Tough toss to win, says England's Strauss

MELBOURNE, Dec 26 (Reuters) Opener Andrew Strauss said England would have been happy to have lost the toss on the first morning of the fourth Ashes test in Melbourne today after Australia's bowlers seized the initiative.

England skipper Andrew Flintoff called correctly on an overcast, blustery morning at the Melbourne Cricket Ground but his batsmen failed to capitalise, falling to the wizardry of Shane Warne as they were skittled for just 159.

The 29-year-old Strauss compiled his first half century of a disappointing series as England reached a solid 101 for two before losing their last eight wickets for 58 runs.

''It was one of those tosses where you felt the right thing to do was to bat, but if we had lost the toss it would not have felt too bad,'' Strauss told reporters.

''The pitch did more than we expected but we felt it would not change much after the first few days. We got to 100-odd for two and 250 would have been pretty good.

''We lost wickets at crucial times and we are some way short of where we wanted to be.'' Strauss insisted all was not lost though and the late capture of Justin Langer and Brett Lee's wickets, reducing Australia to 48-2 at stumps, gave England hope of a resurgent effort tomorrow.

''We got a couple of wickets at the end there and if we can get two or three tomorrow morning then we're back in the game.'' Strauss, however, was unfazed by his own role in a piece of history set when he became Warne's 700th victim in test cricket.

The Middlesex opener had grafted hard for his eighth test fifty when Warne ripped a leg break between bat and pad, bowling the England man to send the home crowd into raptures.

Warne went on to complete figures of 5-39, his 37th five-wicket haul in tests, as he again demonstrated his mental stranglehold over England's batting order.

''Obviously it's a great achievement for him and will live long in people's memories but probably not in mine.

''It was an amazing roar and a great moment for a great bowler but from my point of view it was not much of a consolation for me.

''''699 guys have felt pretty bad getting out to Shane Warne and I am no different today.'' REUTERS AY DS1455