Michael Hussey kept England's bowlers at bay to leave the first Ashes Test beautifully poised after two days in Brisbane.

Left-hander Hussey hit 81 not out to help Australia reach 220-5 by the time bad light and rain curtailed play just as the second new ball was available.

Brad Haddin was alongside him with 22 to his name, the pair sharing a crucial unbroken sixth-wicket stand of 77 after the tourists had fought back in the afternoon.

Australia looked to be well set to overhaul England's below-par total of 260 when they reached 96-1 at lunch - only to then lose 4-47.
Sublime knock

However Hussey tilted the balance back in the home side's favour with a sublime knock that was even more impressive considering he had seemingly only secured his place in the Test XI with a second-innings hundred for Western Australia last week.

It could, though, have been so different had an outside edge from the first ball the left-hander faced not fallen short of Graeme Swann at second slip.

At that stage England were right on top thanks to impressive spells by seam duo James Anderson and Steven Finn straight after the lunch interval.

Shane Watson (36) had been the only wicket to fall in the first session; the opener nicking a good delivery from Anderson to Andrew Strauss at first slip.

His dismissal came the very next ball after he'd survived a referral for a tight lbw shout; replays showing that the ball was only going to clip leg stump, meaning umpire Billy Doctrove's original decision of not out was upheld.

Even still, a half-century from Simon Katich - who himself won a reprieve thanks to the review system having initially been given out leg before - helped put Australia in a promising position to take control of the contest.

But any plans they had for 400 and beyond were quickly scuppered two balls after lunch once Anderson got rid of Ricky Ponting for 10 thanks to a strangle down the leg side. An attempted glance by the Australia skipper only ended up in wicketkeeper Matt Prior's gloves, much to his chagrin.

Only four further runs had been added when Katich (50) became Finn's first Ashes wicket, the beanpole seamer doing brilliantly to stoop low down by his bootlaces to grasp a return catch whilst diving forward.

Out-of-sorts Clarke

The same bowler almost had Hussey in a hurry but it was an out-of-sorts Michael Clarke who was eventually the next man to fall.

Australia's vice-captain had fought hard to reach nine from 50 balls - several of which he played and missed at - before giving his wicket away with a lazy pull shot against Finn that took an edge through to Prior.

Swann, who had only bowled two one-over spells prior to the second session, eventually got in on the act for the visitors when Marcus North edged an off-break to Paul Collingwood at slip to depart for just one.

The wicket was a welcome boost for the off-spinner after he had come in for some particularly harsh treatment at the hands of Hussey, who unfurled pull after pull off the back foot as he seized on anything remotely short in length.

He also pumped a straight six down the ground off Swann's bowling to emphatically put to bed any doubts over his place. Having averaged 91.60 in the last Ashes series on Australian soil, it appears Hussey likes to save his best for when England arrive down under.

A ton was within the 35-year-old's sights late in the day until bad weather intervened. It may have been disappointing for those in attendance at the Gabba, but the early finish sets up a superb first couple of hours to day three.

Source: http://www.skysports.com/cricket/ashes/match-report/0,29040,12339_85860,00.html