Unremitting devotion to the ancient virtues of line and length earned Australian pace bowler Glenn McGrath membership of an exclusive quartet of Test wicket takers on Thursday.

McGrath, 35, who did not expect to take the field at all on the opening day of the 2005 Ashes series against England [Images], joined team mate Shane Warne [Images], Sri Lanka's [Images] Muttiah Muralitharan and West Indian Courtney Walsh [Images] as members of the 500-plus club.

His final figures of five for 21 from 13 relentless overs were primarily responsible for England stumbling to 92 for seven at the close after dismissing Australia for 190.

McGrath also received a pair of gold-embossed cricket shoes from his delighted team mates, worn proudly at the end-of-day media conference.

Now closer to medium pace than fast, McGrath's mechanically simple action was perfectly grooved from the measured approach to the slight shuffle toward the stumps in the delivery stride to ensure he bowls wicket to wicket.

McGrath in 500 wickets club

The arm was high, the wrist cocked and the seam upright as McGrath exploited the left-to-right slope from the Pavilion End to the utmost advantage.

"I just tried to find a good length," he explained. "Once I found it, what suited for me was probably a slightly fuller length.

SIMPLE STUFF

"It came down the slope, probably more than the other times I have bowled here.

"I just tried to get the ball in the right area and let the wicket do the rest."

Although fast bowling involves unnatural bodily contortions, McGrath makes the complicated look simple.

"It's pretty simple stuff at the end of the day," he said. "The complicated thing is getting it simple. I think I have done that increasingly well throughout my career."

Lord's, the spiritual home of cricket, was a particularly satisfying venue to join Walsh as the only fast bowler to take half a century of wickets.

"I couldn't have scripted it any better," McGrath said, his faded green Australian cap still perched proudly on his head.

"The first Test, the first day, it's great feeling."

McGrath's heroics after England's fine start to the most eagerly anticipated Ashes series in years, overshadowed a fine performance by England strike bowler Steve Harmison, who claimed five for 43 earlier in the day.

Harmison was happy with his performance but more than willing to pay tribute to the master.

"He (McGrath) proved if you put a ball in a decent area, it doesn't matter what wicket you bowl on. You get wickets," said Harmison.