Staring down the barrel of a 5-0 whitewash, England showed that they still have some fight left after a solid batting display on the opening day of the final Ashes Test at the Sydney Cricket Ground.

The tourists had reached 234 for four after 80 overs when the batsmen accepted the umpires’ invitation to leave the field for poor light, ending play for the day.

This match marks an end of an era in Australian cricket with the impending retirements of Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath and Justin Langer after the match. The trio were given the honour of leading the Australians on to the ground and a live performance of ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ was sung in their honour during the tea break.

England received a blow prior to the match with their most impressive bowler of the series, Matthew Hoggard, forced to withdraw from the team because of injury. James Anderson was named as his replacement, England resisting the temptation of giving off-spinning all-rounder Jamie Dalrymple his first cap.

As had happened in Melbourne last week, the start of play was delayed by rain. When the action did commence with Andrew Flintoff having won the toss and electing to bat, England openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook went about constructing their most constructive partnership of the series. They put on 45 before Brett Lee found the edge of Strauss’s bat. Cook went shortly after, caught behind as well off the bowling of Stuart Clark to leave England at 58 for two.

Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen then gave the tourists the ascendancy in the middle part of the day, combining in a 108-run stand for the third wicket. Bell was particularly impressive, hitting seven boundaries in his 71. It was the fourth half-century in a frustrating series for the Warwickshire batsman, who has been unable to convert any of his starts into a maiden ton against the world champs.

After bowling without luck in the first two sessions, McGrath made the double breakthrough after tea, drawing Pietersen into a false hook shot on 41 which saw him lob a catch to Mike Hussey. McGrath then bowled Bell in his next over, the batsman getting an inside edge on a late inswinger from the New South Welshman.

Flintoff then came to the crease and in an attempt to put a forgettable series with the bat behind him, took the attack to the Aussies with a quickfire 42. He had good support from Paul Collingwood in an unbeaten 67-run fifth-wicket partnership, leaving the match evenly balanced after the first day’s play.