For James Anderson, the Australia series cannot start soon enough. He has had enough of the hype and believes that the England team are in the best possible shape.

Is he exaggerating? A touch, perhaps, but not as far as his own game is concerned. The way he is bowling this may well be the summer that comes to be linked with his name. Anderson's Ashes: it does have a ring.

Only something very special or very naughty overshadows Andrew Flintoff, yet Anderson did just that with another display of fast, accurate swing. All five of his wickets were those of recognised Warwickshire batsmen and, in a serious game, he would have been allowed to run through the tail as well.

This being glorified practice rather than a serious occasion, Andrew Strauss opted to use his spin bowlers to finish the job and, with Monty Panesar claiming the last three wickets, the England captain could not have taken much more from the innings.

Apart from anything else, it gave England plenty of time to bat again.

The only disappointment came when Kevin Pietersen failed for the second time, flashing to the slips, but Pietersen has never been the man for the small occasion and the idea of grafting for runs on a slow pitch did not appeal. Ravi Bopara, though, accepted the challenge and produced the best strokes of the day in the final half-hour.

Strauss completed a 90-ball fifty; it took a smart return catch by Chris Woakes to remove him. Bopara had been the junior partner in all senses, but if it takes a single shot for timing to return then Bopara's on drive against the gentle medium pace of Jonathan Trott may prove to be worth far more than four runs.

England needed only 45.4 overs to dismiss Warwickshire for 102. Anderson felt that the attack had been rusty on Wednesday evening. After a fortnight playing Twenty20 cricket, even five-over spells must feel exerting, but whatever was said in the confines of the dressing room before play it quickly served its purpose.

Flintoff had a confident appeal for leg-before against Trott rejected with his third ball of the day and then saw Anderson spill a catch at gully from his sixth. Anderson estimated that his county colleague reached 90mph and as Flintoff charged in powerfully it became evident why captains and coaches forgive his misdeeds.

After Trott nicked Anderson behind, Flintoff had Tony Frost leg-before shuffling across his stumps and Jim Troughton edging a hostile, rearing ball. With their different approaches, the Lancashire pair form a strong combination, arguably the best new-ball partnership within the likely squad come the first Test. Tim Ambrose lost his off stump and Aqib Javed, 17, was turned inside out shaping to play through mid-wicket.

Anderson completed his five-for when Flintoff held Rikki Clarke with deceptive ease.

Panesar is the only member of the side who is not guaranteed to figure in Cardiff next Wednesday, but he received great vocal encouragement from the men around the bat and celebrated his wickets with increasing zest and bounce. When Boyd Rankin nicked to silly mid-off via the pad it was like watching the old Monty.

England XI: First Innings 290 for 8 dec (A N Cook 124)

Second Innings
*A J Strauss c and b Woakes 61
R S Bopara not out 88
K P Pietersen c Clarke b Rankin 6
P D Collingwood not out 21
Extras (lb 9) 9
Total (2 wkts, 53 overs) 185
Fall of wickets: 1-109, 2-125.
Bowling: Woakes 11-4-21-1; Rankin 10-0-30-1; Tahir 10-2-26-0; Clarke 5-0-27-0; Barker 6-1-25-0; Trott 8-0-35-0; Javeed 3-0-12-0.

Warwickshire: First Innings
(overnight 31-1)
T Frost lbw b Flintoff 14
I J L Trott c Prior b Anderson 19
J O Troughton c Prior b Flintoff 5
Ateeq Javeed c Swann b Anderson 4
†T R Ambrose b Anderson 7
R Clarke c Flintoff b Anderson 12
C R Woakes c Strauss b Panesar 13
K H D Barker b Panesar 5
N Tahir not out 7
W B Rankin c Bopara b Panesar 1
Extras (b 8, lb 5) 13
Total (45.4 overs) 102
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-38, 3-48, 4-49, 5-59, 6-64, 7-75, 8-81, 9-96.
Bowling: Anderson 13-2-34-5; Broad 11-4-18-0; Flintoff 9-3-16-2; Swann 5-1-11-0; Panesar 7.4-4-10-3.
Umpires: A Hicks and R K Illingworth.