England had an excellent opening day in the Edgbaston Test against Sri Lanka to be 138-3 at stumps replying to the tourists' inadequate 143 all out.

Mahela Jayawardene's decision to bat first back-fired spectacularly as Sri Lanka were reduced to 82-8 before producing a dogged ninth-wicket stand.

Liam Plunkett was the pick of the England attack with figures of 3-43.

Openers Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss then put on 56 before Kevin Pietersen added some quick runs.

LATEST UPDATES (All times BST)

1828: Pietersen gets off strike with a single off Kulasekara. Kulasekara then spears one into Hoggard's legs and the ball runs away for four byes. Hoggard tucks away another leg-side delivery for a couple off the final ball of the day. England finish the day three runs behind Sri Lanka's first innings total.

1826: Hoggard safely negotiates another Murali over.

1820: Pietersen is clearly playing for the close, but still manages to put Kulasekara away for a couple down to mid-off.

1815:WICKET - ENGLAND 125-3: COOK LBW B MURALI 23
Murali - shock of shocks - drops one in short and Cook cuts him away for four. But Murali exacts revenge next ball, trapping Cook plumb in front with his 'doosra'. Hoggard, England's nightwatchman of choice, trudges to the crease almost apologetically.

"Kulasekara is what you might expect to face in a Sunday afternoon club game."
TMS commentator Jonathan Agnew

1810: Kulasekara comes into the attack and is little more than military medium. Cook pushes him down the pitch for three runs

1806: England milk five from Murali's over. Has Pietersen pulled up the shutters with 20 minutes to play?

1803: More buffet stuff from Malinga as he strays onto Cook's legs and the Essex man helps himself to a four to the mid-wicket boundary. Cook, opening the shoulders, rocks back and cuts Malinga for another boundary.

1800: While Pietersen is providing the pyrotechnics at the other end, Cook is more a pipe and slippers man. He has five from 34 balls.

1754: Pietersen has taken an immediate fancy to Malinga and slaps him through the covers for four. He then clips away a full toss on his legs to bring up England's hundred.

1750: Pietersen will not be pinned down by Murali. He sticks a big foot down the track and lofts him over long-off for six.

1745: Malinga is on to bowl to Pietersen who, as always, is twitching around like he forgot to go to the toilet before he strapped on his pads. He drives at a wide one and gets a thick outside edge through gully for four. He follows up with another outside edge down to the third man boundary. Cook is happy to stonewall down the other end.

1742: Murali keeps Cook honest with another probing maiden over.

1739: Cook is deceived by a Maharoof ball which stays low, beats Sangakkara behind the stumps, hits the helmet and runs away to the boundary. Five runs from the delivery. Pietersen has replaced Strauss as Cook's partner.

1732:WICKET - ENGLAND 69-2: STRAUSS RUN OUT (VANDORT) 30
Keystone Cops stuff from England as Strauss, who had looked in such good nick, is run out by Vandort from short fine leg. It appears to be Strauss' fault, as it was Cook's call and he could clearly be seen shouting to his partner as he bombed down the wicket. Cook is then dropped by Jayawardene at first slip - a relatively simple chance.

1725: Wonderful timing from Strauss, who clips Maharoof off his pads to the deep mid-wicket boundary. Strauss looks in mint condition and times Maharoof down the ground for a few, despite a half-stop by the bowler. Maharoof, who started so tidily, has served up three no-balls in this over.

1721: Murali has Cook scratching his head with one that pitches and leaves him. It seems he's not picking the Sri Lanka off-spinner. One from the over.

"In answer to Aggers, there are two ways of getting rid of moles: my grandfather had success by placing calcium carbide in mole tunnels. It releases acetylene on contact with moisture which the moles do not like. Care should be taken with the calcium carbide as acetylene is flammable and can be explosive. Or you could move to Ireland - there are no moles here."
Tom Field in the TMS inbox

1718: Smart shot from Cook, nudging Maharoof down to the square leg boundary for a single.

1712:WICKET - ENGLAND 56-1: TRESCOTHICK C SANGAKKARA B MURALI 27
Sri Lanka skipper Jayawardene has seen enough and brings the great Murali into the attack in the 17th over. Trescothick keeps out his first delivery but is out next ball, caught behind by Sangakkara attempting to carve the ball away square. Sharp work by Sangakkara standing up. Trescothick's dismissal brings Essex batsman Cook to the crease and he gets off the mark with a clip to mid-wicket.

1710: After some rough treatment from Trescothick in the previous over, Maharoof sends down a maiden over.

1700: On the stroke of 5 O'Clock, Strauss carves Malinga over the slips for four. Strauss then gets some bat on a ball down the leg side but Sangakkara puts a difficult chance down. However, umpire Dar signals a no-ball. Trescothick then whips an attempted yorker from Malinga down to the fine-leg boundary before leaning into a cover drive for four. Fourteen from the over.

1656: Trescothick has decided to have a go at Maharoof in this over and crashes two drives to the boundary. Not surprisingly, Murali is limbering up.

1652: Malinga returns and a full-bunger is played straight down the ground for four by Middlesex man Strauss. Malinga digs his final ball in short and Strauss very nearly lobs the ball back to the bowler - but it falls just short.

1646: Maharoof is doing his job well and sends down another maiden over, although the England openers are yet to offer any sort of chance. They will already be thinking of big scores.

1642: Vaas appeals for lbw against Strauss, but the ball was going well down the leg side and trickles away for four leg-byes. Strauss follows up with a dreamy cut through the covers for four. England are looking pretty untroubled.

1639: Maharoof is bowling a nagging line and length, but Trescothick gets a thick edge down to third man for an ambled two. Trescothick is on 11, Strauss has 10.

1635: Vaas drops one in short and Strauss cuts him away for four. Vaas, little more than military medium these days, cannot afford to lose his line or length.

1629: Malinga is off after just three overs. Maharoof replaces him. Apparently he used to open the bowling with Gus Fraser for Stanmore CC. Tidy stuff from Maharoof, who pins Trescothick to his crease for the whole over. 1626: Vaas serves up his first loose ball of the day and Strauss clips him away for two, Malinga mis-fielding at mid-wicket.

1620: Trescothick misses out on a Malinga full toss. Malinga's final ball of the over pitches well outside off-stump and dribbles along the floor to wicket-keeper Sangakkara.

1616: The compact, conventional Vaas is in complete contrast to Malinga and sends down another maiden.

1612: 'Malinga the Slinga' is back on, and his corn-row hairstyle is almost as whacky as his action. Trescothick plays an uppish shot through extra cover for two before timing the ball through the covers for four.

1608: More conventional stuff from Vaas, who puts in a maiden over.

1603: Malinga takes the new ball with Vaas - and his first delivery is a bit of a shock. As Paul Collingwood noted recently, the ball comes out of the umpire's stomach, such is his low, slingy action. It almost looks as though he is skimming a stone on a lake. He shocks Trescothick with a swift bouncer, but England milk his first over for five runs.

1555: Vaas has first go with the ball for Sri Lanka and Trescothick gets off the mark with a push off his legs. Strauss gets off the mark in similar fashion. Two runs from the first over.

1537:WICKET - SRI LANKA 141 ALL OUT: MURALI C PLUNKETT B FLINTOFF 1
It's old Lancashire team-mates Flintoff v Murali and the banter has been turned up in the middle. Murali goes for a huge heave second ball and Plunkett is wiping ice off the ball after safely pouching it.

1535: Vaas attempts to carve Panesar away to square and gets a thick edge that runs away for four.

1529: Flintoff drops one short and Vaas, who has peppered his obdurate innings with some good attacking strokes, swings it away for four.

1523:WICKET - SRI LANKA 132-9: MALINGA LBW B PANESAR 26
Panesar is unwrapped by Flintoff, who perhaps should have been introduced a little earlier. Malinga plays a scoop over his left shoulder for a couple, but Panesar comes up trumps with the penultimate ball, trapping Malinga lbw with a straight one. Malinga's partnership with Vaas is 50 runs. Murali is next man in and blocks the final ball of the over.

1520: Flintoff attempts an in-swinging yorker but Malinga clips away the resulting full-toss for four. Malinga, on 24, is approaching his highest first-class score of 30.

1515: Hoggard is still on and almost cleans up Malinga with a bit of in-swing, but Malinga gets bat on it. Pietersen looks to have tweaked a hamstring in the field. Hoggard hits Malinga in front again, but this time the ball is curving down the leg-side. Hoggard attempts another yorker and this time Malinga gets a thick inside edge. England must be sick of Malinga...

1513: Panesar is limbering up, if you can call what Panesar does 'limbering'. Four from Flintoff's over.

"Aggers, are there any other parts of your game we can ridicule before tea?"
TMS analyst Gus Fraser

1507: Vaas rocks back and plays a forcing stroke for two to deep extra cover. Tidy from Hoggard, but not the breakthrough England were looking for.

1502: Flintoff grabs the ball and backs himself to mop up the tail. 'Stonewall' Vaas negotiates the first five balls before retaining the strike with three runs through deep extra cover.

1458: Flintoff throws the ball to the redoubtable Hoggard with the score on 'Nelson' - 111. Vaas has put the shutters up and you suspect it will take something special to get rid of him.

1455: A tight over from Plunkett - two from it. But Malinga remains.

1450: It's Mahmood's turn to beat Malinga outside the off-stump. Mahmood attempts a yorker with his final delivery, but serves up a full-toss instead and Malinga diverts it down to the fine-leg boundary.

1445: Plunkett beats Malinga outside the off-stump and Malinga checks himself next ball. Plunkett then finds the shoulder of Malinga's bat with a ripper of a delivery, and the ball loops over Strauss at third slip. Malinga, a real fly in England's ointment now, flicks Plunkett round the corner for a single. At 22 runs, this is now Sri Lanka's best partnership of the innings.

1441: Vaas plays an attractive square drive for four off Mahmood. Warming to his task, he tries a florid cover drive next ball but is beaten.

1438: Malinga is proving to be a pain for England and shovels Plunkett past a diving Cook at short leg for a couple.

"Strikes me that Monty Panesar has some close vision difficulties. In both incidents today his hands have been a couple of inches from the correct position when he attempted to catch the ball. The answer: glasses."
John Benson in the TMS inbox

1433: Pietersen pulls off an athletic catch diving to his right in the gully to deny Malinga runs. Malinga then slaps Mahmood to the backward point boundary.

1428: Plunkett is wheeled out and Vaas gets a single when Hoggard mis-fields at mid-off. Panesar then puts Malinga down at mid-off, a pretty straight-forward chance by anyone's standards and more grist for the mill for Panesar's critics. Plunkett then has a strangled lbw appeal turned down by umpire Dar. Plunkett will be chuntering to himself all the way to the boundary.

1425: Just one run from Flintoff's over. However, the England skipper is struggling to click into gear.

1419: Malinga steers the ball away and thinks he might get off the mark - but Collingwood denies him with a dive at gully. Malinga fends Mahmood away and the ball just falls wide of Cook at forward short leg. Malinga takes a swipe at his final ball - a shot worthy of a man who, apparently, learnt his cricket on the beach. Another maiden.

1412: Malinga discovers he has forgotten his box and quickly sends for it. Wise move with the ball nipping around like it is. Vaas gets rapped on the left wrist by Flintoff. Pietersen, mobbed by children out on the boundary, takes the opportunity to sign some autographs. Good man.

1407:WICKET - SRI LANKA 82-8: KULASEKARA C TRESCOTHICK B MAHMOOD 3
Kulasekara is out flashing irresponsibly at a Mahmood delivery. First slip Trescothick takes a difficult catch around about his left shoulder.

1400:WICKET - SRI LANKA 79-7: DILSHAN C TRESCOTHICK B FLINTOFF 27
Flintoff brings himself on and gets Dilshan with his first delivery. A poor shot from Dilshan, attempting to lace Flintoff through the covers on the up. Kulasekara is ninth man in and his second ball from Flintoff spits off the surface outside the off-stump.

1355: Dilshan latches on to a short Mahmood delivery and crashes it to the mid-wicket boundary for four. Mahmood hits back with an in-swinging yorker which Dilshan does well to dig out. An engaging little contest.

1352: Dilshan rocks onto the back foot and cracks Hoggard through the covers for four to move to 22. Sri Lanka move to 74-6.

"Devon Malcolm's fielding was atrocious. On his first tour in the Caribbean, he turned his back on one in the field because he said the sun was in his eyes. Coach Micky Stewart exploded, and said 'for crying out loud Devon, why didn't you get round the other side of it?' And Devon said: 'Because it's millions of miles away...'"
TMS analyst Gus Fraser

1346: Another neat over by Mahmood, who has got a good rhthym going.

"Panesar runs rather like a horse entering the dressage ring..."
TMS commentator Henry Blofeld

1342: Hoggard is on with the score 66-6 - unlucky for who? Hoggard, actually, as Vaas gets a thick inside edge for one run.

1340: Mahmood has first go with the ball after lunch and Vaas gets off the mark with a push into the off-side.

1258:WICKET - SRI LANKA 65-6: MAHAROOF C JONES B MAHMOOD 5
Mahmood, unbowed by the previous over's nonsense, keeps probing and gets his reward, Maharoof tickling one behind to Jones. Sri Lanka are in disarray - and it's lunch. For England, it will be a hearty one.

"If you say the full name of Dilshan, bizarrely it sounds like the theme music of erstwhile TV comedy Please Sir! Try it - talk about uncanny!"
Michael Roadnight in the TMS inbox

1254: Metronomic stuff from Hoggard, who sticks in another maiden over.

"We've always had ogres in the slips - it used to be Mark Butcher, now it seems to be Strauss who's dropping everything."
TMS analyst Vic Marks

1248: Flintoff takes the covers off Mahmood, who bowled so well on debut at Lord's. Maharoof attempts a drive off his first ball, but it is put down by Strauss at third slip. Panesar then rubs salt into Mahmood's wound, failing to stop a Maharoof drive down to long-on.

1246: Hoggard has a big lbw appeal turned down by umpire Hair, who presumably thinks the ball would have missed Dilshan's leg-stump.

Dear TMS Team, On your advice, I forked out my beer money on a digital radio to hear the last Test match as, and I quote, "you will be able to listen to the cricket without interruption". Well, there were numerous interruptions for bad light and rain. Should I have bought a more expensive model?
Philip Sparke, Wembley in the TMS inbox

1239: Dilshan plays a ropey old shot outside off-stump and Collingwood, diving to his left, gets a hand to it but it doesn't stick. A half chance. Plunkett then goes up for an lbw appeal, but umpire Dar rules that the ball would have gone over the top. Dilshan then flicks Plunkett away through mid-wicket and Panesar drags it in just before the boundary.

1236: Welcome to Birmingham, Maharoof! The all-rounder gets one on the bonce from Flintoff and the ball runs away for four leg-byes. Hairy times for Maharoof, who edges the ball along the ground to fourth slip from Flintoff's final ball.

1230:WICKET - SRI LANKA 46-5: SANGAKKARA C JONES B PLUNKETT 25
Plunkett plops one in short and Sangakkara laces it through the covers for four. But Sangakkara, who had been looking pretty deep-rooted, is out next ball, nicking one to Jones behind the timbers. Jones ended up catching the ball between his wrists. Plunkett finishes the over with figures of 3-22.

1226: More tight stuff from Flintoff, who switches to over the wicket with the final ball of the over. But Sangakkara is looking pretty solid.

TMS will be reflecting on the life of Eric Bedser, the Surrey legend who died on Wednesday, at lunch.

1220: Plunkett almost gets a third wicket, Dilshan edging to Flintoff low at second slip - but the celebrations are cut short by the news that it was a no-ball. Dilshan makes the most of his reprieve, punching Plunkett away for four with a short-arm jab.

1214: Hoggard is off after a fine opening spell. Flintoff brings himself back on from the City End. His nose may just be a bit out of joint at the moment, what with Mahmood's wickets at Lord's and Plunkett's showing today. A Maiden over.

1212: Plunkett goes up for an lbw against Dilshan, but the batsman just manages to get some bat on it. Plunkett follows up with a yorker, which just misses Dilshan's off-stump.

1206: Like Robert Duvall's character in the movie Apocalypse Now, Sangakkara seems oblivious to the carnage around him and violently pulls Hoggard away for four. He moves on to 21.

1201: Plunkett drops one in short and Sangakkara cuts the ball away for four. Dilshan gets an absolute brute first up from Plunkett, the ball curving in before pitching and moving away.

1155:WICKET - SRI LANKA 25-4: SAMARAWEERA C COLLINGWOOD B HOGGARD 3
Hoggard raps Samaraweera on the pads and stifles an appeal - Samaraweera was saved by an inside edge. But Samaraweera is put out of his misery two balls later, driving at a wide one and Collingwood pouching the catch at fourth slip. It's a blessed relief to see Samaraweera dismissed.

1150: Sangakkara takes on Pietersen in the covers and, while the throw just misses, Sangakkara crashes into the stumps, to the amusement of the England fielders. That's one way of making sure the throw doesn't hit.

1148: Sangakkara drives into the covers for a couple and moves on to 11. Hoggard beats Samaraweera outside the off-stump and gets squared-up next ball. Hoggard is getting plenty of movement and Samaraweera is looking twitchy.

1144: Plunkett is back on, his gander up. Samaraweera gets a thickish edge which is well stopped by Collingwood in the gully. A tidy over from Plunkett.

"Quite an astute bowling change by Flintoff, no?"
Jude Fisher in the TMS inbox

1140: Follow that, Hoggard. Sangakkara whips one away to mid-wicket and takes a risky second - and would have been out if Plunkett's throw had hit.

1135:WICKET - SRI LANKA 16-3: JAYAWARDENE C JONES B PLUNKETT 0
Skipper Jayawardene is next man in and lasts just three deliveries, Plunkett serving up a jaffa and Jones taking a feathered nick behind the stumps. Double wicket maiden for Plunkett.

1130:WICKET - SRI LANKA 16-2: VANDORT C COLLINGWOOD B PLUNKETT 9
Flintoff is off after just three overs and Durham seamer Plunkett is thrown the ball. His first ball is given the wall treatment by Vandort. His second pitches on middle-and-leg, leaves Vandort and England go up for a caught behind. Good decision by the umpire - the ball caught Vandort's hip. However, Vandort wafts at the next delivery and is caught - YES, CAUGHT! - by Collingwood in the gully.

1128: Sangakkara gets an inside edge that would have been caught if England had a forward short leg. A maiden over from Hoggard.

"I saw Ashley Giles out there on the field doing a bit of practice, which is a good sign."
TMS commentator Jonathan Agnew

1121: Vandort gets up on tippy-toes and carves Flintoff to the point boundary for four. Florid stuff, if a little 'airy'. Sangakkara takes a quick single to point. Seven off the over.

1119: The first four of the day goes to Sangakkara, a checked push off Hoggard flying through the slip cordon.

"Panesar has to be careful because the gentle barracking he gets could quickly turn to scorn." TMS analyst Gus Fraser

1115: Sangakkara gets off the mark with an expansive drive to mid-off, where Panesar fields. It is doubtful whether Sangakkara would have taken a run to anyone else in the England team.

"Edgbaston is looking lovely, with the trees poking over the stands. The groundsmen have been working like beavers. We also have the first bird of the morning - a crow is being chased by a pigeon, and he's gaining on the crow..."
TMS commentator Henry Blofeld

1110: Hoggard digs one in to Vandort who, standing at around 6ft 6in, gloves it just short of forward short leg. A maiden over from the Yorkshire paceman.

1105: Vandort nudges a single off Flintoff. Sangakkara is next man in and plays and misses at his first three balls.

1100: WICKET - SRI LANKA 3-1: THARANGA B HOGGARD 0 Hoggard bowls the first over. Vandort, playing his first Test in England, pushes one down the ground for a few. Hoggard gives himself a talking to - perhaps he should have ghot down to it. Hoggard then cleans up Tharanga second ball, the Sri Lanka opener pushing forward tentatively and failing to cover Hoggard's in-swing.

"It might be difficult for the batsmen for the first hour and a half, but after that the pitch should flatten out a bit."
TMS analyst Gus Fraser

1050: After some horrible weather over the last few days, a dry morning with one or two clouds will greet England's fielders when play begins.

"Hope we are all in for an enthralling days cricket. Come on Freddie's boys, let's make sure those catches stick"
Ricky e-mails TMS

England: Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Alistair Cook, Kevin Pietersen, Paul Collingwood, Andrew Flintoff (captain), Geraint Jones, Liam Plunkett, Matthew Hoggard, Sajid Mahmood, Monty Panesar.