Australia 48-2 at stumps in Melbourne Test

MELBOURNE: Australia was 48 for two in reply to England's first innings total of 159 at stumps on the opening day of the fourth Ashes test on Tuesday.

Matthew Hayden was unbeaten on 17 with captain Ricky Ponting yet to score after Andrew Flintoff dismissed Justin Langer for 27 and night watchman Brett Lee for a duck in successive deliveries.

Shane Warne had earlier captured five wickets for 39 runs, including his 700th test victim, as England collapsed to be all out in less than 75 overs after tea in front of a near-record crowd of 89,155 at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

Warne reached the 700-wicket milestone when he clean bowled England opener Andrew Strauss for 50 after lunch then added the scalps of Kevin Pietersen, Chris Read, Steve Harmison and Monty Panesar to complete his 37th five-wicket haul in tests.

Australia won the first three matches of the five-test series to regain the Ashes they lost in England last year.