ADELAIDE  - Ricky Ponting passed Steve Waugh as Australia's most prolific century maker when he chalked up his 33rd hundred in the second Ashes Test against England on Sunday.

Ponting survived a dropped catch on 35 and a missed run-out before being caight atthe wicket for 141 as Australia closed on 312-5. Matthew Hoggard picked up four wickets, including Mike Hussey for 91,  as England kept the pressure on the home side.

Hoggard dismissed Matthew Hayden for 12 and Damien Martyn for 11 to leave Australia teetering at 65 for three after resuming on 28 for one.

The pitch, ideal for batting over the first two days, was starting to play a few tricks, forcing Australia to adopt a cautious approach against a much-improved England attack.

Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff beat the bat a number of times and Steve Harmison also bowled much better, although he did not take a wicket.

Hoggard dismissed Hayden with the total on 35 before the left-handed opener had added to his overnight score with a delivery that moved sharply off the pitch and caught the edge on the way through to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.

Martyn batted 42 minutes for his 11 but gave his wicket away when he fended a low catch to Ian Bell at gully, playing forward and away from his body to a shortish delivery from Hoggard.

England may regret missing two clear chances to get rid of Ponting early. He was dropped on 35 by a leaping Ashley Giles at deep square leg, then survived a suicidal run on 46 when Paul Collingwood missed with a throw at the stumps when he was well short of his ground.

Ponting, the ICC's player of the year for 2006, grew in confidence after his two close shaves, pulling James Anderson for four in the last over before lunch to reach his half-century.

He then registered his hundred just before tea, off 183 balls in 266 minutes, when he scampered through for a single off Flintoff, raising both his arms in triumph and embracing Hussey.

Ponting's hundred was his 10th in his last 13 Tests and lifted him into outright fourth on the all-time list of century makers behind Brian Lara (West Indies) and Sachin Tendulkar (India), both with 35, and Sunil Gavaskar (India) on 34.