South Africa took a vice-like grip on the first day of the third Test after dismissing Rain hits opening day in Colombo ...
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Michael Vaughan was dismissed for a golden duck while Alastair Cook (76), Ian Bell (50) and Andrew Flintoff (36 not out) scored the only runs of note.

Andre Nel and Jacques Kallis were both outstanding with the ball, each taking three wickets for South Africa.

But Andrew Flintoff gave England hope after removing Graeme Smith late on to leave South Africa at 38-1 at stumps.

After the horrors of the 10-wicket capitulation in the second Test at Headingley, England's problems were further compounded by yet another impotent first innings batting display.

The day-one post-mortem is likely to focus on run-shy captain Michael Vaughan - dismissed for a golden duck - and the recalled Paul Collingwood, whose technical deficiencies have still yet to be addressed after another failure for four.

But while questions will inevitably demand answers about England's top-order frailties, South Africa produced yet another tight-knit bowling performance, with Kallis in particular emphasising why he is the best all-rounder in world cricket.

The 32-year-old's figures of 3-31 off 15 overs were accompanied by a quite brilliant low catch to dismiss Cook.

With Warwickshire groundsman Steve Rouse suggesting his dry pitch would suit seamers who "kiss" the surface, giving the ball every opportunity to swing, England omitted Steve Harmison in favour of the fit-again Ryan Sidebottom.

Presented with a good-looking batting surface which should deteriorate as the match progresses - manna from heaven for spinner Monty Panesar - captain Vaughan elected to bat first after winning the toss.

Denied the alacrity of Dale Steyn through injury, South Africa recalled Andre Nel to their starting XI, while captain Graeme Smith passed a late fitness test on a back strain.

Morne Morkel, promoted to take the new ball in Steyn's absence, made the most of the pitch, offering openers Andrew Strauss and Cook little width with a probing line around both left-handers' off stump.

Cook survived an early scare when a thick outside edge off Morkel just evaded a diving Paul Harris at gully in the third over with the score on five.

But despite a cautious start, both openers remained untroubled as they compiled a solid - if unspectacular - opening partnership.

Cook was the more prominent of the pair, with Strauss content to remain patient while his partner punished anything short through mid-wicket.

But with both openers well set with the score on 69, Strauss inconceivably trod on his stumps attempting to play Nel to leg off his back foot in the 23rd over.

The Middlesex opener looked aghast as he gazed upon on his broken wicket, pondering how he could have made such a rudimentary error as the South Africans celebrated their breakthrough.

And the tourists were jubilant the very next delivery when Vaughan edged Nel to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher for a golden duck.

Vaughan looked bemused as he returned to the pavilion, but replays suggested contact had been made with the ball, although Boucher seemed unconvinced when he caught the ball.

With England's fragile middle order vulnerably exposed, South Africa once again twisted the knife, this time courtesy of Kallis.

The burly all-rounder trapped Pietersen for four in his crease attempting to swat a straight ball to leg.

With Kallis convinced he had his man trapped lbw, umpire Steve Davis paused until Ashwell Prince had caught the ricochet off his pad before giving the dismissal.

The Australian official adjudged Pietersen had made contact with his bat before the ball looped up to Prince at gully, although replays proved inconclusive.

With the innings on the verge of collapse at 74-3, Cook and Bell - who began his innings with a sumptuous cover-driven boundary off Kallis - steered England to the lunch without further cause for concern.

The Edgbaston crowd were finally given something to celebrate in the second over after lunch when Cook brought up his 13th Test 50 with a neat flick off his body.

With a gritty half century on the scoreboard, the Essex left-hander expanded his repertoire of strokes with a series of boundaries down the ground, as well as through cover.

With Bell looking at ease on his home ground, the fourth-wicket pair added 62 runs before South Africa struck the all-important blow in the 41st over.

With three figures lurking on the horizon, Cook's lack of footwork denied him an opportunity to score his eighth Test century when he was superbly caught by Kallis off Nel for 76.

The seamer found the ideal line and length outside off stump, rooting Cook to his crease as his bat fended the ball to second slip.

The dismissal brought the under-fire Collingwood to the crease.

For 40 minutes he toiled as South Africa captain Smith attempted to ruthlessly expose England's one-day captain's confidence crisis.

Apart from one defiant cover drive for four, Collingwood's unmemorable 22-ball tenure ended when he guided Kallis to Smith at first slip.

In contrast, Bell's innings was punctuated by a series of textbook cover drives, one of which brought up his 18th Test half century.

But former Warwickshire team-mate Ntini ended any lingering hopes of a substantial score when Bell nicked an delivery which held its line to Boucher five minutes before tea.

With a key two-hour post-tea session to negotiate, both Tim Ambrose and Flintoff opted for attrition in an attempt to thwart South Africa's braying pace attack.

Ambrose's 59-ball vigil came to an end when he played on to Kallis - an inside edge cannoning on to his leg stump - for 22.

Ryan Sidebottom came and went, forcing Flintoff to counterattack Ntini with a pulled six and a vicious straight-driven four.

But two successive - and needless - run outs brought England's innings to an embarrassing end as both James Anderson and Monty Panesar were caught out of their ground.

South African openers Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie leaving anything off their stumps, Vaughan turned to talisman Flintoff for inspiration.

And the Lancastrian duly delivered when his second delivery removed Smith, who edged into the hands of Strauss for seven.

England could have had a second, but nightwatchman Harris' thick outside edge evaded the slips in the final over of the day from Sidebottom.

(BBC)

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