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ADELAIDE, Australia, Thursday (AFP) Michael Vaughan cashed in on a disputed catch ruling to score his fifth century in nine Tests and lift England's spirits on the opening day of the second cricket Test at Adelaide Oval on Thursday.

The Yorkshire right-hander stubbornly stood his ground on 19 and refused to walk as the Australians celebrated what they thought was a diving catch by Justin Langer in the covers off Andy Bichel. The verdict went to the third umpire Steve Davis, who after repeated viewings of replays, gave Vaughan the benefit of the doubt through the technology.

It was a significant turning point in the first day's play with Vaughan going on to score his first century against Australia.

Vaughan failed to bat out the full day by just three balls when he edged Andy Bichel to Shane Warne to be out for 177.

At the close, England were 295 for four with Mark Butcher to resume on Friday at 22 not out.

Vaughan batted for 371 minutes and faced 306 balls. He hit 22 fours and three sixes. There were two other occasions when the third umpire was called in to adjudicate and both times Davis ruled in England's favour.

Marcus Trescothick was rightly given not out for a caught-and-bowled appeal by Bichel and Robert Key survived a tight stumping appeal by Adam Gilchrist off Shane Warne.

Lambasted after their abysmal 384-run defeat in the first Brisbane Test and forced into three team changes through injury, England savoured a heartening day on what has been a nightmarish tour.

In contrast, Australia fumbled through the day, putting down five catches, admittedly some difficult, but for a team with a crack fielding reputation they were not beyond their capabilities.

Skipper Nasser Hussain was dropped twice in the slips by Damien Martyn and Warne before he succumbed to a catch by 'keeper Adam Gilchrist off Warne for 47.

Hussain put on 140 runs for the third wicket with Vaughan to give the tourists a solid foundation to the innings.

Before the start of play there were fears that Vaughan would not even get on to the field after wrenching his right knee in catching drills, yet he went out to open the innings with Trescothick with his wonky knee strapped.

It is the same knee that Vaughan had an arthoscopy performed on after the home series against India this year.

Vaughan did a victory jig 35 minutes before tea when he scampered through for two off Bichel to raise his sixth Test century.

It has been a sensational six months for 28-year-old Vaughan, who scored 115 against Sri Lanka at Lord's last May and then followed up with back-to-back hundreds (100 and 197) against India at Lord's and Nottingham and then 195 in the fourth Test at The Oval in September.

Vaughan had a couple of other lives. Steve Waugh almost hit the stumps with a direct throw with Vaughan (101) well out of his ground at the bowler's end and Bichel got his fingers to a tough caught and bowled opportunity when Vaughan was on 151.

England lost the wickets of Trescothick for 35 and Key for one up to tea.

Trescothick, who was fumbled by Matthew Hayden in the gully off Jason Gillespie when he was on 18, played a Glenn McGrath delivery on to his stumps. It was McGrath's 412th wicket in his 89th Test match. Key, sent in at No.3 with Butcher disconcerted by a migraine, dithered for 39 minutes before he was snapped up by Ricky Ponting close in off Warne.

The Kent youngster, who came in for his third Test when John Crawley failed a morning fitness check on a bruised right hip, was one of three injury-enforced changes.

Yorkshire off-spinner Richard Dawson replaced Ashley Giles and paceman Steve Harmison took over from Simon Jones. Giles returned home on Thursday after breaking his wrist while batting in the nets two days before the Test.

England's supporters, "the Barmy Army", roared with delight when Hussain won the toss and chose to bat first.

On a pitch expected to favour batting, Hussain did not dare to repeat his much-criticised call in the Brisbane Test and send Australia into bat.

Australia went on to comprehensively win the opening Ashes match and Hussain admitted he made an error in judgment.

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