By drinks on the second morning, the tourists had reached 2-191 in their first innings - a lead of 93 - with the promise of plenty more to come.

After local fast bowling Peter Siddle gained a double break by dismissing both openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook, third wicket pair Jonathan Trott (15 not out) and Kevin Pietersen (12 not out) had both cruised into double figures and looked ominous.

Siddle gave the fans something to cheer about shortly after England  began the day at 0-157.

First a crowd of around 35,000 roared with approval as Cook (82) edged a Siddle delivery to Shane Watson at first slip with only two added to the overnight score.

Then Strauss (69) was beaten by Siddle's speed and the ball looped off his bat high to gulley, where Michael Hussey, took a one-handed catch high above his head.  

The dismissal took England to 2-170 in the first innings, an overall lead of 72, with Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen at the wicket.

The second wicket, coming in the 56th over of the innings, gave Siddle the tidy return of 2-17 from 15 overs.

Cook was removed when he appeared set for a third century of the series, although he still boasts the remarkable aggregate of 578 runs at an average of 135.6.

Showers cleared just in time for England to continue the unmerciful domination of Australia, with heavy cloud cover and drizzle lifting for play to resume on time.

England began on 0-157 in their first innings, already 59 runs in credit after the  Day 1 debacle that saw Australia sent in and bowled out for just 98.

England captain Andrew Strauss, who passed the 6000 Test runs late yesterday, began the day on 64, with fellow opener Alastair Cook 80.

With the forecast for showers to clear and warm, sunny days ahead, it seems a fait accompli that Australia's bid to retain the Ashes will die on day three, four or five of this Test.

Local fast bowling hero Peter Siddle, the best of Australia's fruitless bowlers yesterday, earned a big cheer from a second-morning crowd of around 30,000, when he was thrown the ball for the first over of the day.

Siddle returned 0-13 from 11 overs yesterday to prove more economical than teammates Mitchell Johnson and Ben Hilfenhaus.

Australia's Ashes campaign is terminally ill after the humiliating opening day.

Before a bumper Boxing Day crowd of 84,345, it was the perfect day for Strauss.

 He won the toss and his seamers destroyed the brittle Australian batting before he began his triple-figure opening stand with Cook.

 Whatever demons there may have been in the green-tinged MCG pitch vanished from the moment Australia went into the field and as it flattened out more and more through the day, the pulse of the home side's Ashes hopes weakened.

Only a rain delay of 50 minutes slowed the embarrassing Australian batting demise.

The players went to lunch five minutes early when a shower hit with the home side reeling at 4-58, and when hostilities resume 45 minutes later than the scheduled start to the middle session, Australia lost 6-40, including three wickets in 35 deliveries without a run being scored against the relentless English attack.

For England Strauss, it was a heaven-sent toss to win. He eagerly sent the home side in and his bowlers did the rest.

James Anderson's four-wicket haul in the rout - all caught behind by Matt Prior - bagged the scalps of Michael Hussey (8) Michael Clarke (20), Steve Smith (6) and Mitchell Johnson (0) as the innings turned into a procession, while the 202cm Chris Tremlett started the rot by tormenting and dismissing opener Shane Watson before adding Australian skipper Ricky Ponting and tailenders Peter Siddle and Ben Hilfenhaus to his booty.

Ponting, after declaring himself fit despite having a fractured little finger, failed again when he was dismissed for 10, caught splendidly at second slip by Graeme Swann to continue a nightmare series that has returned just 93 runs at an average of 15.5 - including a 51 not out in the first Test in Brisbane.

Watson was the first to fall, out for five in the fourth over of the match. He was caught in the gully by Kevin Pietersen after enduring an eventful 12 deliveries that produced three chances, the last of which was fatal.

Dropped twice on nought, third time proved unlucky as Watson edged a sharp, lifting delivery.

The ball caught Watson's defensive push high on the shoulder of the bat and flew gently to provide the simplest of catches.

An over earlier Pietersen failed hold a hot chance when a ferocious square cut flew threw his fingers and allowed the Australian to get off the mark and in the first over of the game Paul Collingwood grassed a low chance at third slip off Anderson.

Vice-captain Michael Clarke was the only batsman to get past the teens, but was then instantly gone, the second of the four Anderson-Prior victims.