AUSTRALIA may have been spooked by ghosts at their Lumley Castle base this week, but it was England who ultimately went bump in the night. Reinvigorated by the return of Andrew Symonds and Brett Lee, Australia set an imposing target on a slow pitch before cutting through the England top order with their best new-ball bowling of the tour.

Symonds may not be the most illustrious member of the Australia squad, but he underlined his value with an important half-century while Lee added potency to the attack by generating swing at more than 90mph. The supposedly haunted castle is visible from all parts of the ground, but Australia had clearly exorcised any fears.

England, chasing 267 to extend their winning run in the NatWest Series to four games, collapsed to six for three and the first, long-awaited partnership in an international match between Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen lasted only 14 balls before Flintoff, for the third successive innings, was dismissed underhitting a straight drive.

Once again the responsibility fell to Pietersen, but the surface was ill-suited to strokemakers and, with the required rate up to nine runs per over, he could only hole out to deep mid-wicket. Symonds, contrite after the late night in Cardiff that resulted in suspension, thereby had a prize wicket to go with his earlier 73.

England’s difficulties had begun when Andrew Strauss attempted to steer a full-length ball from Lee outside off stump but succeeded only in diverting it on to his stumps. The way that Marcus Trescothick tickled one from Glenn McGrath slanted across him was more ominous. Australia have found that particular chink before.

Worse followed later in the over when Paul Collingwood, the local hero, became the second batsman to chop on. After producing the best statistical performance in a one-day international at Trent Bridge two days earlier, his contribution of nought and three overs costing 17 runs was a big disappointment for an expectant home crowd.

Nobody, though, could feel unhappier than Trescothick, who was deputising as captain because Michael Vaughan failed a fitness test on his injured groin. That Ian Bell has been called into the squad shows that the selectors are unwilling to risk Vaughan’s fitness, and he may not feature until the final tomorrow week.

Trescothick’s biggest dilemma was also his first. Winning the toss, he needed to weigh England’s strength batting second against the considerable advantage of bowling during the twilight period. His decision was surprising, although when Ricky Ponting and Matthew Hayden fell in successive overs it seemed that England might strangle the Australia innings.

Ponting, in particular, seemed edgy, his footwork uncertain. Only a misunderstanding between Collingwood and Pietersen spared him on 24 and in the next over he upper-cut to third man. But overall, the England fielding was mixed at best, with the exception of a rare direct hit by Trescothick to remove Symonds with four overs remaining.

Darren Gough was the pick of the England bowlers and found some reverse swing late on while Chris Tremlett, preferred to Jon Lewis, recovered after two erratic overs.Damien Martyn helped Symonds to add 143 in 25 overs and batted through the remainder of the innings in typical understated fashion.

Proceedings were thoughtful rather than entertaining, although Gough did his bit with a ghost impersonation as he walked back to his mark past Shane Watson, who moved out of his room when he heard of the local legend.

There were four boundaries for Symonds in his 62-ball fifty and he proceeded to smear Ashley Giles over the leg side before pulling Stephen Harmison for a second six. Martyn did what he does best, finding gaps and accumulating runs, while his colleagues took more risks.