1st Test: England v South Africa at Birmingham, Jul 24-28, 2003 /

First Test

England v South Africa

2004: At Birmingham, July 24, 25, 26, 27, 28

South Africa take the high ground as Test ends in a draw

Jul 28, 2003: Graeme Smith takes evasive action during South Africa's chase for quick runs Once an uncharacteristically aggressive onslaught from Ashley Giles in the opening overs of the day had ensured that England avoided the follow-on, it was going to

Riding the hype

Jul 27, 2003: This year, the Wisden Cricketers' Almanack took a deep breath and used a picture on its front cover for the first time in history

Vaughan masterclass keeps South Africa at bay

Jul 27, 2003: Michael Vaughan stroked his way to a sublime 156, his ninth Test century and his eighth in 15 matches, to lead England's fightback on a fascinating fourth day's play at Edgbaston

Smith takes charge before rain returns to thwart South Africa

Jul 26, 2003: Graeme Smith on his way to 277, the highest Test score by a South African The rain which washed out all of yesterday returned at tea to bring a premature end to the third day's play in the first npower Test at Edgbaston, just as a tense

England's dark satanic mills

Jul 25, 2003: In terms of bad timing, it was up there with the moment Nero reached for a fiddle rather than a firehose

Rain offers England some respite

Jul 25, 2003: A fed-up Graeme Smith at a soggy Edgbaston Heavy rain, which started in the early hours, gave England some respite from the mauling they received on the opening day of the first npower Test against South Africa at Edgbaston

Smith makes an early impression

Jul 24, 2003: Age is only a number, as Steve Waugh and Alec Stewart have been telling us all for several years now

Trescothick injury a 'pretty minor fracture'

Jul 24, 2003: Another blow for England as Marcus Trescothick leaves the field after fracturing his finger The news that Marcus Trescothick has suffered a fractured finger capped a miserable day for England in the first npower Test at Edgbaston

A straight road to South African domination

Jul 24, 2003: Dring on ..

Gibbs and Smith put South Africa in complete control

Jul 24, 2003: England's cricketers have always been prone to choking on their own hubris, but today's debacle at Edgbaston was astonishing even by their extreme standards