England's decision to make changes in a desperate effort to bounce back against South Africa backfired badly.

Having slumped to a dismal 10-wicket defeat in the second Test at Headingley to give the tourists a 1-0 lead in the four-match npower series, England decided different personnel were the key to an immediate fightback at Edgbaston.

But after dropping Nottinghamshire's Darren Pattinson and Stuart Broad to welcome back Paul Collingwood and Ryan Sidebottom to their ranks, the only improvement was a slowing up in the speed in which England capitulated on the opening day.

Dismissed for 203 in 52.3 overs - inside two sessions - at Headingley, England at least took their innings beyond tea this time before their innings was brought to a close in farcical fashion for 231 in only 77 overs.

Unlike the previous Test, however, it was England who won the toss this time and spurned yet another opportunity to set the tone with South Africa progressing to 38 for one by the close of the opening day.

The limp performance is bound to increase the pressure on both captain Michael Vaughan, who was dismissed for a first ball duck, and coach Peter Moores after he has presided over an indifferent series of results since taking over from Duncan Fletcher.

Yet for the majority of the opening session England, who have posted a first-innings total of 400 only once in the last 14 Tests, the changes appeared to have worked with openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook laying the platform for a competitive total with a 66-run partnership.

But attempting to force seamer Andre Nel off the back foot onto the leg-side just five overs before the interval, Strauss disturbed his stumps as he pushed off for a single to earn South Africa an unexpected breakthrough.

Vaughan stepped to the crease having come through an intensive week's practice at Loughborough as he attempted to improve a record of only 23 runs in the series so far with growing pressure on his place in the top order.

The workouts at the National Performance Centre proved fruitless with Vaughan getting a thin edge behind, so much so that wicketkeeper Mark Boucher did not even appeal, after pushing loosely outside off-stump.

The England captain may have looked bemused at the decision but television replays upheld umpire Aleem Dar's verdict and left Kevin Pietersen facing the hat-trick ball from Nel, who had only been recalled to the side following the left thumb fracture suffered by spearhead Dale Steyn.

Pietersen successfully blocked that delivery but fell just three overs later to all-rounder Jacques Kallis, who initially appealed for lbw when the ball thudded into his pads only for Ashwell Prince to take the catch at cover off an inside edge.

It was England's third wicket to fall in just 21 balls and any momentum gained by winning the toss was lost despite the best efforts of Cook and Ian Bell, who were the only players to reach a half-century.

The pair looked to have stabilised the innings after sharing a 62-run stand after lunch with Cook threatening to end his run of 13 Test innings without reaching a century.

But after progressing to within 24 runs of three figures, Cook became Nel's third victim when he edged low to Kallis at second slip to bring Collingwood out to the crease with England in desperate trouble at 136 for four.

Without any inkling of form this summer - he averages 9.75 in Tests this summer - the Durham all-rounder knew this was his time to deliver if his return to the England side was not to be short-lived.

He took 39 minutes to get off the mark, a sweetly-timed drive for four through mid-off, but it was his only scoring shot before edging to first slip off Kallis.

Bell fell for a determined half-century just three overs later when he edged Kallis behind, but Andrew Flintoff and Tim Ambrose forged a useful 39-run stand by remaining patient and watchful.

Ambrose, another player under scrutiny after averaging only 20 this summer, played on to Kallis with the new ball only six overs away and South Africa playing for time until they could recall their quickest bowlers to the attack.

It started another collapse, but this time totally of England's making with Sidebottom edging behind to leave Flintoff batting with the tail.

He signalled his intentions by pulling Makhaya Ntini for six over mid-wicket and a four down the ground off the next ball, but then appeared to lose his cricket sense by contributing to two run outs to end the innings.

Flintoff called James Anderson, who was celebrating his 26th birthday, for a suicidal single and he was run out by a direct throw from Prince at cover and then Monty Panesar was run out off the next ball when he attempted an ambitious two.

Lancashire all-rounder Flintoff was furious with himself, but redeemed himself slightly by dismissing captain Graeme Smith with his second ball when he edged to slip.

But the tourists survived the testing 11 overs before the close by losing only that one wicket to end the day firmly on top with their sights set on a significant series win in England.