They had them in the palm of their hand and then let go again. A bungled run-out attempt and a brace of dropped catches in the evening gloom off Darren Gough - armed with the second new ball and almost bursting with the effort - cost England a position of real strength on the opening day of the first Test.

Australia, at various stages 106 for four and 178 for five, finished the day in relative comfort. With Mark Taylor having won the first toss of the series and deciding to bat, England would perhaps, in the belting batting conditions, have settled for restricting Australia to 246 for five. Bearing in mind that the hosts have not scored fewer than 373 in the first innings of a Brisbane Test in the past five years, it was, on the face of it, even-steven.

But this was a day that was turned on its head after a tremendous display of vigorous and disciplined seam bowling.

At the centre of the Australian recovery, almost inevitably, was the world's most resilient batsman, Steve Waugh, who swaggered to the crease at the fall of the third wicket midway through the afternoon session and was still there at the close with 69, scored in 45 overs. Waugh was involved in partnerships of 72 for the fifth wicket with Ricky Ponting and then another of 68, this time unbeaten for the sixth with another old campaigner, Ian Healy, who made 46 of them in typically aggressive, uninhibited fashion.

Both players had lives. When he was 29, Waugh should have been run out after Ponting played a ball from Angus Fraser to long leg. Waugh trotted a safe single, only to find his partner had embarked on a second. By the time Gough's throw had reached Stewart, Waugh was scrambling to regain his ground at the bowler's end. Stewart's throw would have been a direct hit - with Waugh maybe two feet short of safety - had not Alan Mullally, standing behind the stumps, managed to get his hand between ball and bails. The ball bounced clear, and although the wicket had been broken the third umpire Peter Parker, after considerable deliberation, correctly ruled in Waugh's favour.

As the day was drawing to a close, Gough was mortified to see both batsmen escape in successive overs: Healy first, on 36, when an attempted leg-side hoik (no playing for the close here) almost went up his nostrils but instead spiralled to third man where Fraser, moving in but not far enough, fell to his knees and spilled the chance; and then, minutes later, in what proved to be the final over of the day, Waugh edged a chance low to Nasser Hussain's right at second slip. The fielder almost clung on to a rebound, but that chance too went begging.

England had decided to follow what they view as a positive path by omitting the seventh batsman, John Crawley, and playing Robert Croft's off-spin instead. Croft bowled tidily enough yesterday in his 10 overs, conceding just 18 runs without really threatening.

The day started steadily for Australia, with Taylor in his 100th Test and Michael Slater adding 30 for the first wicket before Slater, mindful that Mullally had just swung one back into him and therefore more compelled to play outside off stump when he might have left well alone, drove and edged high to Mark Butcher at third slip.

Immediately after lunch Justin Langer was given out, perhaps unluckily, lbw to Gough, whose efforts at the start deserved a wicket and gained none.

The captain's judgment of line and length were impeccable (Cork could scarcely believe his eyes when a respectable delivery was allowed to pass inches over the top of off stump, while Taylor knowingly cudded his chewing gum), until Mullally and Cork struck a double blow within the space of three balls.

Waugh was first to go, driving in airy fashion at Mullally and getting an inside edge which the rolling Stewart gathered inches above the ground. Cork then bent his back, gained surprising bounce and movement away from the lefthander and the edge flew at comfortable height to Hussain at slip.

Ponting and Steve Waugh repaired some of the damage with their partnership, taking Australia well into the final session (and beyond a ridiculous break for light that would have required anti-dazzle panels in Manchester) before a new spell from Cork saw Ponting stand up on his toes to drive on the top of the bounce, only for Butcher at shortish extra cover to take an exceptional catch low down.