Michael Vaughan was the first to go after lunch, having seen England past the 100-run mark. Trying to pull Glenn McGrath, the opener got a thick outside edge and the ball went straight through to Adam Gilchrist. McGrath had dismissed the dangerman for 34.

Alec Stewart and Robert Key then tried to salvage the innings and steer it in a more positive direction. But with McGrath operating from one end and Shane Warne from the other - squeezing the run rate dry - it was only a matter of time before Stewart and Key would become frustrated.

Stewart's patience wore out first. Trying to get the runs flowing, he got a bottom edge off a McGrath delivery. Gilchrist managed to get a glove under the ball after it kept low.

The last of the recognised batsmen, Craig White (2) and Key then needed to stick it out and make something of the total. But White, driving, was beaten with good pace and length from Brett Lee to give the paceman his 50th Test wicket in Australia.

Alex Tudor didn’t last long. After surviving a Lee barrage, he fell to Warne, pushing forward only to see the ball fly to Damien Martyn at first slip.

Key decided to take on Warne by sweeping as well as hitting the leggie over his head. It resulted in the field being changed and infused some momentum into the England innings.

It did not last too long though, as an unexpected change of bowling, the introduction of Damien Martyn, led to Key's dismissal just three runs short of his half-century, as he inside-edged a delivery back on to his stumps.

England decided to bat first on a pitch which had its usual bounce and carry but also some ominous-looking cracks that may come into effect later in the match. Which side gets to make best use of them will be determined by how many England can score in their first innings.

They haven't made the best of starts with Lee taking two wickets, and Australian captain Steve Waugh getting the third with a direct hit to run out Mark Butcher.

England began positively enough with Michael Vaughan, who was 28 not out at lunch and Marcus Trescothick (34) getting away to a sound start. They took on both Glenn McGrath and Jason Gillespie, slashing away through the slips and living dangerously.

Trescothick, showing no footwork, had a reprieve early when wicket-keeper Adam Gilchrist and first slip Shane Warne missed a chance. Both men remained still and the ball sailed calmly between the two of them for four runs. Gilchrist had his weight on his right foot and was unable to dive left and Warne remained still as it was a 'keeper's catch.

Gillespie, who bowls a little fuller to suit the WACA pitch, bowled incredibly well and continually got the outside edge but with no luck.

In the 11th over, Steve Waugh brought Lee into the attack and he achieved an immediate result. In his second over Lee caught Trescothick struggling with his footwork with the result that Trescothick got the faintest of edges to Gilchrist behind the wicket.

Mark Butcher and Vaughan continued in the same fashion and played jeopardy but a mix-up in the calls brought them undone. Vaughan called ‘yes’ then ‘no’ and Butcher, wanting the single, was caught short when Waugh roaming at cover fired the ball in accurately, hitting the base of middle stump to send Butcher back to the pavilion for nine.

Hussain was the next to go, for eight, when a Lee thunderbolt tempted Hussain to try a hook shot. However, he could only get an edge on the ball leaving Gilchrist to do the rest.

Lee was costly while conceding more than five runs an over but ended with two for 42 from his eight overs.

McGrath bowled accurately again with his 10 overs conceding only 16 runs while Gillespie had none for 32 from eight overs.

Nasser Hussain had no hesitation with his choice, going with the team’s strength in their batting on what is said to be the fastest pitch in the world.

In the third instalment of the Ashes series - Australia are looking to take a clean sweep and an unbeatable 3-0 lead, whereas England are looking to start what needs to be the first of three victories if they are indeed to take the urn back to England for the first time since 1987.

Steve Waugh is aiming to make his 32nd Test victory and equal Allan Border’s record.

Australia has opted for flat-out pace with the inclusion of Brett Lee in the XI for Andrew Bichel. The Queenslander could consider himself a little unlucky as in Brisbane and Adelaide, Bichel took key wickets and made a tidy 48 runs.

Lee in his two appearances at the WACA has taken 15 wickets and in his last two Pura Cup matches, he claimed 21 wickets.

An injury-ravaged England have six bowlers injured during this summer, including the experienced Andrew Caddick who failed a fitness test this morning on a lower back. Caddick, Darren Gough (knee), Steve Harmison (shin splints), Andrew Flintoff (Hernia), Ashley Giles (wrist) and Simon Jones (knee).

Chris Silverwood is in for Matthew Hoggard and Alex Tudor replaces Caddick. These two, along with Harmison will have to carry the responsibility of taking the required 20 wickets needed and not get carried away with the talk of what the WACA pitch can do.

England team: ME Trescothick, MP Vaughan, RWT Key, *N Hussain, MA Butcher, +AJ Stewart, C White, RKJ Dawson, CEW Silverwood, AJ Tudor, SJ Harmison.

Australia team: JL Langer, ML Hayden, RT Ponting, DR Martyn, *SR Waugh, DS Lehmann, +AC Gilchrist, SK Warne, B Lee, JN Gillespie, GD McGrath.