25 January 2005	Tuesday	14 Zilhaj 1425

CENTURION, Jan 24: England took a giant step towards a Test series win when they gained a first innings lead and then claimed two South African second innings wickets on the fourth day of the fifth and final Test at Centurion Park Monday.

South Africa, needing a win to square the series, will go into the final day with virtually no chance of winning but in danger of a second successive defeat, still 53 runs behind, with eight wickets standing.

South Africa were 59 for two at the close of play after England scored 359 in their first innings to lead by 112. The men mainly responsible for England's strong position were Graham Thorpe and Andrew Flintoff, who shared a 141-run fifth wicket stand which took their side into the lead.

Flintoff, opening the bowling instead of the out-of-form Steve Harmison, then claimed both South African wickets to put the home side under severe pressure.

With England leading 2-1 in the series and needing only a draw to clinch the Basil d'Oliveira trophy, Thorpe (86) and Flintoff (77) took no chances as they constructed a careful partnership, taking 198 minutes and 302 balls to score their 141 runs together.

Both partners were dismissed in successive overs shortly after the lead was achieved but Geraint Jones (50) and Ashley Giles (39) stretched England's advantage in an enterprising seventh wicket stand of 78.

Fast bowler Andre Nel, playing in his first Test since last March after recovering from a back injury, was South Africa's most successful bowler with career-best figures of six for 81.

South Africa needed an early breakthrough to sustain their slim hopes of a series-levelling win but after Flintoff survived some hostile early deliveries from Makhaya Ntini, he and Thorpe batted through an extended morning session, eking out 85 runs off 39 overs.

Flintoff was uncharacteristically cautious, scoring only 30 runs off 110 balls before lunch but he assumed his more usual hard-hitting role after the interval, adding another 47 off just 34 deliveries. He was particularly harsh on Ntini, who conceded 39 runs in four overs after lunch.

Thorpe's 269-ball innings was ended by a yorker from Nel which swung into the left-hander and took out his leg stump. He hit 11 boundaries. Flintoff followed in the next over when he flashed at a short ball from Andrew Hall and was caught behind by Mark Boucher after an innings which included 12 fours and a six.

Jones, the England wicket keeper, went for his shots and hit two sixes off left-arm spinner Nicky Boje, after being missed off Boje when a cut short flew between the legs of Jacques Kallis at slip.

Jones reached his 50 when he hooked Nel for six off the first ball he faced after tea but he was caught by South African captain Graeme Smith at first slip two balls later. He made his runs off 54 balls with five fours and three sixes.

Hall went in after Herschelle Gibbs was adjudged caught behind off Flintoff by umpire Bucknor, but Hall made only nine before being bowled by Flintoff. AB de Villiers, who made 92 in the first innings, was joined by Kallis and the pair saw South Africa through to the close.

SCOREBOARD



South Africa (1st innings) 247 
(A.de Villiers 92; A.Flintoff 4-44, S.Jones 4-47)



England (1st innings) (overnight 114-4) 



M.Trescothick run out (Boje)                20 



A.Strauss c Boucher b Nel                   44 



R.Key c Boucher b Pollock                   1 



M.Vaughan c Rudolph b Pollock               0 



G.Thorpe b Nel                              86 



A.Flintoff c Boucher b Hall                 77 



G.Jones c Smith b Nel                       50 



A.Giles b Nel                               39 



M.Hoggard c Kallis b Nel                    1 



S.Jones not out                             0 



S.Harmison lbw b Nel                        6 



Extras (b-1 lb-22 nb-4 w-8)                35 



Total (all out, 123 overs)                 359



Fall of wkts: 1-27 2-29 3-29 4-114 5-255 6-257 7-335 8-351 9-352



Bowling: Pollock 21-11-30-2, Ntini 28-8-92-0 (w-2), 
Nel 29-7-81-6 (nb-1 w-6), Hall 16-3-58-1 (nb-2), Boje 19-7-59-0, 
Kallis 2-0-5-0, Smith 8-2-11-0 (nb-1).



South Africa (2nd innings) 



A.de Villiers not out                       20 



H.Gibbs c G.Jones b Flintoff                4 



A.Hall b Flintoff                           9 



J.Kallis not out                            19 



Extras (lb-4 nb-3)                          7 



Total (for two wkts, 19 overs)              59



Fall of wkts: 1-17 2-29



To bat: J.Rudolph, G.Smith, M.Boucher, S.Pollock, N.Boje, M.Ntini, A.Nel



Bowling (to date): Hoggard 7-2-17-0, Flintoff 7-2-18-2 (nb-1), 
Giles 3-0-17-0, S Jones 2-1-3-0 (nb-2). - Agencies