Paul Collingwood was poised for a century and Pietersen hoisted a lusty six over long-on off Warne in a hustling century stand for the tourists, fighting back after their punishing 277-run defeat in the first Test at the Gabba.

England were 266 for three at stumps. Collingwood followed on from his 96 in Brisbane to be unbeaten on 98 and Pietersen was on 60, after captain Andrew Flintoff won the toss.

The pair rattled an unbroken 108 runs for the fourth wicket in just 115 minutes.

Amid cautious field placements and curious bowling preferences by skipper Ricky Ponting, England wriggled out of Australia's grip in the final session with Stuart Clark under-bowled despite taking two wickets in the morning.

Pietersen's one-on-one contests with his Hampshire county teammate have been much-anticipated highlights of the series and he did not disappoint after their contretemps in Brisbane last week.

It was Pietersen's arrival at the wicket after the loss of Ian Bell for 60 that quickened England's scoring rate after it had dawdled along at 2.4 runs an over amid tight Australian bowling.

"Whatever we did, whether it was bowling or batting, we had to do it well from ball one and we've pretty much done that with the bat on Friday," Bell said.

"It's important for us to get as many as we can and grind away and keep Australia out there as long as possible."

Pietersen wasted little time raising his half-century off 69 balls while Collingwood played more the anchor role to help restore the England innings after the loss of both openers before lunch.

During Pietersen's counter-attacking second innings of 92 in the first Test, Warne hurled the ball at his head, forcing the England No.5 to knock it away with his bat and yell at Warne.

Collingwood, who sacrificed a century in Brisbane when he charged Warne and was stumped, had occupied the crease for 277 minutes by the close in another influential innings for his country.

Warne finished the day with 0-85 off 27 overs.

Collingwood and Bell played strait-jacket cricket to put on 113 runs for the third wicket before Bell went to hook a short ball, only to sky a catch to bowler Brett Lee 13 minutes after tea.

Bell, who hit 50 in the first innings in Brisbane and wrestled with Warne's tricks early, batted for just over three hours with six boundaries.

Medium-pacer Clark followed up his seven wickets in Brisbane with the scalps of Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook inside his first six overs in the morning session.

Strauss continued his poor series after Gabba scores of 12 and 11 when he miscued a leading edge to a diving Damien Martyn at mid-on and then had Cook caught behind by Adam Gilchrist.

But Clark only bowled two overs after tea and finished with 2-25 off 15 overs.

"It's always disappointing when you don't bowl overs, you can't get them out standing at fine leg and it's very boring out there sometimes," Clark said.

"Ricky went down a different path, he had a few ideas in mind and I'm sure I'll get my turn tomorrow."

Australian pace spearhead Glenn McGrath was passed fit to play after concern over a heel injury, while left-arm spinner Monty Panesar was left out of an unchanged England eleven.

McGrath had to convince his skipper Ponting that he would be able to complete a five-day match after needing painkillers to see out Australia's win at the Gabba. He bowled 18 overs for 0-51.

"Glenn did his fitness test in the morning and said he was 100 percent, never felt better, so you can only take his word and go with it," Clark said.

England decided against playing attacking finger-spinner Panesar, despite coach Duncan Fletcher's comments this week that he was strongly considering using both spinners on an Adelaide pitch expected to take turn.

The Adelaide Oval is traditionally a high-scoring ground. The Australians amassed 500-plus in three of their last four Tests here while four batsmen scored double-centuries -- West Indies' Brian Lara (226) last year, Justin Langer (215) against New Zealand in 2004 and Ponting (242) and Indian Rahul Dravid (233) in the 2003 Test loss to India.