Harmison routs Australia

LONDON, Thursday (Reuters) - England strike bowler Steve Harmison took five wickets as world champions Australia crashed to 190 all out on the first afternoon of the opening Ashes test.

Harmison, who cut Ricky Ponting's cheek open, took five for 43 in 11.2 overs, including four wickets for seven runs in a 14-ball burst as he cleaned up the tail at a packed Lord's. England, in reply, reached tea on 10 without loss.

Simon Jones took a wicket with his first ball of the day to end with two for 48.

All rounder Andrew Flintoff captured the key wickets of Justin Langer, who top-scored with 40, and Adam Gilchrist for 26.

Ponting opted to bat at Lord's on a perfect surface but in cloudy conditions and his side had slumped to 97 for five by lunch. Simon Katich and Shane Warne put on 49 off 47 balls for the seventh wicket to take the score to 175 before the final four wickets fell for just 15 runs.

Harmison began aggressively, halting the game with the second ball of the day after hitting Langer on the arm, then struck Australia's captain on his helmet grille, drawing blood. He also hit Matthew Hayden on the helmet.

Matthew Hoggard made the first breakthrough, finding his line at last to bowl Hayden through the gate for 12 with the score on 35.

Ponting, dropped on nought at gully by Kevin Pietersen off Hoggard, was then squared up by Harmison and edged to Andrew Strauss at third slip for nine as three wickets fell in 15 balls to make it 66 for four.

AUSTRALIA 1ST INNINGS 

J. Langer c Harmison b Flintoff 	40 
M. Hayden b Hoggard 			12 
R. Ponting c Strauss b Harmison 	9 
D. Martyn c G Jones b S Jones 		2 
M. Clarke lbw b S Jones 		11 
S. Katich c G Jones b Harmison 		27 
A. Gilchrist c G Jones b Flintoff 	26 
S. Warne b Harmison 			28 
B. Lee c G Jones b Harmison 		3 
J. Gillespie lbw b Harmison 		1 
G. McGrath not out 			10 
Extras (b5, lb4, w1, nb11) 		21 

TOTAL (all out, 40.2 overs, 209 mins) 	190 

FALL OF WICKETS: 1-35, 2-55, 3-66, 4-66, 5-87, 
6-126, 7-175, 8-178, 9-178. 

BOWLING: Harmison 11.2-0-43-5; Hoggard 8-0-40-1 (2nb); 
Flintoff 11-2-50-2 (9nb); S Jones 10-0-48-2 (1w).

ENGLAND 1ST INNINGS 

M. Trescothick not out 			4 
A. Strauss not out 			2 
Extras (lb4) 				4 

TOTAL (0 wkts, 6 overs, 23 mins) 	10 

TO BAT: M Vaughan, I Bell, K Pietersen, A Flintoff, 
G Jones, A Giles, S Jones, M Hoggard, S Harmison 
BOWLING: McGrath 3-1-5-0; Lee 3-2-1-0; 

Toss: Australia 
Umpires: Rudi Koertzen (RSA), Aleem Dar (PAK) 
TV umpire: Mark Benson (ENG) 
Match referee: Ranjan Madugalle (SRI)