Michael Slater: Caught by Mark Butcher on 34

A superb spell of pace bowling earlier demolished England's batting attack with Australia dismissing the tourists for their lowest ever total at the WACA.

Both Mark Taylor and Michael Slater frustrated England after tea - moving their score to a healthy 81 before Slater was caught by Mark Butcher at third slip off Darren Gough for 34.

But the damage had already been done.

England had struggled to find any form at the crease early in the day and by the time Damien Fleming dismissed Alan Mullally and Darren Gough to bring the England innings to a premature end the tourists had managed just 112 runs in 39 overs.

It was England's lowest ever total in a Test at the WACA, narrowly eclipsing their 123 in the 329-run fifth Test defeat in Perth three years ago.

McGrath leads the way

Glenn McGrath once again made a major contribution by claiming three for 26 from his opening 11 overs, while Fleming grabbed career best figures of five for 46 to finish off England's miserable performance.

England's batting attack collapses spectacularly

Fleming made the breakthrough for Australia by tempting Butcher into edging behind to Ian Healy for a duck in the fourth over of the morning.

But McGrath quickly heightened England's crisis by sending Atherton back to the pavilion when he edged behind and Nasser Hussain fell in identical circumstances just four overs later to leave England on 19 for three.

Alec Stewart: Bowled on 38 by McGrath

Captain Alec Stewart, shrugging off his poor previous form having made five single figure scores in the last six innings, responded to the crisis by playing his most authoritative performance of the series so far.

It was a brief success, however, as McGrath ended his hour-long stay at the crease when he seamed a full-length delivery back off the seam to shatter Stewart's stumps via an inside edge after the England captain had progressed to 38 off 29 balls.

But if England believed the only threat came from McGrath, Jason Gillespie soon addressed the misconception by grabbing two wickets in three balls after replacing Fleming from the Hay Street End.

Lancashire's John Crawley arrived at the crease after Stewart's dismissal but looked anything but convincing in his 17-ball innings and was fortunate to escape being dropped on two in the gully by Steve Waugh off Colin Miller.

In the very next over, Crawley's luck ran out when he attempted to drive Gillespie but the shot was too far away from his body for him to control the stroke and he instead edged to Mark Waugh at second slip.

Hick, who has been restricted to a handful of net practices since being flown out as cover for Atherton's back injury a fortnight ago, lasted just two deliveries before Gillespie struck again by having the Worcestershire batsman caught behind.

Having struggled to reach 76 for six at lunch, the tail-enders for once provided a little resistance after Dominic Cork and Mark Ramprakash, who battled for 97 minutes for his determined 26, before being blown away in successive overs after the interval.

Debutant Tudor, though, showed some fighting spirit and resisted several short-pitched deliveries by McGrath - progressing to an unbeaten 18 before Darren Gough and Alan Mullally brought the innings to miserable end with two rash strokes.

Scorecard:

Australia: First innings

M Taylor c Stewart b Cork 61
M Slater c Butcher b Gough 34
J Langer c Crawley b Ramp'kash 15
M Waugh not out 13
J Gillespie not out 0

Extras: 15
Total: (for three wickets, 44 overs) 138

England: First innings

M Butcher c Healy b Fleming 0
M Atherton c Healy b McGrath 1
N Hussain c Healy b McGrath 6
A Stewart b McGrath 38
M Ramprakash c Taylor b Fleming 26
J Crawley not out 4
G A Hick c Healy b Gillespie 0
D G Cork c Taylor b Fleming 2
A Tudor not out 18
D Gough c M Waugh b Fleming 11
A Mullally c Healy b Fleming 0

Extras: 6
Total: (all out, 38.5 overs) 112

Fall: 1-2 2-4 3-19 4-62 5-74 6-74 7-81 8-90 9-108

Bowling: McGrath 16-4-37-3; Fleming 14-3-46-5; Gillespie 7-0-23-2; Miller 2-0-4-0