First the wickets tumbled, with the tourists skittled for a dire 112.

Joe Paley reports (BBC One)

And then the catches went down, as Australia were allowed to reach 150-3 at the close - a first innings lead of 38.

England's policy of selecting seven batsmen failed to save them from disaster after they were put in on a pitch that has traditionally been a paceman's paradise.

'We were not equal to task' - Gooch

But tour manager Graham Gooch refused to blame the surface for England's capitulation:

"112 is not the score you are looking for in a five day match," he stressed. "We prepared well, we talked a lot about the pitch and what balls are dangerous and what sort of shots are dangerous.

Cork's dismissal of Taylor was one of few England highlights

"It moved around a little bit but not enough to justify 112. The Australian bowlers put the ball in the right area and unfortunately we were not equal to it.

"You have got to play according to the conditions and we have struggled to cope with the bowling. It was good and accurate, but the ball wasn't moving around all over the place.

"We've got to battle to stay in the contest - it's going to be a hard slog from here."

Aussies on the attack

The Australian attack, led by Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming, inflicted severe damage, with only Mark Ramprakash and Alec Stewart providing any hint of form at the crease, as England were dismissed for their lowest ever total at the WACA.

Fleming - preferred to Michael Kasprowicz - claimed career-best figures of five for 46 while McGrath took his Ashes wickets tally to 52 in 10 Tests by grabbing three for 37.

But Australia's utter dominance was not merely confined to their bowling figures with opening bats Taylor and Michael Slater starting well at the crease to lead Australia past the 50-mark.

But England again failed to take the chances that came their way, as three vital catches - two of them to Graeme Hick in the slips - were put down.

Jonathon Agnew reports (BBC Radio 5 Live)

England's first victim of the day was finally taken by a hard-working Darren Gough - who battled on into the renowned 'Freemantle Doctor' to dismiss Slater caught by Mark Butcher at third slip for 34.

But the damage had already been done and despite Ramprakash dismissing Justin Langer with a failed sweep for 15 and Taylor finally seen off on 61, caught by Stewart off Dominic Cork - Australia had easily overtaken England's dismal total.

Second-rate

From the outset England's batsmen looked decidedly second-rate at the crease and when Fleming prompted Butcher into edging behind for a duck in the day's fourth over it began the most spectacular of collapses.

McGrath - increasing his stranglehold on Michael Atherton - then tempted the opener into going forward before the ball seamed away to give wicketkeeper Ian Healy the second of five catches during the innings.

Nasser Hussain perished in identical fashion before Stewart, shrugging off his poor form leading into the Test, responded to the crisis by producing his most commanding performance since England's arrival in Australia.

Stewart hammered four boundaries and had progressed swiftly to 38 off 29 balls when his innings was brought to an abrupt halt when he played McGrath, who he had hit for three fours in one over, onto his stumps off an inside-edge.

Gillespie triumphs

Just to underline the depth in Australia's pace attack, Jason Gillespie then claimed two wickets in three balls to remove any doubt about the wisdom in dropping leg-spinner Stuart MacGill.

Brought into the side to replace off-spinner Robert Croft as part of England's seven batsman policy, John Crawley lasted just 17 deliveries before playing loosely at a fast, full-length delivery and edged straight to Mark Waugh at second slip.

Graeme Hick: Another dismal batting perfromance

If his stroke was regarded as rash, the same would apply to Hick, who replaced an injured Graham Thorpe for the Perth Test.

Never looking settled, the Worcestershire batsman played around a straight delivery off his second ball and edged behind to Healy.

Fleming returned after the lunch interval to capture England's last four wickets, starting with Dominic Cork who edged low to Taylor at first slip for two.

Ramprakash - who had looked the most promising of England's batsmen - came next, again caught by Taylor off a rising Fleming delivery for a brave 26.

Both Darren Gough and Alan Mullally never looked likely to last long, both falling to rash shots and leaving debutant Alex Tudor unbeaten on 18 in his maiden Test innings.

Tudor's efforts at least elicted some positive comments from Gooch on a dismal day:

"He batted well and got in behind the ball. He showed quite a bit of maturity for a young bowler, bowled at a good pace and got it around about the right spot and hopefully that will bear fruit in the future."

Scorecard - Close:

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: (lb2 w2 nb2) 6
Total (39 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

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 19
J Gillespie not out 2

Extras: 16
Total: (for three wickets, 49 overs) 150

Fall: 1-81 2-115 3-138
To Bat: S R Waugh, R T Ponting, I A Healy, D W Fleming, C R Miller, G D McGrath.