Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook gave England a flying start to the second Ashes test against Australia on Thursday, punishing wayward pace bowler Mitchell Johnson as they reached 126 without loss at lunch on day one at Lord's.
Cook was 67 not out at the interval and captain Strauss, who won the toss in good batting conditions, was on 47.
Johnson had conceded 53 from his eight overs in the session, while Cook reached his half-century with his 11th boundary to emphasize Australia's lack of control. Cook had scored 14 boundaries at the break and faced 95 balls.
Johnson conceded four boundaries in six balls at one point as Strauss punished the left-arm paceman for bowling offline. Two of the fours were square cut from short, wide deliveries and the others were clipped off his legs through midwicket.
His first four-over spell cost 26 Australia runs before he was replaced by Peter Siddle at the Pavilion End.
One rare moment of danger for England came when Cook edged the more impressive Ben Hilfenhaus towards Ponting at second slip in the seventh over but the Australian could not get a hand on the ball, which sped to the third man boundary.
When Johnson changed to the Nursery End the results were the same. His first two balls were short and wide, which Cook hammered through cover for boundaries. Johnson, with head bowed and shoulders drooping, looked a man low on confidence.
Ponting kept faith with Johnson but he conceded two more boundaries in his seventh over to have conceded 47 runs. Conversely, Hilfenhaus allowed 16 from his first nine, with six maidens. Johnson still bowled an eighth to show Ponting's lack of options.
Andrew Flintoff earlier passed a fitness test after pain in his right knee to play his final Lord's test after announcing Wednesday this will be his last test series because of his injury struggles.
England, seeking to regain the Ashes it lost in 2006-07, drew the first test which ended on Sunday. It has not beaten Australia in an Ashes test at Lord's for 75 years.
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