Shane Warne, who took five England wickets yesterday, has underlined just how important the first session of today's play is to both sides.

"It will be a big first session tomorrow, an important one", he said after the close of play yesterday. "We're going to have to get our heads down and battle – it'll be one of the most important sessions of the Test." He was impressed by England's fighting determination, and their positive play, commenting that "It was a fantastic day of Test cricket and very interesting one, a few ups and downs. The way both teams played was positive and aggressive".

He also highlighted the importance of the continued form of Michael Slater, the Aussie opener who bludgeoned 76 runs from 77 balls from close of play yesterday; "The beauty of Slater is that he can really take the game away from the opposition straight away, or can get you back into the game". Though England achieved two late breakthroughs yesterday, removing the dangerous Matthew Hayden and the disappointing Ricky Ponting, Slater remains very much the man to get out.

England will be hoping that their bowlers, particularly new-ball pairing Darren Gough and Andy Caddick, will be on top of their game today. The home side owed much to Caddick yesterday while he was batting, his Test-best 49* helping England from a dismal 191-9 to a respectable 294 all out. What made his effort all the more impressive was the fact that he was batting with a broken finger; however the Somerset quickie made light of it; "I was in a little bit of pain, but your adrenaline gets going and you soon forget about it. Alec (Stewart) and I made a game plan that we were going to be positive, if it was there to hit we were going to hit it".

The 103 run last wicket partnership made England's total a defendable one, but Australia immediately made swift inroads yesterday evening. Caddick said that "it's very difficult when you come out as a bowler against Michael Slater, who showed what a world-class player he is, but we knew they would come at us". After the deluge of runs yesterday, Caddick agreed with Warne regarding the vital nature of the first session today. "If we manage to get two or three wickets before lunch, with a few less runs on the board, it's game on really". Caddick will need to do as well with the ball as he did with the bat, and England will need to show the character captain Nasser Hussain called for prior to this Test if they are to make a game of it against Slater and the Australians.

Andrew Caddick and Alec Stewart's crucial 103-run last wicket partnership against Australia in the opening Test at Edgbaston yesterday was the highest last-wicket partnership ever at Edgbaston in a Test, and was only England's fourth partnership of over a hundred for the last wicket in history.

1903-4 Sydney v Aus RD Foster (204) & W Rhodes (40*) 130

1966 The Oval v WI K Higgs (63) & JA Snow (59*) 128

1980 The Oval v WI P Willey (100*) & RGD Willis (24*) 117*

2001 Edgbaston v Aus AJ Stewart (65) & AR Caddick (49*) 103

* denotes not out.

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