By Jonathan Agnew BBC cricket correspondent at The Oval

Another surprising decision to accept an offer of bad light with more than five overs remaining suggests that Australia are confident with their position.

Hayden really had to graft and battle away

There are potentially 196 overs remaining in the match, and the most likely scenario is that Australia will bat on into Sunday afternoon and aim to establish a commanding lead.

But there remains another option for Ponting - one that would be daring but necessary if the weather continues to take time out of the game.

Australia could declare much earlier, possibly with the scores more or less equal, which would give them more time to bowl England out.

Ponting knows that in order to win, he has to take 10 English wickets, and in giving them more time at the crease, it would be more difficult for England to have at the back of their minds a safety target.

Whatever scenario Ponting chooses, England will eventually have to bat extremely well, and with a great deal more care and discipline than they showed in their first innings.

I remember the final Test of the 1984 series against West Indies when, having endured a barren summer, Desmond Haynes returned to form with a brilliant century, and, while Matthew Hayden has not been anywhere close to his fluent best in this match, the comparison remains.

He really had to graft and battle away, and he was fortunate that Justin Langer and Ponting were able to score more easily at the other end.

Flintoff was unlucky not to add Martyn's wicket shortly before stumps

When Ponting was caught for 35, we were given a clue that Australia will follow the first of their two options.

Damien Martyn, another batsman who has not had much of a series, was sent in rather than Adam Gilchrist.

England had their moments during the day.

A couple of lbw appeals might have gone their way and, after close scrutiny of slow motion replays, it was possible to see that Ponting was, indeed, caught at silly point by Ian Bell off Ashley Giles.

Martyn feathered an edge to the keeper off Flintoff that was not detected by umpire Koertzen.

Replays are cruel, and it is always worth remembering that the umpires do not have access to them but while the Australians could correctly claim to have been short of luck earlier in the series, they have certainly enjoyed the rub of the green in this match.