Wickets set to tumble for Warne again

BIRMINGHAM, England - His passion for the game restored, Shane Warne is likely to become the first Australian to break the magical 400-wicket barrier during the five-Test Ashes cricket series against bamboozled England.

Warne's haul of 8-100 in Australia's comprehensive triumph at Edgbaston gave him 384 Test victims, moving him past England legend Ian Botham (383) into sixth on the all-time list.

He will telephone Botham to remind him of the fact, then set his sights on the 16 scalps he needs to join a very exclusive club.

Only Courtney Walsh (519), Kapil Dev (434), Sir Richard Hadlee (431), Wasim Akram (414) and Curtly Ambrose (405) have taken 400 wickets in the 124-year history of Test cricket.

"I might ring the beefcake [Botham] tonight and say, 'bad luck, buddy'," said Warne, who finished with 5-71 and 3-29 from 29.1 vintage overs as Australia won the first Test at Edgbaston today by an innings and 108 runs.

"Beefy's been a close friend to me, we've talked a lot about different things over the past few years and we know each other's families well.

"We're good mates - I'm a bit far off his 8,000 Test runs and 14 Test hundreds.

"I'm sure we'll share a beer over the next couple of weeks.

"Last time I did that I ended up in hospital on a drip after a few days."

Warne's success at Edgbaston gave the strongest possible indication that England remained mystified by the leg spinner who sent Mike Gatting "the ball of the century" at Old Trafford in 1993.

Struggles with form, selection, injury and controversy have plagued Warne in recent years - he considered retirement in the West Indies in 1999 - but his enthusiasm and zip are back.

"I said before I left Australia that this could be my last tour, the last tour to England for a few of us in Test cricket, and I want to make it one to remember," he said.

"I was very happy to play a big part in the first Test, it was a great win.

"I woke up out of bed the first morning and I felt nervous for the first time in a long while ... I was ready for it."

Warne and Jason Gillespie (3-52), whose burst of 3-4 in 15 balls gave Australia a stranglehold, were the most impressive bowlers in an England second innings that fizzled after only 42.1 overs.

The hosts lost 7-22 in 10.3 overs to be dismissed in its second innings for 9-164.

"I said before the series that I thought Dizzy [Gillespie] would be the one to watch, that he'd be the leading wicket taker in the series," Warne said.

"When he gets them in the right area he's a real handful, up there with the best, I reckon.

"He bowls about 90 miles an hour but the thing I like about him is that he bowls Glenn McGrath's length with Brett Lee's pace.

"That's a pretty potent mix."