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England will take an 88-run lead over Australia into the last day of the series-opening Ashes cricket Test after centuries by Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss overturned a first-innings deficit.Cook struck 132 not out, while captain Strauss scored 110 yesterday as the opening pair shared an England-record 188-run partnership at Brisbanes Gabba stadium to help lift the touring team to 309-1. Resuming at 19-0, the openers boosted Englands chances of avoiding defeat in the first match of the best-of-five contest after centuries by Mike Hussey and Brad Haddin lifted Australia to a 221-run lead at a ground where it hasnt lost since 1988. The games still up for grabs, Strauss said in a news conference. If we dont bat well then were giving Australia a chance to get their foot in the door and we dont want that to happen.Cook, who was dropped by Peter Siddle when on 103, added 121 runs for the second wicket with Jonathan Trott, who will resume on 54 after day four ended early because of bad light. Play will start 15 minutes early today to make up for lost time.A draw is the most likely result at odds of 1-20, according to U.K. bookmaker William Hill, meaning a successful $20 wager would return $1 plus the original stake. Australia is a 14-1 chance to win the match ahead of England at 20-1.Last year, England salvaged a draw against Australia in the first Test before going on to regain the Ashes with a 2-1 victory following a 5-0 sweep of losses in Australia in 2006-07.We are still in the game, no doubt, but we do have to turn it around very quickly, Australia allrounder Shane Watson told reporters. We still need to get nine wickets and that seems a long way away at the moment, but theres definitely still quite a bit of hope for us.Strauss, who got out to the third ball in the first innings and survived a leg-before-wicket appeal in the first ball of the second, was dropped by Mitchell Johnson when on 69 before going on to post his first Test century in 16 months.Part-time spin bowler Marcus North broke the opening partnership in the middle session when he drew Strauss down the wicket and beat the bat past the outside. Strauss couldnt get back to his crease in time and wicketkeeper Haddin made the stumping to end the England captains 19th Test century, which included 15 fours.Strauss last managed three figures 25 Test innings ago, against Australia at Lords in July 2009. His stand with Cook passed Englands previous best at the Gabba of 160 between Graeme Hick and Graham Thorpe in 1994.It was also the first century opening stand by an English pair in Australia since Graham Gooch and Mike Atherton put on 203 for the first wicket in Adelaide in 1991.Strauss and Cook have now scored 3,415 runs as an opening partnership in 81 Test innings at an average of 43.22, surpassing Englands previous highest tally of 3,249 by 1920s and 30s pairing Herbert Sutcliffe and Jack Hobbs. Its a nice feather in our cap, Cook told reporters.Trott joined Cook in the middle and they took England ahead in the match as Trott wiped out Australias first-innings advantage with a drive to the boundary. They added 50 runs from 70 balls to lift the lead to 18 at the tea break. Cook, who made 67 on day one, brought up his 14th Test century in the final session with a four off Siddle, who then dropped a top-edge from the left-hander in the next over.Trott was dropped on 34 by Michael Clarke at point with the score at 265-1. Clarke dived full-length to his left to grab the ball in his fingertips, only for the ball to pop out when he hit the turf. The right-hander also survived an Australian challenge to a leg-before-wicket decision when on 42, with the television review upholding the umpires original decision that Ben Hilfenhauss delivery was missing the stumps. We achieved something very special only losing one wicket, but theres still 94 overs, Cook said. Trotty was excellent getting me through that last hour and weve got to do that again.Two days ago, Hussey struck a Test-best 195 and Haddin made 136 in a record 307-run partnership as Australia scored 481 in reply to Englands first-innings 260. The Australians had averaged 435 in the first innings in the past 20 Tests at the Gabba, a platform that set up 16 victories and four draws.
