Openers Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden posted an overdue century stand before surprising everyone at The Oval by accepting an offer of bad light on day two of the deciding Ashes Test.

Australia was 0-112 and about to start the final session of the day when Hayden and Langer accepted the bad light offer from umpires Rudi Koertzen and Billy Bowden, retreating to the dressing room to the amazement of everyone at the ground.

It was a strange decision for a side that needs to win the Test to retain the Ashes, especially with rain forecast over the weekend.

Koertzen confirmed it was Australia's call to accept the umpires' offer.

Eighty minutes after Hayden and Langer walked off, rain began falling, preventing any more play, and ruling out two crucial hours.

England, which holds a 261-run lead after it was bowled out for 373 before lunch, was unperturbed, as a draw will be sufficient for the home side to win the series 2-1 and regain the Ashes for the first time in 16 years.

Langer was on 75 not out and Hayden unbeaten on 32.

The pair's century partnership was the openers' 14th together in Tests and reprised their stand of 158 in south London from four years ago, when Hayden and Langer first opened together.

Langer thumped two sixes off Ashley Giles' first over but aside from that was content to nudge the ball around to post his third half-century of the series.

He had a life on 53, with the score on 73, when he edged medium pacer Paul Collingwood high and to the right of Marcus Trescothick at slip. The England vice-captain was slow to move and only got a right hand to the chance.

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