ball of the fourth day during the Ashes Test at Edgbaston in 2005, prompting one of the greatest final days in English Test cricket.

Swann made the first inroads in Australia's second innings as England scented their chance of victory, even as storm clouds gathered above the Adelaide Oval.

After finally declaring their first innings on 620 for five, England had a 375-run lead and almost two days - weather permitting - to bowl out their hosts in this second Ashes Test.

Australia's survival prospects were enhanced in an opening stand of 84. But Swann, bowling unchanged for 24 overs in tandem with pace, then took two early-afternoon wickets.

By tea the hosts were 160 for three, still facing a long haul to avoid a 1-0 deficit with three matches to play but with renewed hope provided by official warnings of imminent and severe thunderstorms.

Opener Simon Katich had to bat and run almost on one leg thanks to an Achilles' tendon injury, done no favours by more than two days in the field. But both he and Shane Watson approached a daunting task with an evident intent to take all reasonable scoring opportunities, rather than merely survive.

The introduction of Swann, at 44 for none after just ten overs, brought a more circumspect response from the batsmen, but still no breakthrough.

England's hope was that their champion off-spinner could make the most of footmarks created by Doug Bollinger's 29 overs of left-arm pace from the river end.

But a clutch of morning miscues and bat-pads did not go to hand, the closest call coming when Ian Bell was just unable to reach a ball which looped over his head at silly-point when Watson was on 26.

It was to be Swann nonetheless who got England up and running, as he started to find slightly sharper turn and variable bounce on a pitch expected to deteriorate.

First, Katich followed an off-break and got a faint edge behind on the back foot. Then Ricky Ponting, on a king pair but beginning to look comfortable once he cut Swann for four after 13 balls on nought, slightly closed the face pushing forward and was expertly caught low down to his left by Paul Collingwood at slip.

Watson stayed put for his second half-century of the match, brought up with his ninth four - a resounding straight-drive off Stuart Broad, who went off shortly afterwards nursing a strained stomach muscle.

England's resources were therefore compromised but they had made enough progress to remain optimistic of victory at some point tomorrow, especially after Steven Finn had Watson (57) edging low to slip.

Pietersen earlier finished with a career-best 227, and Bell (68no) with his second half-century from as many attempts in this series, before England decided they had enough runs.

They had to balance the unfavourable weather forecast with the value of further demoralising their hosts - and predictably batted on for 40 minutes on an initially sunny morning.