Dec 26, 2006, 18:53 GMT
Sydney - Australian spin-king Shane Warne created cricketing history Tuesday by becoming the first bowler to claim 700 Test wickets.
Playing his penultimate game in front of a near-record crowd 89,155 in his Melbourne hometown, nailed his 700th on the opening day of the fourth Test against the visiting English side.
Warne, 37, snared five wickets for 39 runs off 17 overs to help his team to a commanding position.
England were all out for 159 after winning the toss. Australia reached stumps at 2 for 48 off 11 overs with Matthew Hayden 17 not out and Ricky Ponting yet to score after Justin Langer (27) and nightwatchman Brett Lee (0) were both caught behind off successive Andrew Flintoff deliveries.
The biggest-ever Ashes crowd - and only a few thousand short of a Test world record - saw Warne take his 37th five-wicket haul. First to go, and Warne's 700th victim, was a clean-bowled England opener Andrew Strauss.
Warne, regarded as the greatest bowler ever, retires from international cricket after next week's fifth Test in Sydney. Fast bowler Glenn McGrath is also playing his penultimate Test.
Australia has already sealed victory in the five-game Ashes series by taking the first three games.
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