Andrew Strauss' first Test hundred for 16 months gave his team an unexpected chance to escape the Gabba with a draw against Australia.

The England captain last managed three figures 25 Test innings ago, against these same opponents at Lord's in July 2009. He underpinned a victory there - and while that outcome remained highly unlikely in the first Test of this Ashes series, Strauss (110) and Alastair Cook's opening stand of 188 demonstrated England will not go down without a fight.

The tourists set out on day four needing realistically to bat for at least the next four sessions, on 19 without loss and facing a first-innings deficit of 221. By tea, after their highest first-wicket partnership at this ground, they were back in front on 238 for one - with the second new ball imminent and on a pitch wearing plenty of cracks but still favouring the batsmen.

Strauss refused to let Australia's bowlers dictate proceedings, running well between the wickets and hitting 15 boundaries in a stay of 224 balls.Cook, 98 not out at tea, was a crucial anchor to England's rearguard effort, having reached his second fifty of the match from 122 deliveries just before lunch and put himself on the verge of reaching three figures.

The first hour was a mixture of plays and misses against good pace bowling, occasional edges safely wide of the slips and a clutch of resounding boundaries from England's left-handed openers. Cook had a minor moment of fortune on 35 when he failed to control a slog-sweep at Xavier Doherty but collected two runs as the ball fell well out of reach of three converging fielders.

Mitchell Johnson was true to his word, having threatened last week that he had a barrage of head-high bouncers in store for Strauss. His target was adept at swaying out of the line, though. After his third-ball duck on day one, Strauss had points to prove for himself and his team.

It was he who brought up England's first century stand of the series with a perfect extra-cover drive for four off Peter Siddle but he too who two balls later somehow chiselled an inside edge marginally past his leg-stump for a significantly less convincing boundary.

Strauss also needed a telling moment of fortune when on 69, remaining intent on a positive approach, he went up the wicket to hit Doherty over mid-off. Johnson jumped and ought to have held on with two hands high above his head but spilled the clear-cut chance.

There was one more false shot from Strauss, just after lunch, when he miscued two more runs to go from 88 to 90 - high over gully and wide of point, trying to pull Ben Hilfenhaus. Otherwise, his performance was unblemished until he was drawn out of his ground by part-time off-spinner Marcus North and stumped after failing to cover the turn.

It therefore fell to Jonathan Trott to help Cook push England into credit, and the number three did so in heartening fashion with an exemplary cover-driven four off Johnson.