Cricket: Strauss Goes for a Second-ball Duck After England's Bowlers Impress

An early dismissal for Andrew Strauss soured an otherwise solid performance for England on day one of their final Ashes warm-up match at the Adelaide Oval. The tourists finished on 24 for one after restricting South Australia to 247 for seven declared.

Fast bowler Shaun Tait vindicated his side's decision to declare and bolstered his claim to a starting place for Australia by trapping Strauss lbw with his second legitimate delivery, just moments after his first ball had gone for four wides. Alastair Cook (six not out) and nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard, unbeaten on 10, survived the next five overs until stumps.

South Australia captain Darren Lehmann's declaration, after one delivery had been bowled with the second new ball, backed his stated intention to try to force a result, and it also means England can expect to have the second innings they need to help prepare for the first Test.

Lehmann and Cameron Borgas shared a defiant fifth-wicket partnership of 157 to help revive the hosts from an embarrassing 25 for four. That was largely thanks to a blistering spell by Hoggard, who at one stage had figures of three for nought from 12 balls.

Former Yorkshire batsman Lehmann controlled much of SA's first innings with an effortless 143-ball 99 and Borgas supported his captain diligently on his way to 73 off 169 balls after England had grabbed four wickets in 19 balls in the first 13 overs.

South Australia were 182 for five when Lehmann was run out in the second over after tea and 226 for seven when Borgas holed out to deep mid-wicket off Panesar 10 overs later.

Hoggard ended up with three for 40 off his 13 overs in an England attack that was tidy enough, while the probing Panesar also commanded respect in conceding only 54 runs off 22 overs.

Panesar repaid the faith shown in him when he was selected for the match ahead of Ashley Giles in what may be a sign of what to expect for the first Test, while Sajid Mahmood was included instead of Steve Harmison, who was said to have felt tightness in his side when he woke in the morning.

James Anderson and Hoggard dismissed openers Matthew Elliott (11) and Daniel Harris (10) with successive balls in the 10th and 11th overs, and Hoggard removed Mark Cosgrove (one) and Callum Ferguson (0) with successive balls in the 13th over.

Elliott nicked a pull to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones, Harris edged a defensive push to Collingwood at third slip, Cosgrove fended at a short ball and was caught on the leg-side by Jones, and Ferguson was lbw.

Strauss then dropped a low catch at first slip off Mahmood when Borgas was on eight at 52 for four and Paul Collingwood just failed to get to a very sharp bat-pad half-chance at slip off Panesar when Lehmann was 77 at 147 for four.

The 36-year-old Lehmann responded to the early wickets with 10 boundaries, including two superb square drives off successive balls from Andrew Flintoff, who still had to be satisfied with his lively 12 overs for 34 and the wicket of Shane Deitz (24), who feathered a drive to Jones.