England fight back against Australia in Melbourne

MELBOURNE, Dec 27 (Reuters) England's seamers today picked up three crucial wickets, restricting Australia to 111 for five at lunch on the second day of the fourth Ashes test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.

The tourists captured the prized wickets of Ricky Ponting, Mike Hussey and Michael Clarke cheaply to fight their way back into the match after their own batting had collapsed on the opening day.

Ponting departed for seven, Hussey for six and Clarke for five as Australia lost three for 63 in the session after resuming on 48-2 in reply to England's first innings 159.

Opener Matthew Hayden completed his second half-century of the series to reach lunch unbeaten on 52, with all-rounder Andrew Symonds not out on four and Australia trailling by 48 runs with five wickets in hand.

England captain Andrew Flintoff made the early breakthrough when he dismissed Ponting cheaply to claim his third wicket of the innings after removing Justin Langer and nightwatchman Brett Lee in successive balls before stumps yesterday.

Australian skipper Ponting, man of the match in the first two tests, mistimed an attempted pull from outside off stump and skied a catch to Alastair Cook at mid-wicket.

RARE FAILURE Hussey experienced his first failure of the series when he missed a straight delivery from Matthew Hoggard that crashed into his stumps.

The left-handed Hussey had become the first Australian to score half-centuries in five consecutive Ashes innings after making 86, 91, 61 not out, 74 not out and 103 in his previous five innings.

Clarke also had a rare failure after making hundreds in the past two tests when he edged express paceman Steve Harmison to wicketkeeper Chris Read, who took his third catch of the innings after being called in to replace Geraint Jones.

Hayden had been given the benefit of the doubt on two very confident appeals for lbw on the first day but did not give the visitors any chances today, reaching his fifty off 101 balls in 174 minutes.

Australia won the first three matches of the five-test series to regain the Ashes they lost in England last year but are striving for their first series clean sweep since 1920-21.

Reuters SBA VP0735