England seamers bounce back in second Test

Birmingham, May 30: Andy Caddick and his fellow England seamers, who were flayed all round Lords by Sri Lanka's batsmen two weeks ago, returned to form with a vengeance in the second Test at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Caddick captured three for 47 to lead the way as Sri Lanka were dismissed for 162 after being put in to bat on the rain-hit opening day.

England survived seven overs against Muttiah Muralitharan, though not without some anxiety, as they reached the close on 24 without loss.

Caddick found effective allies in Matthew Hoggard (2-55), Andrew Flintoff (2-27) and Alex Tudor (2-25), though Alec Stewart took a share of the individual honours by holding three catches to complete 200 Test wicketkeeping dismissals.

Stewart, who has now been behind the stumps in 66 of his 117 Tests, had a hand in the first three dismissals to remove openers Marvan Atapattu and Sanath Jayasuriya, then added the wicket of Kumar Sangakarra.

Yet the day belonged to England's four pace bowlers, three of whom had been in the attack against which the touring team piled up 555 for eight declared in the drawn first Test of the three-match series.

Caddick, below his best in the first Test, got the ball to lift awkwardly at times, with two of his wickets coming in a telling phase just before tea when the touring team slumped from 96 for three to 108 for six.

It was Caddick and Hoggard who began Sri Lanka's troubles by reducing them to 23 for two in the space of five balls.