The wind was so cold that coffee and cauliflower soup were on offer at drinks, but most heart-warming for Australia's cricketers was escaping with an exciting tie against Northamptonshire at the County Ground today.

The tourists made 3-234 thanks to an unbeaten century from gloriously in-form Damien Martyn and a polished 88 from Mark Waugh as they combined in a brisk 157-run partnership.

In brilliant sunshine after a day of rain interruptions, Australia took the last three Northants wickets, including two run outs, without conceding a run to avoid a second straight loss on tour.

Ian Harvey's final over was faultless.

Scores tied with five balls left, a mixture of differently paced and pitched deliveries from Harvey prevented the Northants tail-enders from getting bat on ball when only one run was required with three wickets left.

Northants No.11 Jason Brown attempted a suicide single when he poked the last ball of the match back down the pitch to Harvey, only to be run out by metres.

Martyn has a phenomenal record as a one-day opener and, with Oxford a 45-minute drive from the Northants ground, you didn't need to be a Rhodes scholar to realise the 29-year-old West Australian was in exquisite touch.

His unbeaten 101 took his tally as an Australian one-day opener to 465 runs from six innings at an average of 232.5.

Everything is going right for Martyn, who began his Ashes tour with 108 against Worcester.

He was bowled today by Lesroy Weekes on 72, only to look up and see the umpire with his arm stuck out, signalling a no-ball.

He was dropped by the same bowler - a difficult chance - on 97.

Not every stroke came off the middle of his bat, but Martyn looked totally and utterly untroubled.

Stand-in captain Adam Gilchrist (19), Andrew Symonds (first ball nought) and Michael Bevan (19) joined him only briefly.

Fast bowler Nathan Bracken (shoulder) and No.3 Ricky Ponting (hip) were late withdrawals, while Damien Fleming left the field after bowling four overs with "minor discomfort in his right calf," according to team physiotherapist Pat Farhart.

All three were likely to be available for selection against Pakistan at Cardiff on Saturday.

Steve Waugh skipped today's match but he took a selection of hot beverages, tea, coffee, hot chocolate and cauliflower soup on to the field at the final drinks break.

West Australian opener Mike Hussey, who lost his Australian Cricket Board contract after a disappointing domestic summer, made an impressive 73, but his dismissal, bowled attempting to sweep Bevan, was the beginning of the end for Northants.

© 2001 AAP