Sid finds his vicious streak

It took three Tests but Peter Siddle remembered the lessons given to him by Darren Pattinson, his Melbourne club-mate and the former England bowler, as he captured career-best figures to put Australia on track to level the series. Siddle rammed into England's tail to collect 5 for 21 off 9.5 overs, finishing with four wickets in 14 deliveries, and after play told of his chats with Pattinson, who appeared in a Test at this ground last year.

Dandenong is the Australian summer home for both players and Siddle chased up his friend of a decade for some advice. "We're very close and I've spent a lot of time with him," Siddle said. "We had a few chats about the conditions and the way you go about stuff over here. It's been handy. He gave me some good insight into how to handle the conditions."

This was the performance the Australians have waited for as Siddle finally lived up to his Sid Vicious nickname in England. In the opening three games he hadn't been tame, but was inconsistent and unreliable, a shadow of the 24-year-old who grew up during the home and away series against South Africa.

Mixing short balls to ruffle the batsmen and fuller ones to dismiss two of them, Siddle shook the hosts after lunch to back up the impressive return of Stuart Clark, whose three wickets before the break made everyone wonder why it had taken four Tests to call for him. Until Nathan Hauritz was removed from the line-up this morning it was Siddle who thought he was in danger.

Brett Lee was also chasing Siddle's spot but the selectors held firm and the Victorian stayed. Merv Hughes, one of the panel members at the ground, is a huge admirer of Siddle's intimidating style and the group retained their unswerving belief in a player in his 12th Test.

"Coming into this match I didn't know what would happen," Siddle said. "There was talk that I'd miss out or Hauritz would miss out. I was lucky enough to get the nod, went about my business, and in the end it paid off and I had a bit of success." With 15 victims, he is now the series' leading wicket-taker and was the muscular presence required at the opposite end from Clark and Ben Hilfenhaus.

Siddle started by removing Andrew Strauss with serious help from Marcus North, who flung out his right hand at third slip, but the real damage came when the tailenders arrived full of padding. Suddenly Siddle was an intimidator and after England chose an extra bowler in Steve Harmison, he had extra targets.

Graeme Swann was pushed back by some short deliveries before a fuller one clipped the edge on the way to Michael Clarke at first slip. The second ball to Harmison rattled his helmet, which is a serious bouncer to a guy standing at 6ft 4in, and in the following over Siddle brushed the side of his bat with another lifter.

Anderson was forced to fend to Brad Haddin before the innings ended when Graham Onions popped an uncomfortable rising effort to Simon Katich, the short leg. It struck his armguard instead of his bat but he was probably happy to escape further damage.

As the players stepped from the field in the second session a couple of fans wearing Aussie rules jumpers ran over to congratulate Siddle. This was his second five-wicket haul and came at an incredibly valuable time for Australia, who must win here to retain a chance of claiming the series.

By the end of the day they owned a 94-run lead and had Siddle and his bowling mates to toast for the strength of their position. "We knew how we'd gone over the first three Tests and we knew we had to change something," he said. "We just relaxed a bit. It was good having Sarfy [Clark] at one end bowling so tight and consistent, it frees up that other end. I got my goodies at the end."