A thrilling day's cricket began with the sensational news that Australia's Glenn McGrath, the greatest pace bowler in world cricket, had injured himself in a pre-match warm-up.

McGrath turned his ankle over on a cricket ball while playing touch rugby and was taken to hospital. Even in his absence, this great bowler cast his shadow over the whole day's play because, without him, Australia could not put a brake on England's scoring.

Without his nagging accuracy, England raced along at breakneck speed all day, scoring 401 runs at a rate of 5.1 per over and striking 11 sixes. It was their highest score on the first day since the Second World War. Unfortunately for England, this was not a game of one-day cricket and there was no premium for scoring quickly.

The total was competitive but less than sensational on a sluggish pitch which offered little movement for the pace bowlers. There were some signs of increasingly uneven bounce and England will bank on the pitch breaking up more on the second day, or it could prove arduous for their pacemen on day two.

Marcus Trescothick (90) will be the most disappointed player in the England side as he has never made a Test century against Australia and batted beautifully, before giving his wicket away with a waft outside off at the excellent Michael Kasprowicz, who picked up three wickets as McGrath's replacement. But Andrew Flintoff, following a thrilling knock of 68, and Kevin Pietersen, who held power in reserve before an all-out onslaught, also threatened to go big before losing their wickets.

Trescothick's timing was at its absolute best in the morning session during which he made 68* as England went in to lunch at 132-1. He was brutal against the pace of Brett Lee, who alternated between pitching too full and bowling too wide. Trescothick drove him to the cover boundary three times in one over, and took 18 from his penultimate over before lunch.

England's openers were impressive from the outset, leaving the balls outside off well alone, and putting away the bad ball. But the most reassuring aspect of the day's play was how well England's batsmen played Shane Warne.

Andrew Strauss (48) had looked mystified at Lord's by his many variations, but read him from the hand and looked to dominate, always the best approach against Warne. He used the straight drive and slog-sweep to hit him off his lengths, both shots he practised all week against the "Merlin" machine which simulates leg-spin in the nets.

Flintoff also played Warne well after a tentative start. Initially, he appeared a leaden-footed and insubstantial presence at the crease. But after one mistimed six he became more confident and dominated the great legspinner, flicking him for another leg-side six, driving him straight for six and going to a sensational fifty with a delicate cut. The bowler sportingly greeted the milestone with appreciative applause.

Flintoff is one of the few players capable of putting Kevin Pietersen in the shade and he dominated a thrilling stand of 103 during the second part of the afternoon. He also rose to the challenge of Lee's pace, and twice hooked him into the stands, not even bothering to look at the second Botham-like blow. England went in at tea on a high at 289-4 with Flintoff and Pietersen well set.

But Flintoff fell just after tea, and England were to lose their last six wickets 117, conceding a position of potential dominance. His dismissal left Pietersen, once again, to shepherd the tail and he was happy to concede the strike to Ashley Giles who made a useful 23, before going thrillingly on the attack.

Pietersen was the third England batsman to go after Lee, striking him for three fours in an over and a towering leg-side six, before holing out in the deep. Pietersen was ultimately a victim of his own adrenaline and may need to temper his approach instead of throwing his whole muscle power at the ball.

When Pietersen was out, England were 348-8, facing a moderate first-innings total, but England's tail wagged vigorously. Steve Harmison (17) hooked Lee for six and blasted Warne down the ground, Simon Jones (19*) drove Gillespie for a straight six, and even Matthew Hoggard (16) did far more than just occupy the crease, before becoming the third tailender to succumb to Warne, lbw.

The tail runs helped to make the score a good one, but their position is far from the dominant one it could have been had one of their batsmen gone on to make a big hundred.

England: MP Vaughan (capt), ME Trescothick, AJ Strauss, IR Bell, KP Pietersen, A Flintoff, GO Jones, AF Giles, MJ Hoggard, SP Jones, SJ Harmison.

Australia: RT Ponting (capt), JL Langer, ML Hayden, DR Martyn, MJ Clarke, SM Katich, AC Gilchrist, SK Warne, JN Gillespie, M Kasprowicz, B Lee.

4 Aug, 2005