Michael Vaughan's [Images] England [Images] will have to challenge Australia from the first ball of the five-match Ashes series on Thursday if they are to have any chance of unsettling the world champions.

Vaughan will be determined for his young side to reverse England's ingrained habit of beginning badly and winning 'dead rubber' matches when facing the Australians.

Since Australia began their record-breaking run of eight Ashes series wins in 1989, England have not taken any of those contests to the wire.

In the last series in 2002-3, the Ashes were wrapped up inside 11 days of cricket. England's one victory in their 4-1 defeat came in the final match, by which time both the pressure and the prize had gone.

Unlike his predecessor Nasser Hussain, Vaughan will take to the field at Lord's with a string of potential match-winners in Andrew Flintoff [Images], Steve Harmison and, if Shane Warne's [Images] recommendations can be believed, the uncapped Kevin Pietersen [Images].

HUSSAIN CRITICISED

Hussain was often criticised for saying he wanted to try to compete with Australia while refusing to forecast victory but, in truth, he did not have the weapons to challenge the best side in the world. In that sense, Vaughan is the luckier man.

Hussain, however, did not help his cause three years ago by opting to bowl in the first test in Brisbane. The decision smacked of defensiveness and lack of belief. For many onlookers, with Australia on 364 for two by the end of the first day, the series was already as good as lost.

There was a similar feeling of foreboding after the first ball of the 1994-5 series, when Phil DeFreitas sent down a long hop which Michael Slater cut disdainfully to the boundary. The tone had been set and England crashed 3-1

Pietersen, a South African-born batsman mixing awesome power with unconventional bottom-handed technique, believes the Lord's crowd will have to play their part on Thursday in setting the right mood.

"I don't think Australia like it when the crowds are against them," he told The Times on Wednesday.

"It will be good for crowds to get behind us and nail Australia right from ball one."

CONSOLATION VICTORIES

Should English shoulders drop early, the side, ranked second in the world behind the Australians, could be condemned to chasing consolation victories in another series defeat.

Since 1989, they have won seven Tests to Australia's 28 but only one of those seven came with England still having a chance of taking the series, when they won the opening game in 1997.

In their last series on home soil, they won the fourth Test at Headingley, thanks to an innings of a lifetime from Mark Butcher (173 not out) but Australia were already 3-0 up and had offered England a generous target in an attempt to engineer a result.

Both teams will field settled sides at Lord's. Seamer Matthew Hoggard [Images] is likely to replace Darren Gough in an otherwise unchanged England line-up from the one that lost the one-day series 2-1.

For the world champions, leg spinner Shane Warne, who no longer plays one-dayers, is back while strike bowler Brett Lee [Images] looking certain to start after his fine early-tour form. The one difficult decision will be over the third quick bowler, with Jason Gillespie and Michael Kasprowicz fighting over the spot.

Australia almost consider Lord's as a home venue, having lost just one Test there in the last century.

England (probable): Michael Vaughan (capt), Marcus Trescothick [Images], Andrew Strauss [Images], Ian Bell [Images], Kevin Pietersen, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones, Ashley Giles, Simon Jones, Steve Harmison, Matthew Hoggard.

Australia (probable): Ricky Ponting [Images] (capt), Matthew Hayden [Images], Justin Langer, Damien Martyn, Simon Katich, Michael Clarke [Images], Adam Gilchrist [Images], Brett Lee, Shane Warne, Jason Gillespie or Michael Kasprowicz, Glenn McGrath.