BRISBANE — Australians, so the old cliche goes, will bet on two flies crawling up a wall but few punts in the “lucky country” can have paid such rich dividends as the gamble on recalling Mitchell Johnson for the first Ashes Test. At his best, the 2009 ICC Cricketer of the Year's left-arm pace bowling is all but unplayable but more often than not in recent years, he has been erratic and apparently completely denuded of confidence. Which version of the tall Queenslander would turn up at the Gabba was the question on the lips of many leading into the series and they had their answer in eight overs of rip-snorting pace bowling Friday afternoon. Using his slingshot action to devastating effect on a bouncy Brisbane wicket, the 32-year-old added three wickets to his pre-lunch victim Jonathan Trott to finish with four for 61 and transform Australia's prospects in the match. “Mitch has been bowling with some very good pace over the last few months,” Australia vice captain Brad Haddin told a news conference. “He was outstanding in India with his pace. Today was just reward for the work he's put in. Good to have him back in the team and it's always good having those guys who can push the gun up near 150kph. “Any guy who can push the radar up near 150ks, no matter how well you're playing, can make it uncomfortable for the opposition.” Three years ago at the Gabba, Johnson went for 170 runs without a wicket against England and was dropped for the second Test in Adelaide. He stormed back in the third at the WACA, taking 6-38 in the first innings as England was bowled out for 187 and adding three more wickets in the second innings to help Australia to victory – its last against England. On Friday, Johnson did not get nearly as much movement on the ball as he did at Perth back in 2010 but, after coach Craig McDermott had read the bowlers the riot act at lunch, played the leading role in England's collapse from 82-2 to 89-7 in little over half an hour. England was dismissed for 136 as the host took a lead of 224 on day two of the first Ashes Test Friday. The tourists lost six wickets for nine runs in the stunning mid-afternoon spell. Openers David Warner (45) and Chris Rogers (15) backed up the bowlers by batting out a gloomy final session at the Gabba and will resume at 65 without loss in Australia's second innings Saturday. Johnson's performance silenced England's Barmy Army of traveling fans, who have a full repertoire of songs lampooning the tall Queenslander. And with 209 wickets in 52 Tests, Haddin suggested he deserved a little bit more respect even if he was brought into the side only after a string of injuries. — Agencies Scoreboard Australia (1st innings) Rogers c Bell b Broad 01 Warner c Pietersen b Broad 49 Watson c Swann b Broad 22 Clarke c Bell b Broad 01 Smith c Cook b Tremlett 31 Bailey c Cook b Anderson 03 Haddin run out (Carberry) 94 Johnson b Broad 64 Siddle c Cook b Anderson 07 Harris c Prior b Broad 09 Lyon not out 01 Extras (lb11, w1, nb1) 13 Total (all out; 97.1 overs) 295 Falls: 1-12 (Rogers), 2-71 (Watson), 3-73 (Clarke), 4-83 (Warner), 5-100 (Bailey), 6-132 (Smith), 7-246 (Johnson), 8-265 (Siddle), 9-282 (Harris), 10-295 (Haddin). Bowling: Anderson 25.1-5-67-2, Broad 24-3-81-6 (1nb, 1w), Tremlett 19-3-51-1, Swann 26-4-80-0, Root 3-1-5-0. England (1st innings) Cook b Haddin b Harris 13 Carberry c Watson b Johnson 40 Trott c Haddin b Johnson 10 Pietersen c Bailey b Harris 18 Bell c Smith b Lyon 05 Root c Smith b Johnson 02 Prior c Smith b Lyon 00 Broad c Rogers b Siddle 32 Swann c Bailey b Johnson 00 Tremlett c Lyon b Harris 08 Anderson not out 02 Extras (b4, lb2) 06 Total (all out; 52.4 overs) 136 Falls: 1-28 (Cook), 2-55 (Trott), 3-82 (Pietersen), 4-87 (Carberry), 5-87 (Bell), 6-87 (Prior), 7-89 (Root), 8-91 (Swann), 9-110 (Tremlett), 10-136 (Broad). Bowling: Harris 15-5-28-3, Johnson 17-2-61-4, Siddle 11.4-3-24-1, Lyon 9-4-17-2. Australia (2nd innings) Rogers not out 15 Warner not out 45 Extras (lb5) 05 Total (0 wkt; 22 overs) 65 To bat: S. Watson, M. Clarke, S. Smith, G. Bailey, B. Haddin, M. Johnson, P. Siddle, R. Harris, N. Lyon. Bowling: Anderson 5-1-16-0, Broad 5-1-13-0, Tremlett 4-2-8-0, Swann 6-1-22-0, Root 2-1-1-0.
