James Anderson continued his impressive form with the old ball as well as new to help England eke out two more Australia wickets between lunch and tea in the second Ashes Test.

Anderson's well-directed swing was responsible for two of the three wickets which fell in the first three overs of the match on a glorious morning at the Adelaide Oval. He returned to grab another with only his third ball after lunch, Shane Watson (51) the man to go after a much-needed fourth-wicket stand of 92 with Michael Hussey (71no) in Australia's teatime 159 for five.

The tourists made an astounding start, at a venue renowned for huge first-innings totals, by reducing Australia to a stunning two for three after Ricky Ponting won the toss. The Australia captain went for a first-ball duck, one of Anderson's two early victims, but then saw Watson and Hussey effectively repair some of that damage.

England struck with the fourth ball of the match as Anderson (three for 31) appealed loudly for lbw against Watson. That inquiry went unanswered, but in the confusion Watson called Simon Katich through for a single - and Jonathan Trott pounced for a direct hit from square-leg to run the left-hander out, without facing a ball.

Anderson, England's outstanding bowler and deserving of better figures in the drawn first Test in Brisbane, got an outswinger in the perfect spot to any new batsman and Ponting pushed out and edged low to second slip, where Graeme Swann took a neat catch away to his left.

In his next over, Anderson struck again - an out-of-form Michael Clarke edging an attempted drive for a second catch to Swann.

Watson survived when England decided to chance their DRS option for a front-foot lbw before Anderson failed to hold on to a one-handed return catch away to his left when Hussey chipped a drive back - on three and with the team total still only 12.

Watson found the boundary with increasing regularity, but kept the shot of the morning back until he launched a huge six off Swann's off-spin over wide long-on before bringing up his 82-ball 50 in the last over before lunch.

He was soon gone afterwards, though, thanks to Anderson - who again found just enough movement with a full ball to have Watson spearing a cover-drive into the hands of Kevin Pietersen at point.

Hussey had just five fours in his 95-ball 50, but was manipulating the ball into gaps expertly - and he and Marcus North tried to grind England down in a stand of 62. They appeared to target Finn as England's potential weakest link until the tall seamer got one to bounce and leave North off the pitch for a caught-behind breakthrough just before tea.