Cricket: Trescothick exploits Australia's bowling woes

NOTTINGHAM, England - Marcus Trescothick exploited Australia's misfortunes on the first day of the fourth test at Trent Bridge, propelling England to 129 for one at lunch.

Australia's attack, deprived of injured paceman Glenn McGrath just before the toss, struggled on a docile pitch.

Trescothick reached 62 not out, having hit one six and eight fours, while Michael Vaughan was on 14 at the interval.

Andrew Strauss fell freakishly for 35, bottom-edging an attempted sweep off Shane Warne on to his toe. The ball ballooned up to slip to end a 105-run opening stand.

The five-match series stands at 1-1.

England, after a slow start, scored at almost five an over and Australia did not help themselves by sending down 18 no-balls in the session.

Trescothick played on to one of them from Brett Lee just before lunch and celebrated that reprieve by pulling the next ball to the boundary.

The world champions had gone into the game desperately seeking a revival in form after being outplayed in the second and third tests only for McGrath, the cornerstone of the attack, to bow out with a swollen right elbow after failing a last-minute fitness test.

Michael Kasprowicz was drafted in but he and Lee failed to make an impression. Kasprowicz found some seam movement to beat the bat and struggled with his run-up. His first eight overs, costing 37, included seven no-balls.

Lee was replaced by Shaun Tait after bowling five overs and the 22-year-old also struggled despite the hype around his debut.

Tait, whose action has been compared to that of former Australia strike bowler Jeff Thomson, had replaced the out-of-form Jason Gillespie.

His first over contained one delivery timed at more than 93mph and his second over leaked 11 runs as Trescothick cut him through point and then dispatched the next ball with a square drive.

England then uppped the pace, with 35 runs coming off four overs. Kasprowicz was replaced by Warne and Trescothick soon smashed him for a straight six towards the pavilion.

The left-handed opener reached his half-century off 77 balls, then celebrated by cracking Lee through the covers.

The England openers recorded their seventh century stand before Warne broke through.

Vaughan, though, dispatched the next ball to the boundary with a square cut.

McGrath, 35, passed 500 test wickets earlier in the series. He was the man of the match when Australia won the first test of the series.

- REUTERS