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The battle for the 2009 Ashes is underway in Cardiff. Follow all the action here on our regularly updated live blog, read our round-up of yesteday's action and check out the AOL Ashes video hub for the best cricket clips on the web.

You can also follow ball-by-ball updates here on our Ashes+Twitter page, if you care what the masses think.

Ashes 2009 -- Day Two

5:57 PM -- Katich brings in his century and Ponting won't be far behind. Soul crushing stuff, this. The Aussies have Siddle lined up as nightwatchman. As play draws to an end England will have a lot to do -- and forget -- tomorrow...

5:42 PM -- @TheNurdler says via Twitter "Getting to that surreal point where the commentators are chiefly concerned with things like balloons, chewing gum and falling coffee cups."

5:22 PM -- The news that there could soon be a pill to give you a photographic memory would be a great help to the Asylum staff today. Try as we might we can't remember a single thing happening in this match for about three and a half hours.

5:11 PM -- The Aussies bring up the 200 and this is now a partnership of 141. Tough times out there for the England fielders. And for the England fans watching them toil among the seagulls and grey clouds of Cardiff.

4:51 PM -- Play a bit dull at the moment? We agree. Why not read our analysis of the new Bruno movie instead. We've seen it -- but is it funny or bigoted?

4:42 PM -- It's all gone a bit flat out there -- for England, that is. They're looking to Flintoff to lift them out of the mire, like he did after lunch, but there is no sign of a breakthrough. Australia look quite comfortable out there on the crease. Alas. There is also more bad news from the sidelines, where we've learned Stuart Broad has had treatment on his right calf and won't be returning to the field today.

4:19 PM -- Flintoff has a change of ends, here's hoping he can make it swing.

4:08 PM -- And we're back. Broad takes a maiden over and then Flintoff is back in the attack. We think England need a wicket here, and fast. There is a sinking feeling around the Asylum offices that things are running away from the fielding side.


3:42 PM -- That's tea. Australia end the session on 142-1 and trail by 293 runs.

3:34 PM -- It's "good old fashioned Test cricket" out there at the moment, with every run and dot ball being earned by hard graft. England don't seem too far from a breakthrough, but Australia will be looking to get to tea without another loss. Ponting is up to 46 and has just reached his 11,000th Test run.

3:20 PM -- Australia are now 121-1, with the 50 partnership being passed between Ponting and Katich after 96 balls. Monty looks very soft, and might even be struggling to run -- this is not good news for England.

3:05 PM -- Monty is in the attack, but there isn't much turn. TMS suggests he needs a 'pick me up' comment or two from the skipper. The Aussies are up to 105-1, "responding with resolution".

2:42 PM -- Flintoff was fantastic in his spell, but since then England have fallen away a little. The Australian batsmen have got stuck in and Broad has had a rough old time. The players take their drinks and then Anderson comes back into the attack. Could we see Monty soon?

2:17 PM -- WICKET! -- Flintoff bowls Hughes for 36! Great breakthrough there! (We called it -- see below...)

1:59 PM -- Flintoff is keeping up the pace and the Aussie run rate has really dropped. You get the feeling Freddie smells a wicket...

1:47 PM -- "What other sport is played exclusively when the weather's nice, gives you all day to enjoy some Pimms or the Sunday papers, is covered for 8 hours a day of mildly amusing radio banter and can still be decided right up to the last ball?" Maya Driver at Hot Searches. Indeed, Maya. Indeed.

1:43 PM -- Flintoff is bowling bouncers and short balls at 90 mph -- that was a maiden over. Squint your eyes and it could be 2005.

1:39 PM -- We're almost ready to go. Aggers is just on TMS trying to discover why the entire West Indies team has just gone on strike, and exactly what's going to happen next. He's not having much luck.

1:00 PM -- That's lunch. Very entertaining morning for English fans, but Hughes looks dominant at the crease. Swann et al will have to come back stronger with the ball in the next session.

12:46 PM -- Even though this is the most relaxed moment in any Ashes Test for us nervous England fans -- there's a good score on the board and it's still early in the first Aussie innings -- we're a little nervy about how things have progressed. Hughes is up to 20 already, and Broad looks subdued. We'll probably have to wait until Flintoff gets the new ball and Swann starts spinning before the attack really gets underway.

12:34 PM -- Broad is getting schooled here -- the Aussies are already 17 for none. It's been an ominously flying start.

12:26 PM -- The players are back on the pitch and England are about to get underway. New poll up -- was England's 435 a good enough total?

12:16 PM -- WICKET -- Panesar is caught at slip. England are all out for 435, and they've added 98 runs this morning. The Aussies will note that most of those wickets were taken by spinners -- and England have two of those in their pocket. Still half an hour to go before lunch. Should be exciting.

12:14 PM -- Monty's not playing too badly, and even when Swann is caught it turns out to be a no-ball! This little spell is really a bonus for the England side. They've slowed down a little since this morning's heroics, but they move on to 433.

11:58 AM -- WICKET -- Anderson throws his wicket away with a silly shot. 423-9. "You can't expect tail-enders to hit like batsmen" says Boycott. We agree. And it's Monty coming out!

11:50 AM -- Anderson hits a brilliant drive for four, then hits a reverse sweep! It's only a single, but the score is 412-8 and England are enjoying themselves here. It almost sounds like a Twenty20 match. Of course it might not last, but if England can reach 450 they'll fancy their chances. With rain forecast for Saturday they might as well grab as many as they can in as short a time as possible. Ponting looks out of ideas at the moment.

11:45 AM -- Swann drives for three fours in a row and brings up the 402 -- Henry Blofeld on TMS sounds like he's about to explode!

11:34 AM -- "Swanny filling his boots here" says the BBC. He certainly looks in good form, moving on to 17 with some nice strokes. Interesting to note, however, as TMS just did, that Warney would have taken this lot to the cleaners this morning if he were still in the side.

11:25 AM -- Swann has started well, taking a ball on the rise for his second four of the over. That brings up 371. If England get to 400 they'll be happy.

11:17 AM -- WICKET -- Johnson has bowled Broad with a slower ball. Unlucky for the young batsman -- he was playing well. Sorry @TheAshesLive -- you made a mistake there. (See below)

11:14 AM -- Broad is playing positively. "Batting masterclass from the so-called tail-ender" says @TheAshesLive on Twitter -- follow the conversation on our Twitter monitor here. You can also leave us comments on that page.

11:00 AM -- Okay, here we go. It's a cloudy morning in Cardiff as England resume on 336-7. Broad punches Siddle's first delivery to mid-off, the second to mid-on, lets one go and then drives a lovely four to start things off for the day. 340-7.

10:44 AM -- It will be Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad coming in to bat this morning, tasked with getting England as close to 400 as they can. Hopefully Swann can make a few and the total will be a decent one...

9:28 AM -- Already up and waiting for play to start? Why not read Asylum's round-up of yesterday instead, from both the Aussie and UK perspectives.