Glenn McGrath has claimed his 900th international wicket in front of 46,070 fans on the opening day but England fought hard to reach 234-4 before bad light ended play several overs early in the fifth Ashes Test against Australia at the SCG.
Ian Bell and Kevin Pietersen led the way during the middle session with a 108-run stand for the third wicket, Bell making 71 and Pietersen a patient 41, before skipper Andrew Flintoff (42 not out) and Paul Collingwood (25 not out) added 67 for the fifth wicket.
McGrath finished with the leading figures of 2-57 from 21 overs, while Brett Lee (1-50 from 15) and Stuart Clark (1-54 from 19) also had success but Shane Warne (0-59 from 19) will have to wait until at least day two to claim his 1000th international scalp.
McGrath reached his milestone when he captured his 558th Test wicket with the dismissal of Pietersen, well caught by Mike Hussey running backwards at mid-wicket with the score on 166.
And McGrath, who has also claimed 342 one-day international victims, struck again in his next over when he got one through the defences of Bell with the assistance of the faintest of inside edges.
But Flintoff showed plenty of aggression and Collingwood his own resistance to frustrate the hosts before stumps was called after 80 overs, seven before the intended close after three overs had been lost when the start was delayed by 70 minutes by rain.
Play is scheduled to resume at 10:19am on Wednesday morning but players and fans alike may again be frustrated with further rain forecast for the next two days in Sydney.
Lee got the first breakthrough 15 minutes before lunch in an abbreviated 80-minute first session, having Andrew Strauss caught behind for 29 with the score on 45 before the tourists went to the break at 1-58.
And having failed for the ninth time in the series with Strauss to reach an opening partnership of 50, Alastair Cook fell for 20 from the 13th ball of the middle session, Clark inducing an inside edge that was well caught by a diving Adam Gilchrist.
With England playing without fast bowler Matthew Hoggard because of a side strain, his place in the team taken by the recalled Jimmy Anderson, Flintoff won the toss and elected to bat first.
McGrath took the new ball before Cook's Test began with a blow to the groin from Lee, while Strauss had an adventurous first 30 minutes as he nervously edged both Lee and McGrath for four through the slips cordon and also survived a confident lbw shout.
Luck was again on the opener's side when Justin Langer grassed a diving chance at third slip off McGrath, but Gilchrist made no mistake several overs later, with Langer's miss only costing eight runs.
With the home side chasing just the second series sweep in Ashes history, the first having occurred in 1920-21, the Sydney weather had threatened to ruin the opening day of McGrath, Langer and Warne's final Test before the skies cleared late in the morning.
