England defied the Adelaide traditions by losing the toss but then bowling Australia out for just 245 to take the upper hand in the second Ashes Test.

A remarkable opening to the day saw the hosts crash to two for three before Shane Watson (51) and Michael Hussey (93) rebuilt with a stand of 94.

Brad Haddin added a half-century but the lower order crumbled. James Anderson led the way with four wickets for 51 before England openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook reached the close without alarm.

England struck with the fourth ball of the match when Anderson appealed for lbw against Watson and 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.

Ricky Ponting strode out, and trooped back off, in little more than a minute. Anderson got an outswinger in the perfect spot and Ponting 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 to Swann. Watson then survived a DRS review for a front-foot lbw as simulation showed the ball was going over the top of leg-stump, vindicating umpire Tony Hill. England would have had a fourth wicket anyway had Anderson managed to hold on to a one-handed return catch to his left when Hussey chipped a drive back - on three and with the team total still only 12.

Watson brought up his 82-ball 50 in the last over before lunch with a dismissive front-foot pull off Steven Finn. He was soon gone afterwards, though, thanks to Anderson - who again found just enough movement to have the opener spearing a cover-drive into the hands of Kevin Pietersen at point.

Hussey and Marcus North tried to grind England down in a stand of 62, but Finn got one to bounce and leave North off the pitch for a caught-behind breakthrough just before tea.

Hussey (93) and Brad Haddin put on 51 before Swann snared left-hander Hussey with a little turn and a sharp catch at slip by Paul Collingwood. One ball later Swann got through Ryan Harris' defences and won the lbw verdict after an interminable DRS process, with the hot-spot technology suggesting a slight inside edge. Xavier Doherty soon fell to the second run-out of the innings, the victim of a superb diving pick-up and throw by Strauss at silly mid-on - via short-leg Cook - and his own hesitation.

Haddin brought up an 88-ball half-century by heaving Anderson over backward square leg for six. But Peter Siddle clipped Anderson straight to Cook to depart for three and after Haddin top-edged a hook to Finn at long leg to give Stuart Broad his only wicket and end the hosts' innings at 245. A leg bye from the first ball was the only run in the solitary over possible at the start of England's reply.