BRETT Lee resuscitated his Test career with a devastating five-wicket spell against the England Lions on Thursday in a promising sign the veteran had finally worked out how to bowl in English conditions.

Fighting for his baggy green future at the picturesque New Road on his third Ashes tour, Lee recorded his maiden five-wicket haul in a first-class match in England.

Lee has traditionally struggled in the Old Dart with his Test average being above 45 compared to his career return of a touch over 30 per scalp.

But there were no such problems on Thursday as he booked his spot for next week's opening Ashes Test in Cardiff by capturing 5-21 off 40 balls either side of the tea break.

In reply to Australia's 358, the Lions had slipped from 0-172 to be 6-302 at stumps on day two at New Road with Adil Rashid (36no) and Tim Bresnan (0no) unbeaten.

Lee's flat trajectory on slow pitches and inability to build pressure on batsmen have often been used as reasons for his less then stunning returns in England.

But Australia's fourth-highest Test wicket-taker produced a deadly combination of pace and reverse swing bowling in Worcester to unlock the Lions batsmen.

And Thursday's showing might also make skipper Ricky Ponting consider using Lee as a change bowler as he has not taken a wicket from his three opening spells in the tour to date.

Stephen Moore (120) and Joe Denly (66) earlier put on 172 for the first wicket and Australia's attack looked largely toothless on a flat, dry deck until Lee was thrown the ball for his third spell of the day just before tea.

His third delivery crashed through Joe Denly's (66) defences and next ball trapped captain Ian Bell (0) with a vicious inswinger.

Bowling at speeds hovering around the 150km/h mark, he narrowly missed out on a hat-trick as Vikram Solanki (8) jammed his bat down to edge the ball just inches wide of his leg stump.

South African product Moore recorded a stylish hundred by cutting Lee for four just before the interval in a knock but Lee maintained his threatening spell after tea.

He had a ball cut through Solanki's defences and skim off his pads onto his stumps.

He should have had Moore out with his first ball of the innings and the speedster made up for the missed opportunity by collecting his scalp after the right-hander top-edged a hook shot.

Lee completed the carnage by catching left-hander Eoin Morgan in front of his leg stump to complete the telling spell.

It was just as well that Lee was in such form as spearhead Mitchell Johnson (0-101 off 20 overs) looked like he really needed the workout after being rested for last week's practice match in Hove.

Stuart Clark (0-30 off 14 overs), who started the day in competition for the final guaranteed fast bowling spot with Lee, kept it tight while spinner Nathan Hauritz (0-80 off 18 overs) further damaged his selection hopes for Sophia Gardens.

Part-time off-spinner Marcus North (1-16) then added to Hauritz's woes by dismissing Steve Davies (53) just before the end of play.

Lee's last five-wicket haul came against the West Indies in Antigua just over a year ago.

Moore said it was "tricky" facing Lee and that he was lucky to survive his first ball.

Lee expected reverse swing to be an important factor in the five-Test series after England used it to great effect in their series triumph four years ago.

"Massive role," he said.

"If you look back to 2005 what let us down firstly with our batting order was that we could not really keep out the ball coming back into the batsmen," he said.

"And we (bowlers) couldn't work out a way to make it swing."