Australia 249 for 1 (Katich 104*, Ponting 100*) trail England 435 (Pietersen 69, Collingwood 64, Prior 56, Johnson 3-87, Hauritz 3-95) by 186 runs
Scorecard and ball-by-ball details

Australia's bowling has lost its aura in recent times, but the batting order remains a powerful line-up led by one of the greatest to play the game. Ricky Ponting continued his prolific Ashes record with his 38th Test century, passing 11,000 runs in the process, while Simon Katich continued his rebirth as an opening batsman with his first ton against England. They led Australia to an impressive 246 for 1 in reply to the home side's 435 on the second day in Cardiff.

More to follow ...

Australia 142 for 1 (Katich 53*, Ponting 44*) trail England 435 (Pietersen 69, Collingwood 64, Prior 56, Swann 47*, Johnson 3-87, Hauritz 3-95) by 293 runs

Graeme Swann clips over the leg side during his aggressive innings, England v Australia, 1st Test, Cardiff, 2nd day, July 9, 2009
Graeme Swann took England past 400 during his 47 off 40 balls © PA Photos
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Andrew Flintoff ignited another Ashes series with a hostile burst to remove Phillip Hughes before Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting, who passed 11000 Test runs, guided Australia to 142 for 1 at tea on the second day in Cardiff. England's lower order, led by the free-flowing Graeme Swann, had dominated the morning to lift the hosts to an impressive 435, but Australia have designs of going beyond that.

The aggressive approach of England's tail knocked the stuffing out of Australia as 99 runs came in 16.5 overs during a momentum-seizing period of play. However, in a match that has already been characterised by numerous shifts in power, Katich and Ponting managed to ride out a fiery period after Hughes had been rattled by Flintoff's terrific opening burst.

When Australia finally ended England's merry stroke play they had half-an-hour to bat before lunch and Hughes was immediately into his stride with a succession of handsome off-side boundaries. There was a plan to target him with the short ball, but both James Anderson and Stuart Broad offered too much width and allowed Hughes to free his arms.

After the interval, though, the challenge went up a few levels as Flintoff was immediately thrown the ball for his first spell. He began with three rapid bouncers to Hughes from around the wicket, probing the middle-and-leg line that Steve Harmison utilised for England Lions, throwing in a few verbals for good measure, then beat the left-hander with one that cut away off the seam.

It was a marvellous duel between a seasoned campaigner and a young, cocky batsman with Flintoff coming out on top. Switching to over the wicket he cramped Hughes for room as he tried another cut and Matt Prior held a sharp, low chance to his right as Flintoff stood in the middle of the pitch, arms aloft in celebration.

Flintoff ended a thrilling opening spell after six overs and Swann was soon into the action with a probing stint of his own. However, Katich - dropped on 10 when Flintoff couldn't quite cling on to a low chance in his follow through - was quietly going about his work in typically anonymous, but no-less-crucial, style as he worked the gaps in the leg side whenever the bowlers strayed too straight and went to his fifty moments before tea off 123 balls.

Boundaries were limited, but one back-foot drive by Ponting was sheer class as he closed in the latest milestone of an outstanding career. When he pulled a two off Broad he became just the fourth batsman to pass 11000 Test runs. Both Swann and Monty Panesar made deliveries grip out of the footmarks, but the pitch was slow enough for the batsmen to adjust.

Australia began the day with hopes of restricting England to around 360. Mitchell Johnson made the breakthrough when he squeezed one onto Broad's leg stump, with the aid of a large chunk of thigh pad, but if Australia thought they would swiftly complete their morning work they were in for a rude surprise.

Swann was immediately at his busy, cheeky best by putting pressure on the fielders and holding nothing back in his stroke play. The heavy outfield meant plenty of threes in a fifty stand that came up in 38 deliveries, although Anderson had been fortunate to survive an lbw shout against Ben Hilfenhaus on 18.

The introduction of Nathan Hauritz - whose first ball ripped off a length down the leg side - brought even greater acceleration as Swann immediately made a statement against his fellow offspiner. He lofted him over wide mid-on then slammed him straight down the ground for another boundary as Siddle lost sight of the ball on the rope. The best of the lot, however, was his impish reverse sweep to complete an over that left the crowd in raptures.

To add to Hauritz's consternation, Anderson even had the confidence to try the reverse - albeit with less success - before some measure of a comeback from the bowler when Anderson clubbed to mid-on. It wasn't quite clear if the ovation was for Anderson's gusty 25 or the arrival of Panesar to the crease and England's No. 11 opened his account with a well-timed flick through the leg side. Finally Panesar edged to gully and the tourist's minds could turn to batting and Australia have set about showing their own batting strength.