Flintoff, three for 23 from eight overs, and Harmison, three for 27 from 10, ensured wthe world champions struggled although the worth of their total would only become truly apparent when England batted on a lively pitch.

Michael Hussey top-scored with 62 not out and was the only batsman to get more than 29 after England captain Michael Vaughan won the toss.

Inserted in overcast seam bowler friendly conditions, left-handed openers Adam Gilchrist and Matthew Hayden raced to a fifty partnership in 39 balls.

But Hayden, on 17, mistimed a drive off Darren Gough, the ball looping gently to Ashley Giles at mid-off.

Flintoff then got England right back in the game when Gilchrist skied a pull and was caught at mid-wicket by Kevin Pietersen to leave Australia 54 for two.

Gilchrist's 27 came off 37 balls with five fours, but Australia, in captain Ricky Ponting and Damien Martyn, now had two new batsmen at the crease.

Ponting pulled Gough for six but did not look comfortable and off Harmison's first ball was acrobatically caught down the leg-side by Geraint Jones for seven, the first of five catches for the keeper, after a glance off the full face of the bat.

Both Damien Martyn and Andrew Symonds struggled in the face of some accurate bowling and eventually Harmison had Martyn caught behind for 11.

Australia were utterly bogged down, going 28 balls without a run and also losing Michael Clarke lbw to Simon Jones for two during that sequence.

Meanwhile Harmison's opening spell yielded such impressive figures (7-2-12-2) it was a slight surprise Vaughan did not bowl him straight through with only the tail to come.

Symonds and Hussey repaired some of the early damage with a stand of 54 in 89 balls although England remained on top.

And the hosts were rewarded when Symonds eventually lost patience.

After an unusually subdued 71-ball 29 he backed away outside leg-stump and slammed medium-pacer Paul Collingwood to Andrew Strauss at short extra-cover, Australia 147 for six in the 39th over.

Harmison, in his second spell, then reduced Australia to 169 for seven when all Brad Hogg (16) could do against a rising delivery, was glove it to Jones.

Flintoff then took two wickets in two balls at the end of the 46th over, both caught behind by Jones, Brett Lee (three) and Jason Gillespie.

Hussey though kept going, his fifty up in 73 balls with five fours, before last man Glenn McGrath was caught by Collingwood at point off Gough for nought with seven balls of the innings remaining.

Both sides had previously beaten each other once in the tournament, England winning by three wickets at Bristol on June 19 and Australia by 57 runs at Chester-le-Street four days later with Tuesday's game at Edgbaston a no-result wash-out.