Australia, deprived of Glenn McGrath following a freak warm-up injury, weathered a battering before dismissing England for 407 on a hugely entertaining opening day of the second Test on Thursday.
The Australian innings could not take off as rain forced play to be drawn to a close with eight overs to go in the day.
The home side, 1-0 down in the five-match series after being outclassed at Lord's, dominated the morning and afternoon, galloping at a one-day pace to reach 289 for four at tea, with Marcus Trescothick making 90.
Kevin Pietersen, with a run-a-ball 71 and Andrew Flintoff, with an even quicker 68 including five sixes and six fours, put on a century stand for the fifth wicket to keep England on top.
But the world champions, who put England in on a slow-paced Edgbaston pitch, kept chipping away to take the last six wickets for 117. Shane Warne cleaned up the tail to take four for 116.
The 35-year-old McGrath, the man of the match in the first Test with nine wickets, stepped on a cricket ball during a game of touch rugby and damaged ligaments in his right ankle.
He is also a doubt for the third Test starting at Old Trafford next week.
Michael Kasprowicz, McGrath's replacement, took three wickets for 80.
Strike bowler Brett Lee, however, suffered. Hit for a string of sixes, he ended with one for 111 off 17 overs.
Pietersen, who made his debut at Lord's, has now hit three half-centuries in his first three Test innings. Trescothick, meanwhile, again missed out on his first Ashes hundred.
England's approach on Thursday was in stark contrast to the first Test when, strangled by McGrath and Warne, they made only 155 in their first innings and 180 in the second.
