First Test, day four, SuperSport Park, Centurion, tea report

Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers revive South Africa

AB de Villiers
AB de Villiers forces some evasive action. Photograph: Gallo Images/Getty Images

After a good morning, there was but a solitary success for England as they toiled through the heat of the afternoon. Andrew Strauss juggled his bowling resources as if auditioning for Cirque Soleil, but to little avail as Hashim Amla and AB de Villiers revived a flagging innings with a fifth wicket partnership of 119. De Villiers, the dasher in the Proteas' side, was eventually caught, driving an off cutter from Stuart Broad fiercely low to short extra cover where Ian Bell, bless him, took an exceptional catch.

But De Villiers's 64 and an unbeaten 76 from Amla, no longer the patsy that teams once thought but a case-hardened top order player, saw South Africa to 182 for five at tea, a lead of 244. It would require a collapse after the interval for England to be able to pull themselves back into a potential winning situation but although Graeme Onions made one delivery squat immediately before the interval, the pitch has played benignly. There is also increasing talk of rain later today and more enduringly tomorrow, condemning the match to a watery finale if proved correct.

With the pitch playing slowly, more invention was called for. First James Anderson tried an over of cutters with the keeper up, and then Paul Collingwood, the best exponent of such deliveries in the side, had his turn, to no avail. Graeme Swann tried varying his angle from over and around the wicket. The ball is 61 overs now though and softer than a Bell dismissal.

There might have been an earlier breakthrough when Onions, roaring his appeal adamantly, caught De Villiers in front, and, on being rejected, and in consultation, asked for a review. It showed the ball hitting the legstump substantially but not sufficiently to overturn the decision. The system is by no means perfect, anomalous at times (had De Villiers been given out and appealed it himself that decision would also have been upheld), and iniquitous with it. There is a lot to be ironed out.

Lunchtime update

A cracking day today, the warmest yet and a humid feel to it that threatens thunder showers later. But England's bowlers, a more disciplined bunch than in the first innings, made good inroads into the South African second innings, claiming the wickets of the nightwatchman Paul Harris, Graeme Smith and Jacques Kallis, leaving the Proteas 80 for four at the interval, 34 of them to Hashim Amla and 17 to AB de Villiers. The lead is 142, with England having to bat last on what ought to be a wearing pitch. But there has been little sign of the erratic bounce that rocked England yesterday morning: any declaration Smith might have to make will be tempered with caution at this stage of the series.

England managed to get rid of Harris readily enough, bowled behind his legs by James Anderson, but not before the batsman had twice edged him infuriatingly to the third man boundary. Why bowlers persist in leaving third man open while blocking areas into which no batsman of Harris's capability will try and hit the ball, remains a mystery.

The key wickets were to come though. Smith, so often a thorn in England flesh, had made a first over duck in the first innings and was settling in to make amends, and had made 12 when Graham Onions, bowling a tight line from close to the stumps, shaped a delivery of immaculate length into the left hander and hit the top of middle and off, via the thinnest of inside edges.

If that was a big wicket for England, then so too was that which followed after Andrew Strauss made a double bowling change immediately following the drinks break. In the first innings, Stuart Broad had bowled poorly, his length too predictably variable: patience, a vital part of the armoury of one of his pace on such a pitch, is not one of his qualities. But in his third over, having kept himself in check, he bowled a surprise bouncer to Kallis, who, taking the bait, merely found Alastair Cook on the square leg boundary, who took a well judged catch.

Swann meanwhile was finding some turn and was so adamant that he had a legitimate claim for lbw against Hashim Amla, that Aleem Dar's not out decision was referred. Although the ball was shown to be hitting the stumps, the uncertainty meant the decision prevailed in the batsman's favour. 'Close but no cigar' should be the on-screen graphic.

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