But Butcher’s efforts during five and a half hours at the crease could not prevent Australia’s attack, despite being without injured duo Glenn McGrath and Shane Warne, fighting back to claim three wickets for 42 in 10 overs during the final session to leave the tourists on 264 for five at the close.

Butcher hit 19 boundaries during his 124, which followed a disappointing run of only 160 runs in his eight previous innings during the series, but he needed his share of good fortune and was dropped twice while Australia also had two good appeals rejected against him for leg before and a catch off the pad.

He remained unruffled throughout, though, and dominated a crucial partnership 160-run third-wicket partnership with captain Nasser Hussain which enabled England to overcome a disappointing start when they lost both openers inside the first 14 overs.

Fiery fast bowler Brett Lee had taken advantage of a rare chance with the new ball in McGrath’s absence to deliver a superb five over spell which removed prolific opener Michael Vaughan and could also have claimed the scalp of Butcher.

Vaughan had already played and missed to three successive Lee outswingers when he attempted to drive another in Lee’s second over and instead edged behind to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist befor he had scored.

Lee might have had a wicket with his next delivery when he had a strong appeal for leg before against Butcher which umpire Russell Tiffin turned down.

But just as Butcher appeared to be developing an important partnership with Marcus Trescothick, the Somerset left hander fell to yet another loose drive outside off stump and edged Andy Bichel to wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who took a diving catch in front of first slip.

Butcher was given another reprieve two overs later when he drove Bichel low to Damien Martyn at gully, who failed to hold the low chance after he had made just 13, and he was also fortunate to survive when he edged Jason Gillespie behind only for Gilchrist to fumble a one-handed catch just seven runs short of his half-century.

Having got those errors out of his system, though, Butcher began to play a dominant innings and eclipsed the 54 he recorded in the opening innings of the first Test at Brisbane, his previous highest score of the series, but only after he had spent 19 nervous minutes on 49.

Once past his half-century, Butcher began playing with more freedom only to almost fall just five runs short of his century when he attempted to sweep only for the ball to bounce off the bottom edge onto his pad and Matthew Hayden collected the catch close to the wicket only for umpire Dave Orchard to deny the appeals.

Just as England began to contemplate one of their most successful days of the series, however, Australia hit back to end Hussain’s impressive innings of 75 when he gloved a rising delivery from Jason Gillespie to Gilchrist.

New batsman Robert Key followed eight overs later when Australian captain Steve Waugh struck with his sixth delivery to trap him leg before in his crease, while Butcher’s determined display was ended 10 overs later when he got an inside edge onto his stumps attempting to drive Lee through the covers.