Steven Smith brought up his maiden test century with a six on Thursday, as Australia advanced to 397-6 at tea on day two of the fifth test with England.
Smith smashed Jonathan Trott back over his head to reach the landmark and was 112 not out from 217 balls at the end of an afternoon session extended after rain delayed the start of play until 2:30 p.m. local time (1330 GMT). Smith's knock included two sixes and 15 fours. James Anderson, who has England's best figures with 3-89, bowled nightwatchman Peter Siddle for 23 and Trott took the other wicket to fall when he bowled Brad Haddin for 30.
Play was due to start at 10 a.m. but rain wiped out the morning session. Conditions were gloomy and with the ball swinging around, Siddle added only five to his overnight score before he was clean bowled by a superb ball from Anderson. It was an isolated success for the hosts, who wasted a referral when an Anderson delivery flicked Haddin's thigh pad.
The bowler didn't even appeal, but at wicketkeeper Matt Prior's insistence the call was reviewed, with the crowd audibly groaning when the footage confirmed Aleem Dar's decision. Having selected five specialist bowlers, England resorted to Trott's occasional medium pacers, with captain Alastair Cook either unable or unwilling to bowl Graeme Swann, or risk bringing back debutant Simon Kerrigan after the mauling he received on day one.
Smith was nearly out first ball on Wednesday when he started his knock with a shocking air shot to Anderson, but he passed his previous best test score of 92 when he cut the same bowler through gully and brilliantly drove Trott's first ball of the 113th over into the stands, for his first test century in 23 innings.
Trott responded by removing Haddin four balls later, bowled by a ball he dragged on to his stumps.
Brief Scores
Australia: 397-6 (Shane Watson 176Steven Smith 112 not out, James Anderson 3-89, Graeme Swann 1/71) vs England at tea on Day 2 of fifth Test at The Oval. Bird flies home Australia paceman Jackson Bird is returning home from the Ashes tour for treatment on a lower back injury that ruled him out of the fifth Test against England.
Team physiotherapist Alex Kountouris says in a short Cricket Australia statement that Bird has had "low back pain over the past week" and is flying home "to begin the process of investigating the source of the pain and rehabilitation." Bird made his Ashes debut in the fourth Test at Chester-le-Street and took two wickets.