Fleming has taken four early wickets after England had torn through the home side's batting order to leave them with a nervous total of 240.

At lunch Australia had looked safe at 194-4 but Test debutante Alex Tudor then struck quickly to prompt an extraordinary spell of bowling which resulted in six wickets for 46 runs.

The 21-year-old dismissed the Waugh brothers - a superb feat in itself - before taking Ricky Ponting for 11 and Glenn McGrath for nought.

Darren Gough then followed Tudor's lead - dismissing Ian Healy for 11 and Fleming for a duck to leave Australia visible stunned.

But Fleming hit back quickly before tea to remind England the Test was far from saved.

Mark Butcher was caught by Ponting for one with only five runs on the board.

Mike Atherton becomes Fleming's fourth victim

Nasser Hussain was then given leg-before off a controversially high ball also for one and Alec Stewart was caught by captain Mark Taylor for a duck.

Mike Atherton then became Fleming's fourth victim when he edged a regulation catch to Taylor on 35.

John Crawley pushes straight to Langer on 15

It was left to Mark Ramprakash and John Crawley to pick up the pieces and although they frustrated Australia with a stand of 27, lasting just over an hour, Crawley eventually fell to Colin Miller, caught at short-leg for 15.

Scorecard:

England first innings: 112

England Second innings:

M Butcher c Ponting b Fleming 1
M Atherton not out 35
N Hussain lbw Fleming 1
A Stewart c Taylor b Fleming 0
M Ramprakash not out 23 J Crawley c Langer b Miller 15
G Hick not out 35

Extras: 6
Total: (for five wickets 43 overs) 116

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 c Butcher b Tudor 36
J Gillespie c Stewart b Mullally 11
S Waugh b Tudor 33
R Ponting c Stewart b Tudor 11
I Healy lbw b Gough 12
D Fleming c Hick b Gough 0
C Miller not out 3
G McGrath b Tudor c Cork 0

Extras: 24
Total: (all out 89.2 overs) 240

Fall: 1-81 2-115, 3-138, 4-165, 5-209, 6-214, 7-228, 8-228, 9-239.

Bowling: Gough 25-9-43-3; Cork 21-5-49-1; Tudor 20.2-5-89-4; Mullally 21-10-36-1; Ramprakash 2-0-12-1