ENGLAND salvaged a dramatic draw in Cardiff as the first npower Ashes Test was embroiled in controversy during a tense finale.

There had already been clashes between players on the fifth day when Australia captain Ricky Ponting was incensed by England’s delaying tactics with final pair James Anderson and Monty Panesar at the crease.

Twice during a 69-ball stand of defiance, England 12th man Bilal Shafayat ran onto the field to offer Anderson batting gloves while physio Steve McCaig was ushered off by the disgruntled Australians on the second occasion, having made it all the way to the middle.

With every second crucial in England’s bid to run down the clock given their narrow lead and Australia attempting to send down as many overs as possible in the final hour, relations between the sides deteriorated with Ponting blasting his opponents’ behaviour.

"I don’t think that was required," Ponting said. "He had changed his gloves the over before and his glove is not going to be too sweaty in one over. I am not sure what the physio was doing out there – I didn’t see him call for any physio to come out.

"As far as I am concerned it was pretty ordinary, actually.

"They can play whatever way they want to play. We have come to play by the rules and the spirit of the game, and it is up to them to do what they want to do."

However, although Ponting urged others to take note of England’s conduct, he did not want to take the matter further as captain of Australia.

"I was unhappy with it but I don’t want to make that big a deal about it," he said. "I am sure others will be taking it up with the England hierarchy as they should. But it is not the reason we didn’t win. I won’t think about it again when we leave here."

Responding to the fact Ponting had been upset by the shenanigans, England captain Andrew Strauss said: "If he is then that’s a shame.

"There was a lot of confusion. We firstly sent the 12th man out to let Jimmy and Monty know there was time left and not just the overs.

"Then drinks spilt on his glove and Jimmy called up to the dressing room and we weren’t sure whether we needed the 12th man or the physio. Our intentions were good so weren’t deliberately trying to waste a huge amount of time.