CLOSE: England 1st Inns 92/7 trail Australia by 98 runs

1800: Over 37 The dismissal of Giles is the last act of the day and Lee finishes with two wickets along side McGrath's five.

1800: WICKET!
AG Giles hit wkt b Lee 11 Lee continues to steam in at Giles as the shadows lengthen but he has learned well from Pietersen's technique of stepping across his stumps. Just as it looks as if he has done enough to survive, he steps back onto his stumps while pushing at a shortish one. He is caught as well as standing on his stumps, meaning that England close seven down.

1756: Over 36 Warne continues at the Nursery End but these days relies more on the constant exertion of pressure rather than maverick moments of genius. Two overs have not been enough for the veteran to weave this newer brand of magic, but his ability to prodigiously spin the ball remains, if dimmed, still bright enough.

1753: Over 35 The dismissal of Jones brings Ashley Giles, an entirely peripheral figure in the field, to the crease. Lee begins with a yorker and a bouncer to welcome the England spinner. Giles' lack of appetite for the short ball is well known but any observers in any doubt are quickly brought up to speed. The fifth ball is another bouncer and Giles fends it off to third slip, narrowly evading Langer for four. He pays the price immediately with a snorting response which raps the gloves and flies skywards. It is the simplest of catches for Katich who duly pouches but a no ball is given. Giles then drives the spare down the ground for four, failing to fall for Lee's disguised yorker.

1750: WICKET!
GO Jones c Gilchrist b Lee 30 Lee finally channels his aggression into a really threatening delivery, sending down a bolt of lightening just short of a length. It rises on Jones and simply beats him all ends up. The England batsman skies an attempted defence high behind and Gilchrist takes easily.

1749: Over 34 Warne makes a strong start against his county colleague, drifting his first ball wide of leg and bringing it back in to hit the pads. An appeal is rejected but that ball sets the tone for the over with a surprising amount of movement extracted from a first-day pitch. Maiden.

1743: Warne comes on in place of Gillespie.

1742: Over 33 Lee begins to bring out some reverse swing in the ball as Warne starts to warm up at first slip. Jones and Pietersen each show bravery in defending to the still-lively paceman and, dare we say it, are beginning to look relatively comfortable. Warne could of course change that but England's chances will be changed immeasurably if they can keep these two together until the close.

1738: Over 32 Pietersen gives a taste of that ability to empty the bars. He plays one good, reasonably correct leg-side shot for four to start the over and follow this up with the trademark front-foot club over deep midwicket. The crowd is buoyed and Pietersen closes the gap on previously free-scoring Jones.

1734: Over 31 Lee continues to disappoint as England edge onwards. He bowls with pace but a lack of control gives England too much breathing space. You can't expect to get wickets every over but time is not an issue with 15 wickets falling on day one, so England will not be going after the bowling unless they want to.

1729: Over 30 Pietersen begins the new over in some style flicking Gillespie off his legs for four. The elusive nature of form and rhythm in sport and particularly fast bowling has never been more starkly shown than with Gillespie today. A poor start to this tour has prompted one of the great fast bowlers to doubt his ability, and this represents England's best chance to counterattack and post a competitive overnight score.

1722: Over 29 Lee continues to charge in without ever exuding menace. Pietersen stays watchful, picks the bad ball and hits it through cover. Play is somewhat fitful at the moment with the umpires very concerned at the state of the ball.

1716: Over 28 Jones brings up the 50, cutting Gillespie square of the wickets after a decent series of deliveries from the bowler. That will do little for the Australian's confidence but is another boost for Jones, who is currently responsible for near enough half of the hosts' runs.

1712: Over 27 Lee gets back to the late 80s very quickly. That is, he's immediately back near top speed. He's not driving a Pontiac and listening to New Kids On The Block. Pietersen is a touch late when trying to hit the bowler but, albeit in contrast to McGrath, it is noticeable that a faulty radar hinders the Australians and releases the pressure on England.

1710: Lee returns at the Pavillion End.

1709: Over 26 Gillespie produces the kind of over that reminds us all what he's doing on this tour, maintaining a strict line and length and limiting Pietersen to a single.

1704: Over 25 Still McGrath keeps coming. The first two balls are similar to that which has gone before, tough but defendable. The third is, to the collective shock of Lord's, a touch loose and Jones drives through the offside for four. McGrath strikes back with extra bounce, cutting him in half and flicking the back leg on the way through to Gilchrist.

1701: Over 24 Pietersen takes a quick single early in the over from Gillespie but the loose balls which have blighted the Australian's previous overs are noticeable by their absence. Nevertheless one bounces quite high onto Jones and he guides the ball through the cordon for an easy two. Jones takes a single off the final ball to keep the strike and further Gillespie's frustration.

1657: Over 23 McGrath returns for another go at Pietersen, employing Langer in a close catching position on the leg side to try and negate the debutant's big stride down the wicket. He continues to defend well but tries a pull off the front foot as the over nears its conclusion, the kind of ill-discipline England can ill-afford. But he gets away with it, a miscue meeting Langer on the bounce, and the over passes largely without incident. The menace has largely gone from McGrath now and it is surely time to change. With Lee able to come on and enjoy the benefits of the Pavillion End and Warne surely in line to take over from Gillespie, the situation is beginning to shift.

1652: Over 22 England continue to edge back, going after Gillespie with relish. Jones guides the ball beyond Clarke and though the young man of the Australia team gives chase he is out of luck down the hill. Four runs there and though there is no run off the other five this is all positive for England.

1646: Over 21 McGrath continues despite the heavy workload, Ponting doubtless doesn't really fancy trying to get the ball off a bowler with 5/11 off 10 overs. However, perhaps it is time for a rest as Jones redresses the balance ever so slightly with a magnificent square drive. The wicketkeeper takes another run and Pietersen takes strike, getting forward and across well to protect his stumps from the danger ball.

1642: Over 20 Pietersen relieves a modicum of pressure by picking up a short, wide delivery and crashing it through the off side. The South Australian must be the target of any counterattack but Pietersen should be careful. The tourists are trying to tempt the England number five, who swings and misses at another wide ball later in the over, into giving his wicket away.

1639: Over 19 Refreshed from the drinks break McGrath shows no sign of relenting. Jones is on strike, facing an endless string of off-cutters hitting the deck and angling down the slope towards the stumps. He gets bat on a couple but also plays and misses twice, shaking his head in disbelief at the most venomous of the lot.

1629: Over 18 Gillespie begins with a loose wide one and Pietersen swings wildly, missing by some distance. The England batsman then pushes a second to Michael Clarke at point and he promptly directs a quite brilliant throw to the non-striker's end, hitting the wickets but failing to catch Jones out of his ground. Drinks break for the players.

1628: Jason Gillespie is brought into the attack at the expense of Lee.

1625: Over 17 Two imports to the English game, two Ashes debutants, two remaining recognised batsmen. England surely need something big from Pietersen and Geraint Jones, and the wicketkeeper offers at least some respite by driving McGrath through the covers for four after a couple of balls to get his eye in. The bowler's figures are not hurt unduly.

1623: WICKET!
A Flintoff b McGrath 0 One firm offered 7/4 against McGrath claiming five wickets at any stage during this series. It has lasted less than 50 balls from the New South Welshman as he offers Flintoff the usual treatment, pitching the ball outside off and jagging in a low off-cutter.

1621: Over 16 Lee beats Pietersen for pace with the first couple, but a third in the block hole allows the debutant to get off the mark by pushing the ball through cover.

1616: Over 15 Flintoff gets a relatively tame one to begin with, batting a straight, wide delivery to the off side for no run to complete the over. But there is nowhere to hide against this relentless Australia attack.

1613: WICKET!
IR Bell b McGrath 6 McGrath undoes Bell, usually near-perfect when it comes to technique, with a superb delivery, nipping into the batsman and onto the stumps via an inside edge. There really is little to be done against bowling of this calibre, and England's brittle middle order looks horribly exposed.

1611: Over 14 Lee continues to offer Bell a stringent examination with the speedometer being made to earn its corn. He drops one ball in short mid-over and the Warwickshire batsman shapes to pull before thinking better of it. He is lucky to get away with a poor half-shot, edging the ball onto the leg side and safety.

1607: Over 13 Following Vaughan's dismissal McGrath doesn't give Pietersen too much to worry about with a couple of wider deliveries early on. But Ponting and Warne entered into a lengthy discussion upon the debutant's arrival, and it wouldn't be a bad idea to try and tempt the flamboyant Hampshire man into a couple of big early swings.

1605: WICKET!
MP Vaughan b McGrath 3 McGrath pitches one in his habitual spot and it keeps lower than the England captain expects, scooting under the bat to hit all three. The Australia bowler is in irresistible form, he did Vaughan for pace, bounce and pitch on that occasion.

1603: Over 12 Lee tests Bell with two or three straight ones before digging in a bouncer which the youngster does well to duck. Ponting becomes vocal once again and moves a man to deep-backward square in a piece of rudimentary mind games. However, Bell is 23 rather than 13 and takes no notice before dispatching a fuller ball to the cover boundary. Wonderful shot, and a rare psychological blow for the hosts.

1600: Over 11 McGrath continues to torment England, Vaughan the man bearing the brunt. He comes closest to a wicket with a straighter one which tempts the England captain into playing inside the line, missing the edge by a whisker. Chalk up another maiden.

1555: Over 10 Lee is bowling with much-improved accuracy from the days when he was dropped for Kasprowicz and getting some movement too. It is a testament to the genius of McGrath that facing accurate, swinging 90-odd mph deliveries is currently the soft touch in the middle. Bell judges a superb over to perfection, but the scoreboard remains motionless.

1550: Over 9 McGrath produces an other six balls on a perfect line and length, jagging in violently but always missing off stump. Bell gets off the mark but the momentum belongs to Australia right now.

1545: Over 8 Lee's motor is humming along nicely as he pushes on from 90mph towards 95mph. Vaughan is early trying to pull the paceman and is lucky to sky the ball to a safe area, running two and otherwise keeping it simple. The result is that Bell must now take strike against McGrath, who is bordering on unplayable.

1540: Over 7 An historic over in Test cricket. McGrath begins by passing 500 wickets and almost immediately closes further on Courtney Walsh's 519, the all-time high for a fast bowler. In between he bowled Vaughan two unplayable deliveries and introduced Bell to the Ashes by cutting his defences in two with a textbook off-cutter. Elsewhere Ponting welcomed Vaughan to the crease with a quite public stream of invective we cannot relay on a family multi-sports website and McGrath pulled on a new pair of branded 'Pony 500' boots to mark the occasion.

1536: WICKET!
AJ Strauss c Warne b McGrath 2 Vaughan's first ball causes heart murmurs in the home dressing room, pitching outside off but jagging back in very close to the stumps. The England captain's second ball moves even more prodigiously and is left alone. Vaughan gets off the mark, handing Strauss the strike but he is undone in similar style to Trescothick. McGrath moves the ball down the slope and away from the left-hander, Strauss plays and edges low to Warne in the slips who just manages to scoop the ball off the turf.

1531: WICKET!
ME Trescothick c Langer b McGrath 4 McGrath claims his 500th Test wicket with the first ball after tea. He angles the ball across the left-hander and tempts an edge for a routine catch for Langer at third slip.

1530: Trescothick and Strauss return to the crease.

1515: End of session
England 1st innings 10/0 trail Australia by 180 runs A second successive session belonging solely to England, some achievement after Adam Gilchrist, Simon Katich and Shane Warne carried the tourists to the brink of a respectable total at breakneck speed after the restart.

Andrew Flintoff's wide-eyed celebration at the removal of Gilchrist offered some insight into the capital Michael Vaughan and England had invested in that wicket and it certainly paid off.

With the exception of Warne's cameo it was one-way traffic from then on with Steve Harmison, aided and abetted by some excellent wicketkeeping from Geraint Jones, claiming a well-deserved five-wicket haul.

Two key head-to-heads, Glenn McGrath v Marcus Trescothick and Brett Lee v Andrew Strauss, went Australia's way in the ODIs but England's openers were relatively untroubled by the six-over spell they had to endure before tea.

The speed at which Australia accumulated their sub-standard total means this game will have a totally different look again come 1800BST, with plenty of wickets to be taken and runs to be had.

1515: Over 6 Lee continues to generate great pace but is failing to put the ball in the places where Strauss will really get hurt, physically or figuratively. The England opener is all too happy to leave balls outside off stump while a couple of intended body-line deliveries drift down leg. The best of the six is the final ball of the sessions, rapping the pad, but England have survived a tricky spell.

1512: Over 5 McGrath maintains his pressure on Trescothick but again the England batsman is relatively comfortable. The umpires signal there will be one more over before the tea break.

1508: Over 4 Lee has a huge appeal turned down by umpire Rudi Koertzen. He bounces one in short to Strauss who moves the bat out of line. The ball flicks his sleeve on the way through, making a snick but the South African stands resolute. That is a good decision made much harder than necessary by the noise from the fielding side but a replay shows a massive gap between bat and ball, suggesting that the tourists are slightly desperate to manufacture early pressure even if there is no cause. Lee's line and length is promptly affected by the disappointment and Strauss sees out the over quite easily.

1503: Over 3 McGrath goes through his usual relentless routine but Trescothick remains equal to the task. With the weather fine and Australia all out in a session and a half, time is certainly not an issue and England seem happy to pace themselves.

1458: Over 2 Ponting elects to reform the Meteor and the Metronome. Brett Lee has been out of the Test scene for some time but has overtaken Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz following a brilliant ODI summer during which he has caused Strauss numerous problems. Those frailties are not exposed in his first over, but a lightening bouncer catches Strauss by surprise, strikes his shoulder and loops away for four leg byes. Those are the only runs added to the England total. That bouncer is timed at over 91mph and is most notable for the apparent ease with which the Australia bowler can generate the extra speed. Strauss was certainly taken by surprise, but shows an admirable unwillingness to admits any pain.

1454: Over 1 McGrath wastes no time in getting into Trescothick, applying pressure with trademark line-and-length deliveries. The England opener plays the fifth ball of the over with soft hands and gets a thick edge into the ground and through a gap on the cordon for a boundary. McGrath looks unimpressed.

1450: England begin their innings with around 20 minutes to survive until tea. Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss open for the hosts but all eyes are on Glenn McGrath, who has taken 499 Test wickets to date.

1439: Australia 1st innings 190 all out

1439: WICKET!
JN Gillespie lbw b Harmison 1 Harmison traps Gillespie with a simple, straight fast one to complete his five-wicket haul and wrap up the Australia innings.

1438: Over 40 Flintoff really puts his back into one that lifts and moves away from McGrath but the bowler edges high over Pietersen at third slip. The Lancastrian keeps asking questions but can't get the answer he wants.

1433: Over 39 Pietersen is the only England player not enjoying himself today after putting down a second chance. As earlier with Ponting it goes unpunished but there is no doubt that the new boy's reputation for razor-sharp fielding has taken a knock today. Harmison is now getting the wickets he deserves, but Glenn McGrath arrives and promptly pushes him through mid wicket for an improbable four.

1429: WICKET!
B Lee c GO Jones b Harmison 3 Lee escapes being caught in the cordon by Pietersen after the debutant spilled a straightforward chance to wide slash. But it is a meaningless reprieve as Harmison rattles a ball at Lee, bisecting his defences and brushing the bottom-hand glove. Jones takes well low to his left. The England wicketkeeper has been excellent today.

1428: Over 38 Flintoff shows the pace and bounce for which he has been recalled to unsettle the tail. Gillespie in particular looks unsure of himself as England look to wrap this up for the psychologically significant sub-200.

1425: Flintoff returns at the expense of Hoggard as Vaughan goes in for the kill.

1423: Over 37 Harmison puts England back on track with not one but two wickets, the second of which was the unforeseen downfall of Katich. Jason Gillespie arrives and plays out the final ball in obvious discomfort.

1418: WICKET!
SM Katich c GO Jones b Harmison 27 Harmison begins with a very aggressive field to new batsman Brett Lee but his fellow fast bowler pushes a single through mid-off and cover. Katich receives a bouncer on his return to the strike and, perhaps because he feels his partners are running out, takes on an ambitious hook. Instead he makes a massive top edge and Geraint Jones has to be quick on his feet to back pedal and calmly take. Kudos to the much-maligned England wicketkeeper.

1415: WICKET!
SR Warne b Harmison 28 First ball after the drinks break is a spearing, fuller delivery on leg stump. The fuller length exposes Warne's habit of shuffling across his stumps and the bails are off. England needed that wicket as their opponents somehow close on 200 of 40 overs with batting still to come and Katich taking up permanent residence in the middle.

1411: Over 36 The power of this Australia team to score runs becomes so important once again now. Despite losing five wickets in a session and without any batsman reaching 50 they are closing on 200 at more than five an over. Hoggard makes a decent return without ever really excelling, Katich helps himself to a couple more and the players take drinks.

1408: Hoggard returns at the expense of Jones.

1407: Over 35 Harmison begins poorly with a loose, leg-side delivery but strikes back with a couple of stronger, straighter off-cutters which rap Warne's pads without deserving a decent appeal. Warne is shuffling across the wickets and outside the line of off stump, thus negating the lbw shout and offering the chance of runs through mid wicket. Again Harmison lets his line slip to allow an easy single and Katich leaves a loose last one alone. Not a strong return from the Durham bowler.

1404: Over 34 Jones continues at the Nursery End but immediately lets Warne off strike with an easy single. Katich continues to impress with his calm temperament, blocking a couple before hitting a superb four through point. He swings and misses at a leg-side bouncer towards the end of the over but it has been a chanceless knock from the Western Australian.

1400: Over 33 Harmison continues to probe Warne's fear of the short ball and provokes a desperate prod over Strauss at gully. The Ashes debutant leaps to try and claim, fails to get more than fingertips to it but in truth did well to stop the ball at all. They run a single and Katich takes over, working the ball for a two before leaving a couple alone.

1354: Harmison returns the Pavillion End meaning that Flintoff's final over was an inauspicious end to a fine spell of fast bowling.

1353: Over 32 Jones begins with an absolute jaffer and Warne nods his approval after playing and missing. But the Australian reclaims the initiative with a brilliant cover drive for four, the first proper cricket shot to yield runs in this short, explosive innings. The crowd are on their feet soon after as Warne pushes the ball to Vaughan and the England skipper throws the ball back with interest in search of a run out. Warne ends on his backside after taking evasive action but soon silences the jeers of the crowd with a superb hooked boundary next ball. As has been said on countless occasions, life is never dull with this man around the place.

1347: Over 31 Flintoff exhibits an uncharacteristic lack of cricketing intelligence in letting Warne off the hook. The Australian gets lucky lifting a fast-rising delivery over the slips for four but a lazy, short follow-up allows four more square of the wicket on the offside. He also takes a single to retain the strike following an over that belonged to the tourists.

1342: Over 30 Jones tries to trouble Warne with a short one and the hook to backward square yields four but offers encouragement. He happily takes a single next ball and allows Katich, who has looked much more settled against Jones, to take the strike. The 30-year-old remains watchful and sees out the over, though the last ball from Jones exhibits devastating late swing to prompt a hopeful lbw shout.

1336: Over 29 Shane Warne arrives to a hostile reception from the crowd but his first delivery drifts harmlessly down leg side. The leg spinner sees out the over.

1334: WICKET!
AC Gilchrist c GO Jones b Flintoff 22 Flintoff out-thinks the wicketkeeper to keep the Australians on the run. He begins the over by offering up another ball wide of off stump and Gilchrist uses the room to swing the bat. A skier clears the slip cordon and evades the man at third man for a boundary. But Flintoff follows that up with a ball angled into the batsman and poor footwork combines with a wild slash to edge a routine catch behind to Jones. The reaction from Flintoff is reminiscent of Stuart Pearce after scoring his penalty against Spain in Euro 96. It is clear that the hosts had invested a lot of morale in removing the world's most destructive batsman, and that strategy has paid handsome dividends.

1332: Over 28 Gilchrist begins this over as he begun the last, with a powerful boundary. The ball from Jones is not a bad one but the Australian picks up the middle-and-leg line early and whips it away through mid-wicket. He tries to sneak a quick single mid-over but is denied by the brilliant reactions of short leg Ian Bell. It is a minor victory for Vaughan, who will know the significance of removing the Australia vice captain as soon as possible.

1328: Over 27 Gilchrist swings high and hard at a wide one from Flintoff. The connection is poor but he gets enough on it to beat the ring of catchers and claim a four. If that is streaky, and he does look uncomfortable facing Flintoff around the wicket, then there is nothing wrong with the cover drive bludgeoned to the boundary next ball. He then claims a single and Katich happily bats out to complete an over which belonged to Australia.

1324: Over 26 Katich signals his intention to continue business as usual, pushing a very risky two down to Harmison at fine leg but profiting after the Durham man fumbles. He follows this with a decisive pull to a poor short ball from Jones, yielding four, and a couple of solid defensive strokes. The Western Australian is often cited by those who know him well as grossly underestimated and he certainly has a look of permanence today. He has offered no chances as more illustrious partners fall at the other end increasingly looks a danger man.

1318: Over 25 As with Jones, Vaughan keeps faith in Flintoff. The Lancastrian had a small problem with no balls before lunch and that re-surfaces here, while he is also twice wayward down leg side but GO Jones responds well, saving extras. A fragmented restart means there is little for an attacking field including three slips and a short leg, to get too excited about.

1310: Over 24 SP Jones stays on at the Nursery End. The hard work starts here for Katich and Gilchrist, who share the strike in a cagey start to the middle session.

Lunch Betting Update: Lunchtime prices show just how much respect there is for Australia and how much England still have to do. Despite the one-sided morning session the hosts are only narrow favourites, though the removal of Gilchrist would doubtless shake up the market.

1232: End of session
Australia 1st innings 97 for five Two hours ago it seemed unlikely that this morning could live up to the hype, but the first session of the 2005 Ashes has done so and then some.

Stephen Harmison was at his snorting best from the off, striking Justin Langer on the elbow and Matthew Hayden on the head before drawing blood from the cheek of Ricky Ponting. Though it was the erratic Matthew Hoggard who made the breakthrough, bowling Hayden through the gate, the first hour was really Harmison's and the wicket of Ponting, easily caught in the slips by Andrew Strauss, was the least his efforts deserved.

Michael Vaughan promptly took his openers off, a move which paid instant dividends as Andrew Flintoff and Simon Jones all but matched Harmison's hostility in opening overs which each brought a wicket. Jones also trapped Michael Clarke in the run-up to lunch to complete a first session beyond the hosts' wildest dreams.

The only possible cloud for Vaughan at present is that Australia's best batsman does not come in until number seven and he has the perfect foil in the dogged Simon Katich. Adam Gilchrist looked anything but convincing against Flintoff as the session drew to a close, but can change the face of a game like no other player in cricket's lengthy history.

For 71 of those years England have failed to win an Ashes Test at Lord's, it is doubtful whether they have had a better chance after an explosive first morning.

1230: Over 23 Flintoff gets Gilchrist on strike early in the over and tempts the left-hander into an unconvincing play-and-miss. But the Australian strikes back by angling a wide, bouncy delivery square of the wicket for four. This instills Gilchrist with confidence and he chases a second wide one outside off, fortunately edging through the gap. The session finishes with Flintoff bowling to an umbrella field of countless slips and gullies but in vain.

1224: Over 22 Clarke initially strikes a blow for the tourists, taking advantage of Jones' failure to adjust his line to a right-hander. A flick through midwicket is good enough for four but a swing and a miss later in the over offers encouragement. This proves justified as the Welshman brilliantly traps his opponent. Though the dismissal brings the brilliant Adam Gilchrist to the crease, it is a fine time to bowl to him. The wicketkeeper leaves the one remaining ball in the over.

1223:
WICKET!
MJ Clarke lbw b SP Jones 11 Clarke struck a blow earlier in the over with a four through midwicket but Jones claims revenge by trapping the Australian lbw with an off-cutter. There is no doubt about the line and little about the height, the decision is the correct one and England claim an unexpected bonus in the run-up to lunch.

1219: Over 21 England continue to enjoy the upper hand, not only on the scoreboard but in the individual duels in the middle too. Flintoff continues to press the left-handed Katich but a string of balls outside off stump cannot tempt the conservative left-hander whose priority is survival.

1215: Over 20 SP Jones produces another fine over of fast-medium swing bowling. He beats Katich all ends up with a trademark fifth ball swinging into the left-hander. It beats the bat and flicks the back pad, GO Jones claiming a good catch. The wicketkeeper appeals for a caught-behind dismissal but is rightly rejected. Interestingly Katich's pad was almost directly in line with off stump so an lbw appeal would be justified, but Hawk Eye suggests that the ball would have missed timber by a thin coat of low-viscosity varnish.

1211: Over 19 Clarke's lack of form on tour remains apparent as he scratches around against Flintoff. The Lancastrian is steaming in and really pushing the ball through on a very fast wicket, but an lbw appeal is rightly rejected and the right-hander eventually claims some sort of victory with a quick single.

1208: Over 18 Jones fails to replicate the fireworks of his opening over but continues to look good from the less attractive end for fast bowling. Katich lives up to his reputation as a Borderesque human wall, however, and the tourists edge closer to the lunch break.

1203: Over 17 Flintoff strengthens his reputation as an outstanding bowler to left-handers, causing Katich problems with fast, swinging deliveries. The number six is doubtless glad to get off strike and see Clarke back in the firing line, particularly when he sees Freddie send a bouncer fizzing over the young batsman's head.

1155: Over 16 The momentum is now indisputably with the hosts after Jones' magnificent entrance. Michael Clarke and Simon Katich both use the remaining balls to get off the mark but few in Lord's will pay too much attention to that.

1153: WICKET!
DR Martyn c GO Jones b SP Jones 2 Simon Jones marks his arrival in style, banging in a brilliant first ball which hits the deck and moves away at pace. Martyn is tempted into a half-hearted swing outside off stump but succeeds only in edging the ball behind for a routine take for wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.

1152: Simon Jones replaces Hoggard.

1151: Over 15 Flintoff's first over ends to a raucous reception. His over was relatively non-descript except the wicket, but the removal of Langer has been England's priority since 1030 and it therefore a superb start for the people's champion.

1150: WICKET!
JL Langer c Harmison b Flintoff 40 Flintoff's talent for the dramatic serves him well as he claims the prize scalp in his first over. After starting with the accent on accuracy rather than drama, he gets some extra bounce and Langer ill-advisedly attempts a hook but succeeds only in skying the ball to Harmison at shortish square leg.

1145: To a huge cheer, Flintoff enters the fray at the Pavillion End. He replaces Harmison despite the latter's removal of Ponting and prepares to bowl his first over in an Ashes Test.

1144: Over 14 Langer re-asserts himself against Hoggard, flicking one leg-side ball to the boundary and pushing another widish one through mid-off for three. Martyn only has to face one delivery and it is a disappointing one, Hoggard failing to force the newcomer into a stroke.

1140: Over 13 Harmison claims the wicket which is the least his fearsome bowling has deserved this morning. Vaughan adds a second gully for the arrival of Damien Martyn but the newcomer survives nervelessly until the end of the over and getting off the mark in the process.

1138: WICKET!
RT Ponting c Strauss b Harmison 9 England's plan to Ponting yields the desired return. Harmison bangs in another ball of pace and bounce and the Australia captain's over-ambitious off-side play is his undoing as he angles the ball straight to Andrew Strauss at third slip.

1136: Over 12 Hoggard continues to work Ponting over to Duncan Fletcher's plan, swinging the ball away from off stump to try and nullify the Australian's ususally peerless leg-side play. He takes a single to try and forget the frightful mess he made of hooking Harmison in the previous over and Hoggard is for once able to deny Langer a cheap boundary.

1132: Over 11 Harmison's master class in fast bowling hostility continues but the Australians are not sufficiently cowed that the 50 has not been brought up inside an eventful first hour. It was difficult to imagine this contest living up to months and even years of hype but it truly has been a morning of extraordinary drama.

1130: Play re-starts with Ponting batting on, something of a surprise after what looks a very nasty injury.

1125: Harmison may not be taking wickets as yet but neither is he taking any prisoners. Having earlier battered Langer's elbow and cracked Hayden's helmet, he now rushes a ball through on Ponting. It is short and fast and the Australia number three fails to make his mind up early enough, missing the hook and seeing the ball smash into the helmet grill. Play is suspended for the Australia physio's second entrance of the morning as blood is coming from Ponting's cheek. Those players not requiring butterfly stitches use the break to take drinks.

1119: Over 10 Pietersen's first contribution to the Ashes is not as he will have dreamed. Vaughan puts the Hampshire star in as a wide fifth slip/second gully for Ponting's first over on strike, positioned to snaffle any errors in timing from the Tasmanian's extravagant off-side strokeplay. The plan works a treat as the Australia captain edges an attempted drive low to Pietersen's left but he cannot hold onto what is a sharp chance, but frankly one he should take. Otherwise an improved over from Hoggard, who refused to allow Ponting the easy runs which Langer has previously enjoyed this morning.

1116: Over 9 Harmison continues to bowl with aggression but any width is picked up by Langer, the in-form opener executing a perfect late cut to continue the boundary-per-over demanded by this Australia team.

1111: Over 8 The wicket is the sixth ball of the over and hides the myriad sins which had preceded it. Two leg-side balls, one of which Harmison did brilliantly to slide and stop down on the long-leg boundary, are promptly forgotten though Hayden is the weak link in the tourists' top four at present.

1109: WICKET! ML Hayden b Hoggard 12 Hoggard's indifferent start is forgotten as he clean bowls Matthew Hayden, starting the ball out outside off stump and bringing it back in through the gap created by the batsman's over-aggressive attempted drive. The ball scuffs off both bat and pad before sending the bails flying and England have stemmed the flow after the initiative had seemed to be slipping away.

1105: Over 7 If Harmison didn't see Langer's cover drive well enough from his vantage point on the boundary, the diminutive left-hander offers a repeat showing at closer quarters. The rest of the over is decent enough but a minimum of one boundary per over is enough to hand the initiative to the batting side and Australia will be delighted to have weathered the early storm.

1100: Over 6 There was plenty of pre-match talk of Andrew Flintoff, considered by many to be England's best bowler, being promoted to open today. Those voices will grow stronger after this undisciplined start from Hoggard who has offered at least one four-ball per over along with others of decent bounce and movement. Langer is the boundary beneficiary this time, crashing a no ball through the covers.

1054: Over 5 Australia have never seen a fully-firing Harmison in Test cricket before but that is all changing this morning after, unusually, he took the first over. Having already prompted Langer to call for the physio after two minutes, he pushes one onto Hayden which strikes the outsized opener on the head. Another strong performance from the Durham paceman.

1050: Over 4 Hoggard continues with his pick 'n' mix approach. He begins superbly with a ball Hayden is glad to keep out but promptly goes for a flicked four down to long leg. He escapes another boundary when the ferocity of a trademark Hayden drive is stopped by the stumps at the non-striker's end.

1047: Over 3 Harmison bowls a steadier over, finding a nice off-stump line and limiting the Aussies to one single. He finishes with a beauty, pushed up to a full length and angled across Langer before jagging back between bat and body and through to GO Jones.

1042: Over 2 Matthew Hoggard starts well, almost claiming Langer with an excellent first ball which the batsman chops onto his pads. Australia have clearly decided to attack the Yorkshireman, playing extravagant shots to two good balls. The first of these gets the treatment but the latter is an ugly play-and-miss from Langer. There are also three balls down legside, completing a mixed first over from Hoggard.

1038: Over 1 Harmison's first over finishes with a further two for Hayden, but England will be encouraged despite the concession of nine runs.

1037: The fifth ball hurries Hayden into fending down leg and Geraint Jones narrowly fails to get across and collect low to his right. The ball scuttles away to the boundary and Hayden is credited with four so England can consider themselves unfortunate.

1036: We had intended to bring live over-by-over coverage but Harmison has other ideas, delivering another snorting ball which demands individual attention. He whips the ball across Hayden and beyond off stump to the delight of the crowd.

1034: Play re-starts to a roar from the home crowd but Langer responds well, picking the ball up on middle and leg and guiding it through mid-wicket for three.

1031: Harmison drops the second ball short of a length and it races onto Langer before he can take evasive action. It strikes him on the leading elbow and is plainly in some pain, promptly calling for the physio.

1030: Stephen Harmison bowls the first ball of the series to Langer and it is a strong start, bouncing through at pace and the batsman leaves it alone outside off stump.

1028: England take to the field under overcast skies. Australia's Justin Langer and Matthew Hayden follow to the traditional standing ovation from MCC members.

1004: In a moment of dark foreboding for the hosts, Australia get off to a winning Ashes start. Lady Luck favours Ricky Ponting at the toss and he predictably elects to bat on a Lord's wicket which is expected to play fast and true.

1000: Finally, the talking stops and it is time for the men of action to take over.

England have certainly selected such a player in Kevin Pietersen, who makes his Test debut at the expense of Graham Thorpe in one of two changes from the XI which cruised to victory over Bangladesh earlier this summer. The other is the return of spinner Ashley Giles, injured for the double header in May, who replaces Gareth Batty.

Australia tweak the team which defeated New Zealand with consumate ease in the spring, Brett Lee returning to the Test arena for the first time since Steve Waugh stepped down as captain. The fast bowler replaces Michael Kasprowicz, who failed to win a last-minute reprieve when Jason Gillespie passed a fitness test.

The last time England won an Ashes Test at headquarters the Maginot Line was nearing completion.

But skipper Michael Vaughan was yesterday dismissive of the 71-year wait for success at Lord's, preferring to focus on his young team's hunger to overturn history.

And he has plenty of cause for optimism after two years of almost uninterrupted success, a spell which means that the oldest contest in Test cricket is, for the first time in decades, also the most significant.

A long-awaited showdown between the top two teams on the planet, the hope is for a ferociously competitive seven weeks though the series odds - England 7/2, Australia 2/5 - hardly scream `perfectly matched'.

The first Test odds are England 9/2, Draw 2/1, Australia Evens.