LEEDS, July 24: The good thing about coming to Leeds for a Test is you know you haven't gone to the wrong venue. If there isn't a pitch controversy it isn't a Test at Headingley.Because of the rain there wasn't so much a pitched battle at Headingley, more like a war of words. First it was the Australian camp making their feelings known on the pitch wrangle and shortly afterwards we heard the English version.However, the pitch wasn't Australia's only worry with England sailing along. England had produced their best first innings opening partnership and the boundaries were flowing in a similar manner to the tiny streams that had built up around the Headingley outfield during the afternoon storm.The new ball had been mostly wasted under favourable conditions and Mark Taylor had been forced to switch Paul Reiffel to the Football Stand end, when the lucky break came. A full blooded shot from Mark Butcher finished up wedged in between Greg Blewett's arm and body. It had been a more assured Butcher at Headingley than in any of his previous innings.A team that has inserted the opposition, then lost most of the day to rain, needs a lucky break. When it came, Australia made the most of it with. Jason Gillespie hassled Alec Stewart until he popped a much simpler offering to Blewett. It is those sort of soft catches that make the suicide position palatable in between taking full blooded shots to the helmet.Nasser Hussain then quickly reminded Blewett of the dangers of his position when he crakced a firm on-drive into the visor and this was the precursor to a series of confident shots.One of the reasons why this is a hard Australian team to beat is the strong will of their bowlers. So often they'll claim a wicket when the flow of the game is going against them and they did it twice on the first day at Headingley. First it was Butcher and then it was Hussain who fell after a flurry of runs. He did so following some exemplary bowling by Glenn McGrath, who got him with another away swinger in the next over to give Australia the advantage on a shortened day.#SCOREBOARDENGLAND (1st innings): M Butcher c Blewett b Reiffel 24, M Atherton not out 34, A Stewart c Blewett b Gillespie 7, N Hussain c Taylor b McGrath 26, D Headley not out 0, Extras: (b-4 lb-1 w-1 nb-9) 15; Total: (for three wickets) 106Fall of wickets: 1-43, 2-58, 3-103Bowling: McGrath 13-1-43-1, Reiffel 13-2-25-1, Gillespie 6-0-14-1, Blewett 3-0-17-0, Warne 1-0-2-0
