ENGLAND tailenders James Anderson and Monty Panesar have thwarted Australia in holding out for a heart-stopping draw in the first Ashes Test in Cardiff.

After Paul Collingwood's innings of 74 in nearly six hours, every shot by Anderson and Panesar in the dying overs was greeted with enormous cheers from the Sophia Gardens crowd.

The 2005 edition of the Ashes included thrilling finishes in three matches and this year's series has started off in equally dramatic fashion.

Panesar and Anderson survived the last 69 balls of the day and scored 19 runs in 40 minutes.

Anderson squeezed Siddle for two boundaries with seven overs to play to ensure Australia had to bat again - to the rapture of the crowd.

Then in the fourth-last over, Panesar cut for four off a Nathan Hauritz misfield and the game looked as good as saved.

The appearance of the English physiotherapist for no apparent reason in the dying moments seemed only to add to captain Ricky Ponting's frustration.



In the end, Anderson and Panesar dealt with the dying overs from Hauritz (3-63) and Marcus North, to the delight of the home fans who celebrated like it was a victory.

Australia had looked likely to wrap up proceedings fairly early in the day after having England at 5-102 at lunch.

But after the break, Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff (26) dug in, lasting an hour and a half before Mitchell Johnson parted them by having the big allrounder caught in the slips.

Stuart Broad (14) frustrated the opposition for an hour, and made the fiery quick Peter Siddle angry enough to brush his shoulder against the left-hander as their paths crossed on the side of the pitch.

But Hauritz had a ball sneak through Broad's defences and England looked shot at 7-159.

However, the home side showed real application.

Siddle went in for the kill by peppering No.9 Graeme Swann with short balls just before the tea break.

In an over that took 10 minutes to complete, Siddle struck Swann three times and the batsman needed two visits from the team physio.

Swann survived the assault either side of tea and the new ball at 7-200 was cheered out onto the ground by the Australian fans and introduced with 25 overs to go.

Swann and Collingwood put on 62 runs in 81 minutes to bat England within sight of safety until Swann was trapped in front by Ben Hilfenhaus after attempting to pull a ball that was clearly too full for the shot.

Ponting's pumping of the fists summed up Australia's joy at the breakthrough.

With the tension mounting as the overs ticked by, and England neared the total to make Australia bat again, Collingwood almost ran himself out.

Backing up too far, he dived for his crease but a direct hit from Hauritz from point would have dismissed him.

With 12 overs remaining and England still needing six runs to make the tourists bat again, Collingwood's defiant innings came to an end when he flashed at a Siddle ball that Mike Hussey caught at the second go at gully.

The No.5's head fell in disbelief and he stood at the crease, shattered that he hadn't finished off the job.

Fortunately for him, his team-mates were up to the task.