By Peter May

England elected to take a new path on the first morning of the decisive Oval Test but spent the night lost and isolated after another display of individual brilliance from Shane Warne prevented the hosts from exploiting ideal batting conditions.

The key decision, a sign perhaps of England's faltering belief under pressure, was to name Paul Collingwood rather than James Anderson to replace Simon Jones.

For the first time this summer England were sending out mixed messages and the harvest cannot be counted until the end of the Test.

That fearful call may yet come back to hurt Michael Vaughan over the weekend if a four-man bowling attack toils on a track which might have been nurtured in Perth, such was the high, true bounce.

Yet it has already made their position more precarious: Australia took the upper hand on Thursday as England lost seven wickets, five of them to a bowler receiving no help whatsoever from the pitch.

Admittedly that bowler is a unique talent and, as he did at Edgbaston, Warne was able to compensate for his team-mates' shortcomings despite being conscripted to the front line within the hour.

Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss had done the conditions full justice in the opening stages, the first 50 coming from just 70 balls with Brett Lee and even Glenn McGrath bowling enough loose stuff that there was no need to gamble.

The introduction of the great legspinner led to an inevitable slowing in the run rate but the series situation dictates that England should be happy to bat for five days.

They certainly didn't play like it, and the defence that outright aggression has served England well has a number of flaws.

A key factor in the turnaround since Lord's may have been the move to attack Warne but his wickets have still come at 20 apiece this summer.

Moreover, having played safe by picking Collingwood some consistency of approach would have been welcome.

There was no need to attack Warne since the back-up was sufficiently poor – McGrath plainly below par, Lee and Shaun Tait offering little – that runs could have been found from the Pavilion End.

Instead Trescothick continued to attack and edged one to Matthew Hayden at slip, departing for a disappointing 43.

Vaughan and Ian Bell came and went in quick succession before lunch, the captain scooping a poor ball down Michael Clarke's throat at short mid-wicket and the Warwickshire batsman playing the wrong line to one that didn't turn.

Warne didn't turn many all morning and that is expected on day one at The Oval, what is not expected is that he can still prove as dangerous under those circumstances.

Yet sure enough by lunch he had taken three victims on the way to 5 for 118, in keeping with his career average.

Kevin Pietersen once again let his ego smother his common sence and fell soon after the restart misreading the flight of a stock legspinner.

Strauss was still at the crease, surrounded by close fielders calling him Daryll at every opportunity.

The nickname is a comparison with South African Daryll Cullinan, a fine batsman whose dire record against the Baggy Greens helped to fuel the Proteas' inferiority complex which survives to this day.

The great myth is that Cullinan was always out to Warne – in fact it was only four of 13 innings – but there is no arguing with the fact that an average of 12.75 against Australia compares unfavourably with that of 48.36 against all other opposition.

In any event the comparison is invalid: Cullinan proved vulnerable to sledging but Strauss is hardly in the same mould, a cool and considered customer with no apparent interest in Adam Gilchrist's wit and wisdom.

The Middlesex left-hander was the man for Australia to bully since they like to pick on someone their own size or smaller.

That leaves little room to move when Andrew Flintoff is at the other end and batting with impeccable discipline.

The Lancastrian commented at Trent Bridge that his success with Geraint Jones owes much to their contrasting styles and England had the same advantage here with the added twist that Strauss is left-handed.

The two had never batted together in Tests before but that was hardly noticeable during a fifth-wicket partnership of 143 in which they each passed landmarks.

Strauss, seemingly working a single off his legs every ball he faced, claimed his seventh Test hundred and Flintoff, measured but always capable of that increasingly Tendulkar-like drive back down the ground, hit another half-century.

McGrath eventually claimed Flintoff for 72 and that left Collingwood with a great chance to prove his worth: 100 minutes to bat and little room for error.

The Durham all-rounder was unlucky, starting with the confidence of a man who has seen this all before in different clothing and then getting a poor lbw decision from Rudi Koertzen.

Nevertheless it is a failure and he joins Bell in playing for a tour place in the second innings this weekend.

A second mini-collapse was completed when Simon Katich scooped a short leg catch from Strauss off Warne and suddenly England looked very vulnerable, still under 300 and into the short tail.

Geraint Jones and Ashley Giles proved that batting on this pitch is perfectly plausible providing one has limited ambition.

This is not always a virtue but nor is the excess England showed in chasing Warne.

He is too clever not to see such fodder coming and even in a series in which his team-mates have struggled remains the outstanding player.

The roar when Vaughan won the toss sounded more like a cry of relief at the close – a four-man attack without Warne will find it difficult indeed while the Australian-style bounce will help batsmen in green helmets.

Only Strauss and Flintoff got much right on day one, and the tourists can tell them what happens when only two of your team turn up.