- Scorecard

Kevin Pietersen [ Images ] and Paul Collingwood [ Images ] restored England's [ Images ] fortunes after a fraught opening session on the first day of the first Ashes Test against Australia [ Images ] on Wednesday.

England were 194 for three at tea after losing their top three batsmen before lunch.

Pietersen settled down after a skittish start, in which he twice threatened to run himself out, to reach 52 with three fours while Collingwood was on 50 with four boundaries.

Australia captain Ricky Ponting [ Images ] left inviting gaps in the field against off-spinner Nathan Hauritz [ Images ] but Pietersen resisted the temptation to go for the big shot and the pair gathered their runs with a steady stream of singles.

Nineteen overs of spin from Hauritz and Michael Clarke [ Images ] yielded 61 runs with no wicket and honours were even after two sessions.

England captain Andrew Strauss [ Images ] showed what he thought of the pitch by including both spinners Graeme Swann [ Images ] and Monty Panesar [ Images ] in the final XI and electing to bat.

After three quiet opening overs from Mitchell Johnson [ Images ], Peter Siddle [ Images ] was introduced into the attack at the Cathedral End and began immediately to extract life and lift.

Alastair Cook [ Images ] (10) was acrobatically caught at gully by Michael Hussey [ Images ] off Ben Hilfenhaus [ Images ] and Johnson returned to dismiss Strauss (30) caught off his glove by a ball which rose viciously at his throat.

Siddle greeted Ravi Bopara [ Images ] with a ball that rattled his helmet grill and a follow-up delivery which the batsman fended dangerously close to short-leg.

Bopara unfurled some sumptuous drives among a number of mis-hits to reach 35 when Johnson bowled a clever slower ball which the batsman pushed tamely to Phillip Hughes in the covers.