Brisbane, November 26:

Shane Warne took four wickets and had a running duel with Kevin Pietersen on Sunday, keeping Australia on course for a big win over England in the Ashes series opener.

At stumps on the penultimate day, England was 295 for five in its second innings with Pietersen unbeaten on 92 and trying to lead a face-saving rearguard revival. Still 354 behind, the Ashes holders needed to bat through three sessions on Monday to save the first Test.

Justin Langer reached his 23rd Test hundred before Australia declared at 202-1 in the morning session. Australia batted for 23 minutes before declaring with a 647-run lead.

Warne removed Ian Bell (0) and Alastair Cook (43) in the first two sessions and then — when England’s middle-order was staging a recovery — he struck two serious blows. He enticed Paul Collingwood down the pitch and had him stumped for 96, ending a 153-run fourth-wicket partnership with Pietersen.

Four overs later, Warne had England captain Andrew Flintoff (16) caught at long-on by Justin Langer to claim his 300th Test wicket on Australian soil and put a savage dent in England’s resistance.

His 4-108 from 31 overs improved his world record career haul to 689 Test wickets. Warne’s battle with Hampshire teammate Pietersen lasted several hours. Criticised in the domestic media for being too friendly with some English players, a frayed-looking Warne threw a ball at the striker’s end after fielding his own bowling and it almost hit Pietersen.

The South African-born Pietersen knocked the ball away with his bat and responded with some verbal abuse and several boundaries. After losing Strauss (11) and Bell, England faced a quick defeat.

SCOREBOARD

AUSTRALIA — 1st Innings: 602-9 (decl)

ENGLAND — 1st Innings: 157

AUSTRALIA — 2nd Inngs: (overnight 181-1)

J Langer not out 100

R Ponting not out 60

Extras: 5 (lb4, nb1)

Total: 202/1 (declared)

FoW: 1-68

England bowling: Hoggard 11-2-43-0, Anderson 9-1-54-0, Flintoff 5-2-11-0, Harmison 12.1-1-54-0, Giles 5-0-22-0, Pietersen 3-0-14-0

ENGLAND — 2nd Innings

A Strauss c Broad b Clark 11

A Cook c Hussey b Warne 43

I Bell lbw b Warne 0

P Collingwood st Gilchrist b Warne 96

K Pietersen not out 92

A Flintoff c Langer b Warne 16

G Jones not out 12

Extras: 23 (b8, lb5, nb9, w1)

Total: 293/5

FoW: 1-29, 2-36, 3-91, 4-244, 5-271

Australia bowling: Lee 17-0-81-0,

McGrath 12-2-30-0, Clarke 19-5-56-1, Warne 31-7-108-4, Hussey 1-0-5-0