Matthew Hayden believes anything is possible tomorrow after he rode his luck for a century at Brisbane on the opening day of the Ashes series. Hayden, 31, was unbeaten with 186 at the end of the first day, as Australia hammered the England attack to reach 364 for 2. Hayden put on 272 for the second wicket with Ricky Ponting, who made 123. Hayden clubbed 23 fours and two sixes after Australia were sent in, but he also rode his luck after reaching his first hundred in an Ashes Test. He was dropped three times, and two of the chances (when he was on 102 and 138) were sitters.

Hayden crossed himself after the second let-off, when Michael Vaughan fumbled a simple chance at deep extra cover. "I was pretty lucky to be still there," Hayden said. "I went through a pretty rough patch there for half-an-hour [after reaching 100]. I don't think I actually had enough to eat with the excitement. I think I was struggling in that period."

Hayden has now scored ten Test centuries - nine of them in the last 21 months since his return to the Australian team. He now has a strong chance of eclipsing his highest Test score of 203, made in India last year. "Provided I come in tomorrow feeling the same," said Hayden, "I don't know what's possible."

Duncan Fletcher, the England coach, explained the seemingly baffling decision to field first. "We thought it looked a little green, and we just thought it would offer the bowlers something. That's what we wanted with our young bowling attack, and we thought it was the one innings where they would get something out of it."

That didn't happen, and England's out-cricket didn't help: "We just didn't field well, which was strange," said Fletcher. "I think we have fielded very well on this tour up to the second day against Queensland, when we dropped a few catches. Then suddenly today we came along and dropped some more vital catches, and you just can't do that out here."

© Wisden CricInfo Ltd