Australia in control as English batsmen flop in Perth

The Australian batsmen proved the demons lived in the minds of the Englishmen rather than in the WACA pitch as they cruised past the tourists' first innings total with only three wickets down on the opening day of the second Ashes Test in Perth.

In response to England's paltry first innings of 112, Mark Waugh (19) and nightwatchman Jason Gillespie (5) guided Australia to 3-150 at stumps. Australia leads by 38 runs with seven wickets in hand in response to England's dismal three-hour 39-over effort; the third lowest Test score on the lively WACA pitch.

Michael Slater (34) was the first Australian to fall when Darren Gough (1-31) finally enjoyed a change of luck early in the final session. Gough has troubled most batsmen in the series but has been rewarded with only two wickets, so Slater's scalp was a welcome relief for the Yorkshireman. He had the Australian opener caught by Mark Butcher at third slip, in what was virtually England's only cause for celebration on a forgettable day.

Local hero Justin Langer (15) was next out, caught at short leg by John Crawley from the part-time off-spin of Mark Ramprakash (1-13), but not before he and Mark Taylor steered Australia past England's total. Taylor (61) was then caught behind by Alec Stewart late in the day, off the bowling of Dominic Cork (1-43), but not before the Australian skipper scored his 39th Test half-century.

Earlier, everything Australia touched turned to gold and everything England touched went to the slips cordon. Of the 10 English batsman to fall, nine were caught by either wicketkeeper Ian Healy or Taylor and Mark Waugh at slip in a sorry effort where four men reached double figures, two of whom batted at numbers nine and 10.

England went to lunch teetering at 6-76 after Glenn McGrath (3-37) and Jason Gillespie (2-23) routed the top order and were all out mid-way through the session, with Damien Fleming (5-46) claiming his first five-wicket haul in Test cricket.

Any credibility the England cricket side had earned on their tour to Australia was erased during a horror first morning. The first shock occurred when Taylor won the toss and sent a new-look England side in to bat. However, there were plenty more fireworks to follow as the tourists limped to lunch on a pitch offering assistance to the pacemen, but not as much as the scoreboard indicated.

Taylor's gamble, like so many before, paid stunning immediate dividends when England lost three wickets, all caught by Healy, in the first 45 minutes.

Fleming justified his inclusion in the Australian XI by dismissing Butcher (0) in just the fourth over. Fleming, preferred to Queensland's Michael Kasprowicz, found the edge of Butcher's bat to send England's first Test hero back to the pavilion, where he was soon joined by opening partner Michael Atherton (1).

McGrath continues to haunt Atherton and dismissed the hapless England opener for the 12th time in his career, in the process claiming his 50th Test wicket against England. Nasser Hussain (6) fell soon after in identical fashion edging to Healy and England were perilously placed at 3-19, thankful momentarily the selectors had taken the safe option and chosen seven batsmen.

Stewart came to the crease and decided to fight fire with fire, racing to 38 off 29 balls and taking 14 off one McGrath over. But the NSW paceman had the last laugh when an off-cutter found the inside edge of Stewart's bat and bowled the England captain with the score on 62. To add injury to England's insult, McGrath also cut open Ramprakash's chin with brutal bouncer, in a hostile 11-over spell.

Gillespie then capped his return to Test cricket after a 16-month injury lay-off with the wickets of recalled duo John Crawley (4) and Hick (0) in the space of three balls just before lunch.

Crawley, who looked totally out-of-sorts, edged to Waugh at second slip and now has scored four runs in three Test innings at the WACA. Hick survived two balls before he too failed to move his feet and edged a simple chance to Healy.

Fleming resumed bowling after lunch and soon struck, dismissing Dominic Cork (2) and Ramprakash (26). Both edged Fleming to Taylor - Cork edging low down, while Ramprakash's head-high offering was the Australian skipper's 150th catch in Test cricket, closing within six of compatriot Allan Border's all-time record. Fleming then mopped up the tail having Gough (11) caught by Waugh and Alan Mullally (0) presenting Healy his fifth catch, while Test debutant Alex Tudor batted sensibly to finish 18 not out