Douglas Hondo took three wickets for eight runs in 11 balls to rob England of a promising position in the second Test at the Riverside here on Thursday.

At tea on the first day England were 173 for five after winning the toss, with Alec Stewart 17 not out and Anthony McGrath one not out.

Fast bowler Hondo's wickettaking spell began when he had lefthander Mark Butcher, whose century set up England's innings and 92 run first Test win against Zimbabwe at Lord's last month, playing on for 47 to leave England 146 for three.

International fledgling Robert Key (four) fell next when he flicked

Hondo to Grant Flower at square leg. Key stood his ground and the decision was eventually referred to third umpire Peter Willey.

Although television pictures appeared inconclusive, Key was given out by former England batsman Willey.

But there was no doubt about the outside edge England captain Nasser Hussain (18) nicked to wicketkeeper Tatenda Taibu, England 156 for five.

England resumed after lunch on 96 for one with Marcus Trescothick 36 not out and Butcher 27 not out.

Trescothick had added just one to his lunch score when he swept left-arm spinner Raymond Price high to the deep midwicket boundary where Sean Ervine dropped a diving catch and conceded a six in

the process.

Ervine's momentum had taken him over the boundary so had he clung on the catch would not have counted.

But Trescothick fell in Price's next over. Sweeping, the ball hit the Somerset batsman on the pad before flicking his gloves on the way through to Taibu, who took a sharp legside catch, England 109 for two.

The only wicket to fall in the morning session was Michael Vaughan, dismissed by fast bowler Streak after making an all-boundary 20.

Yorkshire opener Vaughan, Test cricket's leading run scorer in 2002, then firm-footedly edged Streak to first slip Ervine, England 49 for one.

Earlier Somerset seamer Richard Johnson was handed his Test debut, replacing injured Yorkshire swing bowler Matthew Hoggard.

Johnson, 28, was England's only change to England's team at Lord's.

SCOREBOARD

Scoreboard at tea on the first day of the second Test between England and Zimbabwe at the Riverside on

Thursday:

ENGLAND: First innings

Trescothick c Taibu b Price 43

Vaughan c Ervine b Streak 20

Butcher b Hondo 47

Hussain c Taibu b Hondo 18

Key c Flower b Hondo 4

Stewart not out 17

McGrath not out 1

Extras: (b-1, lb-2, w-7, nb-13) 23

Total: (For 5 wkts in 53 overs) 173

Fall of wickets: 1-49, 2-109, 3 146, 4-152, 5-156

To bat: Giles, Johnson Harmison, Anderson

Bowler O M R W

Streak 14 4 24 1

Blignaut 12 2 49 0

Hondo 7 1 27 3

Ervine 3 0 17 0

Price 14 3 36 1

Friend 3 0 17 0

ZIMBABWE: Dion Ebrahim, Mar Vermeulen, Stuart Carlisle, Gran Flower, Tatenda Taibu, Sean Ervine Heath Streak, Andy Blignaut, Travis Friend, Raymond Price, Douglas Hondo

Toss: England

Umpires: Darrell Hair (Australia and David Orchard (South Africa)