England insisted last night that they can make a winning start to the Ashes series despite falling behind on first innings and with Australia preparing to push on for victory themselves this morning.

When bad light ended play last night, Australia were 44 runs ahead with five first-innings wickets still in hand and the not-out batsmen, Marcus North and Brad Haddin, both with Test hundreds under their belts.

James Anderson, the England fast bowler, was defiant, though, saying: “We are not thinking about a draw. We believe the win is possible. The big session first thing will decide whether or not we can win. We have to work out how to get the wickets quickly.”

Michael Clarke, who seemed on course for a hundred before mistiming a hook against Stuart Broad on 83, believes that the initiative is firmly with Australia when they resume on 479 for five. “If we can make another 100 or 150 runs, we could be in a really good position,” he said. “I think that the pitch will spin more and more and the bounce will be inconsistent.”

England are already facing significant selection issues for the second Test match at Lord’s beginning on Thursday, with back-to-back matches and a rest period of only three days leaving little time for recovery.

Clarke felt that the Australia batsmen “cashed in on some tired England bowlers” yesterday and Anderson, asked whether fatigue was a factor, said: “I hope not two days \ into the series. We are pretty fresh.”

However, Anderson briefly left the field complaining of dizziness, while Broad has received treatment for a calf problem. Andrew Strauss, the captain, is desperate not to overbowl Andrew Flintoff, but the all-rounder has already sent down 29 overs in the innings.

Either Graeme Swann or Monty Panesar seems certain to step down for Lord’s, where England have not beaten Australia since Hedley Verity, the Yorkshire spin bowler, exploited a damp pitch in 1934.

Graham Onions, who impressed on his first two Test appearances against West Indies in May, has remained with the squad in Cardiff, having been omitted on Wednesday morning, with a view to an immediate recall.

Beyond that, the selectors may feel that they need to give further impetus to the pace attack, in which case Broad will be vulnerable after struggling to impose himself on his Ashes debut. Ryan Sidebottom and Tim Bresnan were also part of the 16-man squad for the bonding weekend at the First World War battlefields a fortnight ago and England will be reluctant to look outside that party.

However, Stephen Harmison impressed for England Lions during the recent game against Australia at Worcester, twice removing Phillip Hughes with short-pitched balls that Flintoff has replicated successfully in Cardiff.

Panesar and Swann are effectively battling for a single spot at Lord’s over the next two days. Swann ought to remain in credit with the selectors, having bowled well in home and away series against West Indies, but he struggled to control his length again yesterday and Australia capitalised on full tosses and long hops.

While Panesar did not obviously outbowl his former Northamptonshire colleague, he exerted more control and suggested that the confidence lost at the start of the season is returning.

Even so, neither slow bowler has matched Australia’s much-derided Nathan Hauritz. Clarke said: “Hauritz bowled much slower than the England spinners and that helped him to get a lot more spin and bounce.”

Scoreboard

England: First Innings 435 (K P Pietersen 69, P D Collingwood 64, M J Prior 56)

Australia: First Innings (overnight 249-1)
S M Katich lbw b Anderson 122
*R T Ponting b Panesar 150
M E K Hussey c Prior b Anderson 3
M J Clarke c Prior b Broad 83
M J North not out 54
†B J Haddin not out 4
Extras (b 8, lb 12, w 2, nb 5) 27
Total (5 wkts, 139 overs) 479

M G Johnson, N M Hauritz, P M Siddle and B W Hilfenhaus to bat.

Fall of wickets: 1-60, 2-299, 3-325, 4-331, 5-474.

Bowling: Anderson 24-5-80-2; Broad 26-4-101-1; Swann 28-8-86-0; Flintoff 29-3-104-1; Panesar 27-4-78-1; Collingwood 5-0-10-0.

Umpires: Aleem Dar and B R Doctrove.