Cricket: Come in spinners

As preposterous as it might have seemed as one celebrated a comprehensive first test victory and the other whinged about his treatment in an ill-advised newspaper column, the second Ashes test at Edgbaston could come down to Shane Warne vs Ashley Giles... and Giles has his nose in front.

Left-arm spinner Giles answered his critics in the best possible fashion as England took control of the test. Roundly criticised after England's first test defeat, Giles took three wickets on his home ground as the world champions were bowled out for 308 on the second day.

England's delight with a 99-run first-innings lead, however, which they extended to 124 by the close, was marred by spinner Shane Warne in the final over of the day.

Andrew Strauss, failing to cover his stumps, was bowled by an extraordinary ripper, the delivery landing in the rough and turning from way outside off to hit leg. It was Warne's 594th test wicket.

England ended on 25-1, with Marcus Trescothick 19 not out and nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard yet to score.

Fast bowler Simon Jones, who took two wickets, and allrounder Andrew Flintoff, with three, were England's other top performers.

Jones produced a fine display of reverse swing which included England's ball of the day to dismiss Australia's top-scorer Justin Langer for 82. Flintoff wrapped up the innings with two consecutive inswinging yorkers that earned lbw decisions.

Giles, though, removed Australia's two in-form batsmen, Ricky Ponting for 61 and Michael Clarke for 40, before Australia lost their last five wickets for 46 runs.

The spinner, who failed to take a wicket at Lord's, finished with 3-78, to Flintoff's 3052. Adam Gilchrist was 49 not out at the end.

"I didn't have anything to prove to myself. I'm not a big one for turning around and sticking two fingers up," Giles told a news conference.

"I'm better than that, hopefully. I pointed a couple of times but that was at my wife. I've had a lot of support from her, as well as team-mates.

"I saw Warne's delivery. It's going to be tricky. That guy is used to bowling amazing balls."

The first day of the test had been a carnival, England put in on a benign surface and blazing away in the absence of injured Glenn McGrath for a total of 407. Friday seemed set to follow similar lines but gradually turned attritional as the world champions realised that their attacking batting was backfiring.

There was an early breakthrough when Matthew Hayden departed for the first golden duck of his test career. His 120th innings began and ended with a casual drive off a Matthew Hoggard loosener which flew to Strauss at short extra cover.

Ponting, however, looked in sublime form, flicking off his legs with impunity and fizzing two drives back past Jones to start a run of three consecutive fours.

Having cruised to 61 off 76 balls, he tried to paddle Giles around the corner and top-edged into Michael Vaughan's hands at short fine leg to make it 88 for two.

Damien Martyn followed off the last ball before lunch, run out by Vaughan for 20 as he dawdled towards safety.

- REUTERS