KEY POINTS:
MELBOURNE - Shane Warne became the first cricketer to claim 700 test wickets as he spun Australia into the advantage in the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
Warne bowled England opener Andrew Strauss for 50 late in the second session and then took off on
a 20-metre dash of wild celebration, waving one finger in the air as the huge crowd erupted.
Warne, who is also playing the penultimate match of his career and his last at the MCG, raised the ball in acknowledgement of the crowd, which spent most of the second session cheering for him to be brought into the attack and then rose to a standing ovation when he came on.
His wicket, which ended Strauss' fighting first half-century of the series, put Australia firmly on top on day one with England 4-117 at tea after captain Andrew Flintoff won the toss and batted.
Flintoff was 13 not out and Kevin Pietersen three not out.
Flintoff might have been regretting his decision after Strauss and Alastair Cook managed three singles between them in the first 30 minutes of play in cloudy and occasionally gloomy conditions and on a wicket which gave the Australian quicks good movement off the seam.
England recovered from 44 for two thanks to a 51-run stand between Strauss and Paul Collingwood, but Brett Lee and Warne struck in successive overs to force the tourists on to the back foot.
Australia regularly seized the key moments in its first three Test wins, and did so again.
Lee (2-36) had Collingwood (28) sharply caught at second slip by Australian captain Ricky Ponting before Warne's (1-21) wicket lit up the MCG.
Strauss had not passed 42 in his previous six innings this series, but combined a strong show of resilience with some overdue good luck.
He was given a life on 41 when Matthew Hayden dropped a sitter in the gully off Stuart Clark's bowling.
But Strauss would argue his fortune was due to change after he was given out to bad decisions in the second and third tests.
Collingwood also had some good fortune before he departed, surviving two close leg before shouts from Andrew Symonds and a drop by wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist off Glenn McGrath's bowling, before he reached double figures.
Lee claimed the first wicket of the day when he had Cook (11) caught behind trying to leave a delivery outside off stump, while Clark knocked over Ian Bell (seven) with an off-cutter which struck the No.3 plumb in front.
The crowd spent most of the session cheering for Warne's arrival, and he again acknowledged his fans as he led the Australians off at tea.
McGrath, who is also playing his second-last Test, went wicketless today in an otherwise beautiful 14-over spell which yielded figures of 0-24.
- AAP