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Version 11 Version 12
England battle in rain-hit start Warne landmark as England falter
(about 3 hours later)
Only 15.4 overs were possible before lunch on day one of the fourth Ashes Test, with England losing Alastair Cook for 11 as they moved slowly to 36-1. Shane Warne took his 700th Test wicket as England limped to 117-4 at tea on day one of the fourth Ashes Test.
Rain delayed the start by 30 minutes and the tourists found the going tough under heavy cloud cover in Melbourne. Test cricket's most prolific bowler was brought on to a standing ovation and reached his milestone by bowling Andrew Strauss (50) through the gate.
Cook was caught behind off Brett Lee and the showers returned 15 minutes before the scheduled lunch break. Strauss and Paul Collingwood (28) were both dropped as they put on a battling 57 in seam-friendly conditions.
Chris Read replaced struggling Geraint Jones as England's wicket-keeper, while the Aussies - 3-0 up - were unchanged. Collingwood edged to slip off Brett Lee, who also dismissed Alastair Cook, while Stuart Clark got Ian bell lbw.
Andrew Flintoff won the toss and opted to bat but it looked a good one to lose as Glenn McGrath found plenty of seam movement at the MCG. Chris Read replaced the out-of-form Geraint Jones as England's wicket-keeper.
The veteran seamer, who earlier this week announced his intention to quit after the World Cup, reeled off three successive maidens to help limit England to only two runs in their first six overs. But all the talk at the MCG was about leg-spinner Warne, who will bow out of international cricket after this series.
Lee found the edge of Andrew Strauss' bat but the ball failed to carry to Ricky Ponting at second slip. Aussie captain Ricky Ponting did not call on him for 40 overs as heavy cloud cover provided plenty of assistance for the metronomic Glenn McGrath and Clark.
Cook threw off the shackles briefly with a fine cover drive off McGrath for the first boundary of the morning in the 10th over. It was a good toss for Ponting to lose and in the 15.4 overs possible between rain showers in the morning, England were given a thorough going over.
But he was back in the pavilion shortly after when the ball caught the toe of his bat as he attempted to leave a delivery from Lee. McGrath, who will retire after the World Cup, reeled off three successive maidens in a miserly opening.
Ian Bell could have joined him almost immediately but Michael Clarke missed with his throw from cover as the newly-arrived batsman attempted a risky single. And the breakthrough came when the ball caught the toe of Cook's bat as he attempted to leave a delivery from Lee.
With the outfield slowed by the earlier downpours, Strauss was denied boundaries from several good drives off the pacemen. It was no easier for the tourists in a long afternoon session and even the shots Strauss timed well were held up in a slow outfield.
However, he and his team-mates will be happy to have limited the damage when it could have been far worse in testing conditions. Clark jagged one back in to have Bell plumb lbw and Collingwood could have been out on several occasions during a torrid examination.
Cook was the first to go as England struggled in tough conditions
Umpire Rudi Koertzen gave him the benefit of the doubt against strong leg-before appeals from McGrath and Andrew Symonds, while Adam Gilchrist could not hold when the tall paceman found the edge.
Strauss had several scares too and should have been on his way for 41 when Matthew Hayden spilled an easy chance at gully off Clark.
He deserved his luck for a courageous innings which contained only one boundary, and reached his eigthh Test fifty - one of his best - off 130 balls.
The Victorian crowd reserved their biggest cheer of the day for the moment when arguably their most famoust sporting son was finally brought on.
His start was far from auspicious and Collingwood, growing in confidence, swept him for four.
The Durham also cleverly guided Brett Lee over backward point as England went past 100 at the end of the 45th over.
But Lee had his revenge with some extra bounce and away movement to force an edge which Ponting held on to well at second slip before Warne struck gold.
It was not his greatest ball ever, and the wicket owed as much to poor footwork from Strauss as his genius.
But the majority of the crowd, and the 37-year-old himself, will not be too bothered: his celebration will live long in the memory and provided yet another memorable moment in a glittering career.