Clarke, North pound poor England

---

Marcus North ensured Australia's lead reached massive proportions on the second day at Headingley.

Lunch : Australia 306 for 5 (Clarke 93, North 53*, Haddin 2*) lead England 102 by 204 runs
England's slender hopes of hauling themselves back into the fourth Test took a battering on the second morning at Headingley, as Michael Clarke and Marcus North extended their fifth-wicket stand to 150 to lift Australia's lead to a formidable 204 with five wickets still standing. Although Clarke fell to Graham Onions for 93 ten minutes before lunch - just seven runs shy of his third century in consecutive matches - North chugged through to the break on 53 not out, with Brad Haddin alongside him on 2.
It was an uncompromising session of accumulation from two batsmen with all the time in the world to build a massive and unassailable matchwinning lead. Australia began the morning with a sturdy advantage of 94 already in the bank, but England had at least finished the first day with some momentum courtesy of a frighteningly quick spell from Steve Harmison. As Matt Prior had insisted at the close, the team still believed they had the wherewithal to mount a fightback.
Such sentiments lasted approximately seven deliveries. James Anderson, who entered the day amid concerns about the hamstring he tweaked while stretching for a quick single on the first afternoon, was drilled superbly off the back foot by North, before Clarke climbed into a first-ball long-hop from Harmison, whose first three-over spell was short, wide and clobbered for 23 agenda-setting runs.
-Cricinfo