Australia take total command

England had no answer to Hayden's power

First Test, Brisbane, day one:
Australia 364-2 v England

Full scorecard

England's Ashes campaign began in disastrous fashion as Matthew Hayden and Ricky Ponting seized the initiative for Australia with centuries on the opening day.

Nasser Hussain's decision to put the home side in proved one of the most questionable of his captaincy career, and England's troubles were compounded by a tour-ending injury suffered by Simon Jones.

Pictures from day one

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Hayden capitalised on some woeful fielding by the tourists to bat through the day for 186 not out and underline his status as the game's top ranked Test batsman.

He was dropped three times, however, and Ponting's 123 was the more assured innings, including 12 fours and two successive sixes off Ashley Giles.

Delight turned to despair for Jones

They shared a second wicket stand of 272 before Ponting became Ashley Giles' 50th Test victim, the ball bouncing down into his stumps via his thigh pad.

Jones achieved England's sole success earlier in the day when he had Justin Langer caught behind for 32 in a promising seven-over spell which brought him figures of one for 32.

He was also unlucky when he caught Hayden, then 40, on the long leg boundary, only to throw the ball away as he toppled over the boundary rope.

The act of making the catch shall start from the time when a fielder first handles the ball and shall end when a fielder obtains complete control both over the ball and over his own movement

Law 32 (3)

Hayden was given not out with the umpires ruling that Jones had not been in total control of the ball and the left-hander made the most of his good fortune to register his 10th Test hundred.

It came up off 129 balls but he was then dropped by Matthew Hoggard, Michael Vaughan and substitute Robert Key in turn, the latter on the field after Jones suffered a serious knee injury.

Australia scored at five an over in the morning and although England managed to slow the rate slightly as the day progressed, there were few positives to lift them at the close of play.

Injured Jones out of Ashes

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England: Nasser Hussain (capt), Marcus Trescothick, Michael Vaughan, Mark Butcher, John Crawley, Alec Stewart (wkt), Craig White, Simon Jones, Ashley Giles, Andy Caddick, Matthew Hoggard.

Australia: Steve Waugh (capt), Matthew Hayden, Justin Langer, Ricky Ponting, Damien Martyn, Darren Lehmann, Adam Gilchrist, Jason Gillespie, Shane Warne, Andrew Bichel, Glenn McGrath.