England and Australia drew the first Ashes Test, yesterday, after a thrilling last wicket stand by the home side's final pairing of James Anderson and Monty Panesar.

England closed on 252-9 after a determined partnership by Paul Collingwood (74) and Graeme Swann (31) frustrated Australia for 82 minutes after tea at Sophia Gardens.

Australia had looked set for victory when Collingwood was caught by Michael Hussey off Peter Siddle, but Anderson and Panesar then batted for 40 minutes to steer England to safety.

Their partnership took England past the 239 they needed to force Australia to bat again, before the draw was confirmed at 1742 GMT.

Ben Hilfenhaus claimed 3-47 and Nathan Hauritz 3-63 as Australia's bowlers initially exerted the kind of pressure their English counterparts failed to produce during 12 hours in the field, after the hosts had resumed on 20-2.

Risky shots

Kevin Pietersen, having already escaped with two needlessly risky shots, left a ball from Hilfenhaus that uprooted his offstump in the fourth over of the day. He was out for eight to leave England on 31-3.

Andrew Strauss had cut Hauritz for four in the 17th over, but tried to repeat the trick in the next delivery and slashed the ball into Brad Haddin's gloves to be out for 17.

Collingwood enjoyed a charmed life early on. He was close to being caught off Hauritz by a diving Ricky Ponting at short leg, then scrambled the next delivery away from the stumps by using his pads and feet.

Matt Prior was less fortunate, caught at first slip for 14 by Michael Clarke after a delivery from Hauritz that took a ferocious bounce, leaving England on 70-5 in the 27th over.

Collingwood and Andrew Flintoff steered England through to lunch, completing the only 50 partnership of the innings before the breakthrough came after almost an hour in the afternoon session.

Erratic start

Johnson belied an erratic start by inducing an edge from Flintoff that just carried to Ponting at second slip. Flintoff was out for 26, and England was 127-6 in the 50th over.

Stuart Broad was lucky not to be out lbw first ball to Johnson's next delivery, but he delayed Australia for 68 minutes until being out lbw to Hauritz.

Swann then provided some nuisance value.

He was hit three times in the penultimate over of the afternoon session by Siddle, but survived to frustrate Australia for an hour after tea until he was lbw to Hilfenhaus.

Hauritz missed the chance to run Collingwood out in the 90th over but just as England looked poised to claim a draw he edged a Siddle delivery to Hussey, who caught him at the second attempt.

That left Anderson and Panesar with a minimum 11.3 overs to bat out.

After an astonishingly tense passage of play they passed the target of 239 needed to force Australia to bat again and were aided by a crucial misfield by Hauritz that gifted Panesar a boundary.

Their partnership lasted 40 for minutes before the umpires called time, leaving the series all square at 0-0 ahead of Thursday's start to the second test at Lord's.