James Anderson and Ravi Bopara tuned up nicely for the start of the Ashes with eye-catching displays for England in their three-day game against Warwickshire at Edgbaston.
Anderson took 5-34 as Warwickshire were dismissed for 102, giving England a 188-run first-innings lead.
England then secured a 373-run advantage by the end of the second day, with No.3 Bopara scoring 88 not out.
But one conncern for England will be the form of key batsman Kevin Pietersen, who was out for six in a total of 2-185 after scoring just a single in the first innings.
Pietersen, who has battled an ongoing ankle injury, was again caught in the slips and will go into the first Test at Cardiff next Wednesday short of time in the middle.
Andrew Flintoff (2-16) and Monty Panesar (3-10) also looked good with the ball but Lanacshire seamer Anderson was the star man.
"I'm concentrating on my job which is to swing the ball and take early wickets to make as many inroads as possible in their top six or seven," he told BBC Sport.
"I think we just want to get (the Ashes) started really. The hype has been going on for so long now."
PERTH NEIL DEVEY
