For the last 10 years, England have struggled to overcome the stranglehold Australia and legendary bowlers Shane Warne and Glenn McGrath have enjoyed over them during eight successive Ashes series until last year's defeat.

But the historic efforts of Collingwood and Pietersen on the second day at the Adelaide Oval not only established England's dominance but also achieved the rare feat of making Australia's dynamic duo look ordinary.

By the end of a crunch day for England's hopes of making this series competitive, the tourists had declared on an imposing 551 for six before reducing Australia to 28 for one, with Warne claiming only one wicket from a marathon 53-over workload and McGrath finishing with nought for 107.

Instead of Australia's two greats bowling their side back into the match, it was England's less-celebrated pair who took the plaudits, both scoring big hundreds and forging an historic 310-run partnership.

Resuming the second day on a promising 266 for three, the tourists would have been mindful of what happened to England in Adelaide four years ago when they slipped from 295 for four at the end of the opening day to 342 all out.

This time there was little likelihood of a repeat, with Collingwood and Pietersen delivering almost faultless displays during 84 overs together, a stand which broke England's fourth wicket Ashes record of 288 between Nasser Hussain and Graham Thorpe at Edgbaston in 1997.

It was also the fifth-highest English partnership in Ashes history, while Collingwood's 206 was the first double hundred by an England player in Australia for 70 years.

Collingwood had begun the day needing two runs to reach his maiden Ashes century, having narrowly missed out during the opening Test mauling in Brisbane, where he was dismissed just four runs of the landmark.

On that occasion, he was caught in the nervous 90s.

But this time Collingwood, who may not have featured in the series but for Marcus Trescothick returning home, confidently clipped a three through mid-wicket off Brett Lee to bring up his century.

Once past that early milestone, Collingwood set about guiding England to a major total and perhaps benefited from Australia focusing most of their efforts on restricting his partner.

Pietersen had resumed on 60 overnight and could have fallen before he had added to that total as he survived a strong appeal for a catch behind from Lee which was rejected by umpire Steve Bucknor.

He then accelerated quickly towards his century, his second against Australia and sixth of an already remarkable international career, to provoke the home side into negative tactics, which were roundly jeered by the Adelaide crowd.

Coming around the wicket and bowling outside legstump to a packed leg-side field, Warne successfully negated Pietersen's strokeplay but it was hardly the type of strategy normally associated with the world's greatest ever leg-spinner.

That battle deflected the attention away from Collingwood's quiet progress towards his double hundred, which he achieved in style by lofting Michael Clarke's leftarm spin back over his head for his 16th boundary.

The partnership was finally broken when Collingwood edged seamer Stuart Clark behind with a tired-looking shot shortly before tea.

Pietersen followed six overs later when he pushed for a quick single only to be run out by Ricky Ponting to fall for 158 for the third time in his Test career. England batted on until the last hour, by which time Warne finally snared his only victim when Geraint Jones chased a wide delivery and looped it to point . . . but that was the second ball of his 47th over.

Given nine overs to try and make inroads into Australia's line-up before the close, captain Flintoff made the breakthrough in the second over with a bouncer which opener Justin Langer could only fend to Pietersen at point, capping a miserable day for Australia.