After winning the toss and electing to bowl, the tourists had the hosts in deep trouble at 5-93 before Nevill (76) and Carters (94) piled on 178 runs for the sixth wicket to lay the platform for a competitive total.
Both men dished out their fair share of punishment to the England bowlers in sunny conditions, each smashing 10 boundaries and a six in a dominant display.
MORE: Mitchell Johnson: England's Ashes Intimidator? | Darren Lehmann braces for Ashes big moments
Former Test opener Ed Cowan also made a half century but fell shortly after lunch when he was brilliantly caught by Jonathan Trott at short mid wicket off Steven Finn.
Stuart Broad took three of the first four wickets to fall and should have had fourth in the opening session but stand-in wicket keeper was unable to lay a glove on a leg-side catch that would have dismissed Kurtis Patterson for a duck.
Despite his failure to take a wicket in the final one-and-a-half sessions, he was miserly throughout en route to impressive figures of 3-36 off 20 overs.
Finn (2-87 off 24) picked up two wickets but was expensive at times and struggled for rhythm throughout.
England's other seamer Boyd Rankin (0-52 off 18) was guilty of bowling too short in his early spells but toiled manfully and was economical despite not taking a wicket.
Off spinner Graeme Swann (0-66) got through 22 overs but failed to trouble the batsmen on a pitch offering little turn.
Aaron Finch (four) was first man to depart in the morning session, edging a full-pitched delivery from Broad that straightened off the seam in the third over of the day.
Callum Ferguson (eight) became Broad's second victim when he was trapped plumb lbw to another full-pitched delivery.
Finn opened his account when he had Patterson well caught at first slip by Alastair Cook for five to leave the hosts reeling at 3-37.
Cowan has an uncomfortable moment when he was struck on the helmet by a Finn bouncer but the gritty left-hander responded with consecutive boundaries to bring up his half century in the final over before lunch.
Ben Rohrer (19) was out in the fourth over after lunch when he slapped a Broad delivery to point and was brilliantly caught by a diving Michael Carberry for 19.
Cowan fell next over when he attempted to pull a short ball from well wide of off stump off Finn and was brilliantly caught by Jonathan Trott moving to his right.
The hosts were 5-93 and in big trouble before Nevill and Carters came to the rescue.