Andrew Flintoff told his England team-mates to draw upon the spirit of 2005 after Australia took the upper hand in the first npower Ashes Test in Cardiff yesterday.

Simon Katich and Ricky Ponting hit unbeaten hundreds to lift Australia to 249 for one and will resume on the third morning 186 runs behind.

After a disappointing display by the England attack yesterday, Flintoff — who took the only wicket by having Phillip Hughes caught behind — tried to evoke memories of the Ashes triumph of four years ago, citing his own spell in the final Test at the Brit Oval to show how quickly a tricky position can be turned around.

Back then, Australia were 264 for one in reply to England’s 373, but an inspired Flintoff stepped in with five wickets to secure a six-run first-innings lead as England drew the match and reclaimed the urn.

Graeme Swann, the off spinner, admitted that Australia’s recovery yesterday, after England had posted 435, had left his team-mates a little demoralised. “We did not really bowl well as a unit except for a couple of spells here and there,” he said. “We are in a bit of a quandary about why it did not happen for us. We have had the wind knocked out of our sails a bit.

“But we still have a nigh-on 200-run lead and, as Fred said when we got into the changing room, for those who didn’t play at the Oval a few years ago, it was a very similar situation. It takes just one good spell to bring us right back into the game and that’s what we’re going to be thinking.”

Katich revealed that the hurt of defeat in that 2005 series is a motivating factor for those Australia players still part of the side, including Ponting, the beaten captain, and himself. “Those of us who have been through what happened four years ago cannot forget that hurt,” Katich, who finished the day unbeaten on 104, said. “We were bitterly disappointed and want to make amends for that tour.

“The pitch is good and we put a high price on our wickets. This is a huge series for us. You cannot hide from the past. The whole of our innings is based on us getting a good platform. We are a hungry group of players who are confident we can put on a good show.”

England had begun the second day in wonderful fashion, adding 99 runs for the last three wickets in flamboyant style before the momentum shifted with Ponting scoring his 38th Test century and Katich his first against England. To compound the problems, Stuart Broad left the field for 15 minutes after tea to receive treatment on his right calf and although he re-emerged with strapping around the problem area, he did not rejoin the attack. “Their score sums up the way we bowled,” Swann said. “We can whinge and moan and say the ball went soft and say that Katich was given not out when he was plumb lbw against me [on 56], but that is the nature of the beast.”

This is the first time for 11 years that England have picked two spin bowlers for a home Test match, placing pressure on Swann and Monty Panesar to deliver over the five days. Swann felt that the bowlers suffered nerves in the half-hour before lunch when the ball was hard. “Maybe we were hyped up by our batting, maybe we were expecting to take a wicket every ball,” Swann said.

Swann made 47 not out in 40 balls as England’s tail wagged in the morning, but not one batsman took a dominant role during the innings. As Swann acknowledged: “Nearly everybody got in but nobody went on. Partly that is the occasion getting to us.”