BBC Test Match Special: A good - but not great - morning for England

The home side started the day at 150-3 after bowling England out with a superb example of seam bowling for a measly 112 on Saturday.

But England started the day well in the field with Darren Gough, Alex Tudor and Alan Mullally forcing Australia to make the shots.

Gough looked particularly dangerous - having a number of concerted appeals turned down.

Alan Mullally takes the first wicket of the day

The opening wicket, however, fell to Mullally - bowling into the 'Freemantle Doctor' - with nightwatchman Jason Gillespie falling on 11 caught behind by captain Alec Stewart.

Dark day for tourists

Saturday was undoubtedly a disastrous day for England, who lost their first wicket with only 2 runs on the board and failed to find any form at the crease.

Only Alec Stewart and Mark Ramprakash showed any obvious signs of adding runs to the board - but they were quickly subdued by Glenn McGrath and Damien Fleming.

Australia, on the other hand, dominated every sphere of play with McGrath and Fleming tearing into the England batting attack before Mark Taylor and Michael Slater made it evident to the WACA crowd the wicket was clearly a fine batting crease.

England - whose hopes of winning the Test are now surely dead - have it all do to on the second day to pluck a draw from certain defeat.

Scorecard: Lunch

England first innings: 112

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 34
J Gillespie c Stewart b Mullally 11
S Waugh not out 20

Extras: 19
Total: (for four wickets, 79 overs) 194

Fall: 1-81 2-115 3-138, 4-165
To Bat: R T Ponting, I A Healy, D W Fleming, C R Miller, G D McGrath.

Bowling: Gough 20-9-35-1; Cork 21-5-49-1; Tudor 15-4-51-0; Mullally 21-10-36-1; Ramprakash 2-0-12-1