Barry Millns: "Lucky escape for the tourists"

Alec Stewart's side were struggling on 179 for six in Brisbane when the umpires decided to take an early tea with lightning flashing around the ground and bad light closing in.

The downpour began within minutes, flooding the playing area with inches of water and the match was eventually abandoned as a draw.

Henry Blofeld: "The weather is simply staggering" (Test Match Special)

Australian skipper Mark Taylor afterwards called for floodlights to be introduced in Test cricket to prevent bad light interfering with play.

"I'd like to have played with lights because I think that would have given us up to tea, although we would have been troubled to go beyond that," said Taylor.

"People want to see results, and if lights can provide us with the time to finish a game then they should be used."

McGrath draws first blood

The hook shot proved Atherton's downfall

England began the day on 26 without loss, chasing 348 for victory, but were soon on the back foot as Glenn McGrath removed regular victim Michael Atherton again.

Fast bowler McGrath struck in the 10th over of the day - the 11th time he has claimed Atherton's wicket in the last eight Tests they have played against each other.

McGrath claimed a psychological advantage over his rival last summer, but few of the previous dismissals could have been obtained so easily as the former England captain hooked the ball straight to Damien Fleming at deep fine leg.

Mark Butcher is trapped lbw

Mark Butcher and Nasser Hussain settled down after nervy starts, but the introduction of leg-spinner Stuart MacGill at the Stanley Street end soon brought rewards for Australia.

Hussain was beaten numerous times by extravagant turn and Butcher, dropped on 18 by Mark Taylor at slip, padded up unconvincingly and was given leg before for 40.

Captain Alec Stewart lasted just three overs more before occasional off-spinner Waugh, who had been launched for sixes in successive overs by Hussain, had him caught by Ponting at silly mid-off.

Spinners spark collapse

Alec Stewart: Another failure

The tourists then lost Mark Ramprakash, Graham Thorpe and Hussain in a nightmare 15 minutes after lunch.

Ramprakash was left stranded down the wicket when he tried to attack MacGill and the ball spun sharply, giving Ian Healy a comfortable stumping chance.

Nasser Hussain: MacGill's googly catches him offguard

Thorpe turned a ball to Justin Langer at short-leg to give Waugh his second wicket of the day and Hussain - who had batted well to reach 47 - was bowled after failing to pick MacGill's googly, with the ball diverting onto the stumps from his glove as he tried to square cut.

Mark Taylor: Frustrated

The weather intervened on England's behalf but skipper Stewart insisted he was hopeful they could have saved the game without help from the elements.

"I would like to think Robert Croft and Dominic Cork and the batsmen who were still to come in could have saved the game in the proper fashion," he said.

Alec Stewart gives his reaction (Radio 5 Live)

"I thought we had about one and a half days of good cricket but the rest they had the better of - we had some good sessions and some poor sessions. I thought a lot of positives came out of it but there is obviously room for improvement in certain areas."

Scorecard:

Australia: 485 & 237; England first innings: 375

England second innings:

M A Butcher lbw MacGill 40
M A Atherton c Fleming b McGrath 28
N Hussain b MacGill 47
A Stewart c Ponting b M Waugh 3
G Thorpe c Langer b M Waugh 9
M Ramprakash not out 14
D Cork not out 21
R Croft not out 4

Extras 12

Total (for six wickets, 68 overs) 179

Fall: 1-46 2-96 3-103 4-133 5-148 6-161

Did Not Bat: D Gough, A R C Fraser, A D Mullally.

Bowling: McGrath 16-6-30-1; Kasprowicz 8-3-28-0; Fleming 7-2-12-0; MacGill 22-4-51-3; M E Waugh 14-0-55-2; Ponting 1-1-0-0