Melbourne, Victoria

Ricky Ponting probably feels as if he's copped enough punishment in the first two days of the fourth Test - his side bowled out for 98, England sticking on 444-5 in reply for a virtually unassailable lead of 346 and climbing, his own form collapsing and the Ashes slipping ever further from his grasp.

And now this - fined 40% of his match fee after a prolonged remonstration with the umpires. Midway through the afternoon, Australia's captain lost first a referral against Kevin Pietersen and then his temper, berating both umpires for several minutes as team-mates gathered at his shoulder to lend their support.

Ponting has never been slow to eject toys from his stroller. Combative, aggressive and stubborn with a bat in his hand, he can deal with defeat and disappointment in a laudably honest, up-front fashion. At other times, particularly when he is under extreme pressure in the field, those same characteristics can get out of control.

The delivery that triggered it all initially looked relatively innocuous - a little swinger from Ryan Harris that came back enough to pass between Pietersen's bat and front pad. Neither Harris nor first slip Shane Watson bothered appealing.

Wicketkeeper Brad Haddin was the first to go up. Others then joined in. Aleem Dar, standing in his 62nd Test, shook his head. Pietersen stayed motionless.

Haddin, convinced, ran down the track making the 'T'-shaped request for a television referral. Ponting, at mid-off rather than second slip to protect his injured finger, jogged in to join him.

Up in the stands, TV umpire Marais Erasmus scrolled through the replays. There was no edge visible on either slow-motion or Hotspot from any of the angles offered. That, you thought, was that. The Barmy Army cheered and Dar signalled that the referral had been lost.

Ponting was furious. To his eyes, the replay on the giant screen in the MCG indicated the faintest white mark on the bottom of Pietersen's bat. Trouble was, it was nowhere near the flight of the ball. It was also so vague as to be almost imaginary.

For Punter, it was enough. He had also seen Pietersen winking at him happily, examining the edge of his bat with calculated enjoyment.

Striding towards Dar, he stood with hands on hips and gave full vent to his feelings. When Dar walked away to be in position for the next over, he switched his attention to Pietersen, standing mid-pitch with Jonathan Trott, and then the other umpire Tony Hill as he came in from square leg. None were for moving.

More was to follow. With Australia enjoying a rare period of ascendancy just before tea, Matthew Prior edged Mitchell Johnson to Haddin and began to walk off, only to be halted by Umpire Dar.

Glancing down at Johnson's footmark, Dar thought he may have missed a no-ball, and asked Erasmus to check. Sure enough, the left-armer had over-stepped the crease. Prior, on just five, was reprieved while Ponting went puce. By the close he had added another 70 runs in an unbroken stand of 158.