Anderson rips Aussies apart

England take opening-day honours as hosts crash to 245 all out

Anderson accounted for two of the three wickets to fall in the first 10 minutes, made a key dismissal just after lunch and then returned to remove the penultimate Australian batsman to finish with figures of four for 51.

England openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook faced one over from Ryan Harris, which netted one leg bye, to leave England one without loss at the close of play.

“It was a hugely satisfying day for everybody,” Anderson told reporters. “Hopefully we can push on now, although there's a long way to go in this game, let alone the series.”

Australia's Mike Hussey, who made 195 in the drawn first Test at the Gabba, again offered the sternest resistance to the tourists but he was dismissed by spinner Graeme Swann for 93, precipitating the collapse of the tail. Having lost the toss at a ground which is traditionally batting-friendly and where huge first-innings totals are the norm, England were expected to spend a long, hot day toiling in the field with little return.

Anderson clearly had other ideas although the first wicket to fall came courtesy of Australian confusion. The match was just four deliveries old when Watson set off for a single off his pads but Katich, who had not faced a ball, failed to react and was left fuming as Jonathan Trott fired a direct hit from mid-wicket.

The next ball removed Ponting for a golden duck, the Australian skipper getting an outside edge to an Anderson delivery and Swann swooping to catch the ball at second slip.

SCORE BOARD

AUSTRALIA (I Innings):
Watson c Pietersen b Anderson    51      
Katich (run out)    0       
Ponting c Swann b Anderson    0
Clarke c Swann b Anderson    2
Hussey c Collingwood b Swann    93
North c Prior b Finn    26
Haddin c Finn b Broad    56
Harris lbw Swann    0
Doherty (run out)    6
Siddle c Cook b Anderson    3
Bollinger (not out)    0
Extras (LB-6, W-1, NB-1)    8             
Total (all out, 85.5 overs)    245      
Fall of wicket: 1-0, 2-0, 3-2, 4-96, 5-156, 6-207, 7-207, 8-226, 9-243.   
Bowling: Anderson 19-4-51-4, Broad 18.5-6-39-1, Finn 16-1-71-1, Swann 29-2-70-2, Collingwood 3-0-8-0.
ENGLAND (I Innings):
Strauss (batting)    0
Cook (batting)    0
Extras (LB-1)    1 
Total (for no wkt, 1 over)    1      
Bowling: Harris 1-1-0-0.