ENGLAND VS SOUTH AFRICA,3RD TEST

Andre Nel proved himself a more than capable replacement for Dale Steyn with three wickets on the opening day at Edgbaston as England reached tea in trouble on 173 for 6. He broke through an opening stand of 68 and also bagged Michael Vaughan first ball, while Jacques Kallis chipped in with the vital wicket of Kevin Pietersen and the out-of-form Paul Collingwood. England's problems worsened moments before tea when Ian Bell edged behind for 50.

England's inconsistent top order has again left them chasing the game and even with their extended batting line-up - Andrew Flintoff at No. 7 and Tim Ambrose at No. 8 - they are a long way short on a fairly docile surface. Alastair Cook's 76 provided some ballast and Bell was in the process of constructing a solid innings during the afternoon with a fifty off 94 balls, but they couldn't build anything more substantial. The pair were stabilising the innings following a pre-lunch wobble off 3 for 6, with a fourth-wicket stand of 62, before Nel's third invention handed the momentum back to South Africa.

Coming around the wicket, he brought an indeterminate poke from Cook, who was given a bit of send-off - although Nel will no doubt blame 'Gunther'. The pressure was on the returning Collingwood who took half an hour to open his account and it was of little surprise when he edged Kallis to first slip 20 minutes before tea. It was a shot that showed his complete lack of form, trying to turn a good length ball on off stump through midwicket. Makhaya Ntini, who was the least impressive of the attack, then found Bell's outside edge in the penultimate over before tea to leave England starring at another mediocre total.

Nel's return to the Test arena was always unlikely to be quiet affair and he was kept waiting as the new ball was handed to Morne Morkel and Ntini. He benefited from an ounce of luck, but provided plenty of hostility. It was an innocuous ball which started England's demise, which Andrew Strauss nudged off his hip, but in the process the right foot went into the base of middle stump. Next delivery Vaughan, with just 23 runs in the series, was drawn onto the front foot as the ball zipped past the edge. Mark Boucher barely appealed, but Nel and the slips went up and so did Aleem Dar's finger. Vaughan could hardly believe it, but his troubled times continued.

Kevin Pietersen bristled with intent early on, but got himself in a tangle against Kallis when he tried to flick him from outside off through the leg side. He was struck in line with off stump and the ball ballooned to Ashwell Prince at point. Steve Davis gave Pietersen out and signalled that it was for the catch. Pietersen looked bemused, and replays showed there wasn't an edge, but that the lbw shout was pretty adjacent.

Cook was England's main provider, but it was further frustration that he failed to build on another half-century. At Lord's and Headingley he reached the 60s and here made it has far as 76 before edging Nel, with Kallis holding a superb catch low to his left. Cook had never looked entirely comfortable during his stay, especially against Morkel's first spell when he was regularly beaten outside off. However, when the bowlers dropped short Cook pounced, twice pulling Nel through wicket and also cutting strongly.

Until Nel's intervention it had been a quiet start to the Test, oddly so for Edgbaston which is normally the most patriotic of English venues but today - perhaps because of the Wednesday start - was only about a third full. Ntini, who showed signs of improvement at Headingley, struggled for rhythm during his first spell and couldn't push the speed-gun past the low 80s. There was too much for Strauss and Cook to leave and a tendency to drop short allowed the openers to sit on the back foot.

The bowlers' frustrations grew as the outside edge was found, but nicks either went between the slips or landed short. Cook almost toe-ended a pull to point and Nel tried his best to squeeze a yorker through both batsmen. England were looking settled, but not for the first time appearances proved deceptive and South Africa have made a strong start towards their aim of sewing up the series