Australia's unchanged opening pair Mark Taylor and Geoff Marsh emerged looking typically aggressive and soon were also looking untroubled by England's blunt bowling attack. The opening pair Foster and Fraser were soon replaced by Emburey and Cook, but England's bowling looked out of depth, and struggled to work out where to bowl and Marsh and Taylor set about scoring freely. After an opening stand of 135, Marsh was caught behind tantalisingly close to his fifty, out for 47 off the bowling of a reinvigorated Botham. The loss of his partner seemed to unsettle Taylor, and he too soon fell, stumped for 85 trying to advance down the wicket to Emburey. David Boon was unusually disappointing, clean bowled by Angus Fraser for 12, and in a rare bright period for England they had taken 3 for 12 to leave Australia on 154 for 3.