Michael Clarke threw away the chance of a century on his first appearance at Lord's but left Australia in total command of the first Ashes Test on Friday with a majestic batting display.
The 24-year-old, already boasting centuries on his home and away Test debuts, made 91 and put on 155 with Damien Martyn for the fourth wicket as the world champions closed the second day on 279 for seven, 314 ahead.
The partnership in a low-scoring match -- Australia made 190 in their first innings to England's 155 on a pitch of variable bounce -- transformed the contest from close-run to one-sided in just over a session.
England battled back with four wickets for 24 runs near the end, but only one team has ever scored more than 300 to win a Test at Lord's, the West Indies making 344 for one in 1984. England's previous best was 282 for three to beat New Zealand last year.
Steve Harmison took two wickets for 35 off 18.2 overs, including that of Shane Warne with the last ball of the day.
While Clarke celebrated Kevin Pietersen, who had made 57 in his first Test innings during the morning, trudged off at the end wondering how he had dropped Clarke early in his innings.
The right-hander from New South Wales, as swaggering a player as Pietersen himself, refused to throttle back after getting into the 90s and eventually slashed an inside edge into his stumps off Matthew Hoggard. He faced 106 deliveries and hit 15 fours.
"I was a little bit disappointed in the way I got out. Frustration set in and I played a shot I would like to take back," said Clarke. "I would have liked another nine runs, I would have liked 100."
Next ball, Harmison cut one back to get rid of Martyn for 65. The two wickets, though, came two hours too late for England.
The Australian pair teamed up just before tea at 100 for three, and dismantled the English attack with such ruthlessness that a packed crowd was reduced to near silence.
BIG REPUTATION
Clarke had arrived in England big on reputation but short on form.
Those who saw his 151 against India in Bangalore in his maiden innings in October last year, however, let alone the 141 on his home debut one month later, left the worrying to others.
All Clarke needed on Friday was one gift, Pietersen's fumble off a routine chance at cover off Simon Jones after making 21.
"That's part of cricket," said Pietersen. "Nobody is going to go through a career without dropping a catch. I have dropped lots of catches."
With Australia on 139 for three, that was the key moment. There would be no more chances, only rasping drives either side of the wicket.
Clarke's 50 came up off 64 balls with a mid-wicket boundary off Ashley Giles's spin. Batting at five, he quickly overtook Martyn as his hitting got heavier and heavier.
Soon England captain Michael Vaughan ran out of ideas, resorting to Ian Bell's occasional medium-pace.
Clarke smashed two fours through the covers to curtail that experiment, then greeted Hoggard with a pull to square leg and a flat-batted smash through mid-on.
PIETERSEN ATTACKS
England had resumed overnight on 92 for seven and Pietersen, selected ahead of Graham Thorpe who retired from Tests on Friday, went on the attack.
McGrath, unplayable on Thursday, was hammered for 32 runs in five wicketless overs to finish with five for 53. Pietersen cross-batted a four back past him, hoisted his next ball into the middle tier of the pavilion and the next disappeared through extra cover.
There was another six off Warne but Pietersen's attempted repeat next ball ended in Martyn's hands as he dived full length on the mid-wicket boundary.
England were only 35 runs in the red as Australia padded up again and soon Pietersen ran out Justin Langer with a direct hit from cover.
England kept chipping away. Matthew Hayden made 34 before dragging a pull off Flintoff into his stumps to make it 54 for two and Ricky Ponting accumulated 42, passing 7,000 Test runs on the way, before fencing a ball from Hoggard to point.
It was 100 for three. England needed another quick break with tea approaching.
Instead, Pietersen dropped Clarke. It was his third drop of the match but by far his loudest clanger.
