England's desire to make a statement of intent in the fourth Test and undermine Australia's fragile morale backfired as the tourists battled back impressively from an uncertain start at Trent Bridge.

Having suffered a two-run defeat at Edgbaston and scraped a dramatic draw at Old Trafford, Australia badly needed an improved performance in this Test to stop England taking control of the series.

The loss of pace spearhead Glenn McGrath to an elbow injury before the start of play was a dispiriting blow for an Aussie attack featuring 22-year-old debutant Shaun Tait.

Showing signs of nerves from the start, Australia lost their discipline and allowed England a 105-run opening stand, with 18 of the day's 22 no-balls delivered in the 27 overs of the opening session.

Rain disrupted the afternoon, allowing Australia to regroup, and by the close of a day reduced to only 60 overs England had been pegged back to 229 for four to leave this pivotal Test very much still in the balance.

England had initially carried the swagger of a team supremely confident in their own abilities - and none more so than Marcus Trescothick, who dominated the opening stand with Andrew Strauss and seemed certain to end his long wait for an Ashes century.

Trescothick, playing his 14th Test against Australia, moved confidently to his third half-century of the series and gave England the foundation for a major first-innings total after captain Michael Vaughan had won the toss and decided to bat.

But from the moment Strauss was dismissed in freakish circumstances five overs before lunch - he mistimed an attempted sweep off Shane Warne and got a bottom edge on to his boot which looped up to Matthew Hayden at slip - England seemed to lose their confidence.

Somerset left-hander Trescothick almost fell three overs later when he became a major beneficiary of Australia's over-stepping problem, chopping Brett Lee on to his stumps on 55 only to be reprieved by umpire Aleem Dar's no-ball signal.

He was unable to make the most of his escape, however, and added only 10 more before becoming Tait's first Test victim when the fourth ball after a long rain delay - an inswinging delivery - pierced his defences and hit middle-stump.

Tait, whose slingshot action had been timed at 93.5mph earlier in the day, claimed his second wicket for eight runs in nine balls when Ian Bell pushed tentatively forward to an outswinger and edged behind.

With ideal overhead conditions for swing bowlers, the advantage seemed to have shifted back towards Australia. But not for the first time in the series, they squandered two further opportunities in the next seven overs.

Kevin Pietersen, at a venue where he played his first four seasons of county cricket, had only 14 to his name when he provided Australia with their first chance, Michael Kasprowicz missing a sharp caught and bowled opportunity.

That miss could still prove costly, with Pietersen progressing to an unbeaten 33 by the close, but fortunately for Australia their miss off Vaughan was not as expensive as it could have been.

The England captain had progressed to a battling 30 when he also attempted to be positive against Kasprowicz and drove off the back foot only to be dropped by Matthew Hayden in the gully.

For a further 14 overs, Hayden must have wondered if he had gifted England a chance to reclaim the Ashes as Vaughan teamed up with Pietersen in a profitable 67-run stand which seemed to be regaining the momentum.

Captain Ricky Ponting, who had only four previous victims in 92 Tests, was so desperate for the breakthrough he decided to introduce his own medium-pace.

The change worked a treat, Ponting worrying England's batsmen into defensive submission - neither of them wanted to get out to such a part-time bowler - and then nicking a wicket.

Pietersen was fortunate not to be run out off Ponting's third ball when he scrambled down the pitch for a single from the non-striker's end only to be sent back by Vaughan. He would have been several feet short of his ground had Hayden's direct throw hit the stumps.

As it was, Ponting instead claimed the scalp of Vaughan (58) who pushed nervously outside off-stump and edged behind to Adam Gilchrist only four overs before the premature finish for rain.