Mark Ramprakash and Dominic Cork have kept the total advancing, despite concentrated bowling from the South Africans.

Ramprakash has made a steady 41, while Cork has contributed a useful 10 since coming in for Mark Ealham.

Adams came close several times before dismissing Ealham

South Africa's bowling has improved all day, and in the afternoon session they added wickets of Ealham and Graham Thorpe to the three they took in the morning session.

Ealham was trapped perfectly by Paul Adams, South Africa's unorthodox spinner. The England allrounder had been pegged back, having scored just five runs from 35 balls when Adams tempted him into advancing down the track and going for the big hit.

But he was deceived by the flight of the ball and turned round to see his wicket broken.

Thorpe had scored just 10 runs when he was completely undone by a superb delivery from Shaun Pollock.

The South African paceman stepped up his pace, and his yorker completely eluded Thorpe's bat and removed his middle stump.

Stewart just missed his half century

The delivery was timed at 87 mph by the Edgbaston speed camera, the fastest ball of the game so far.

Thorpe was dismissed just as he was looking to steady the England innings with Mark Ramprakash.

The South African captain Hansie Cronje has been rotating his bowlers in an attempt to wrest the initiative from England, and he has been rewarded with much more concentrated spells of bowling.

South Africa had made an important breakthrough just before lunch, removing Captain Alec Stewart and Nasser Hussain with the score on 309.

They had forged a useful partnership of 60 after Mike Atherton lost his wicket without adding to his overnight score of 103.

Hussain played a vibrant innings before his dismissal

Atherton was caught behind by Mark Boucher off Allan Donald, having faced just four balls on the second day.

But then with six overs to go until lunch Stewart and Hussain were both dismissed.

Stewart was just one run short of his half-century when he edged a delivery from Lance Klusener to Daryl Cullinan at first slip.

Five balls later Hussain was undone by a bizarre delivery from South Africa's unorthodox spinner Paul Adams.

Hussain can consider himself unlucky as the ball never bounced and went underneath his stroke.

Scorecard

England 1st innings

• M Butcher c Kallis b Adams 77
• M Atherton c Boucher b Donald 103
• A Stewart c Cullinan b Klusener 49
• N Hussain lbw Adams 33
• G Thorpe b Pollock 10
• M Ramprakash not out 41
• M Ealham b Adams 5
• D Cork not out 10

Extras 52

Total 382 for 6

To Bat: R Croft, D Gough, A Fraser.

FoW: 1-179, 2-249, 3-309, 4-309, 5-329, 6-356.