LONDON, Aug 10: A defiant innings by A.B. de Villiers held up England's charge towards victory on the fourth day of the fourth and final Test against South Africa at The Oval on Sunday.

South Africa were 265 for seven in their second innings at tea, a lead of 143.

De Villiers, who went to the wicket when his side were only 16 runs ahead with four wickets down, hit 76 not out as he stood between England and a consolation victory in a series already won by South Africa.

But there was hardly any support for de Villiers after fast bowler Steve Harmison struck two crucial blows early in the day.

Harmison dismissed both overnight batsmen, Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis, in a hostile eight-over spell in which he took two wickets for 12 runs.

Amla was out for 76 to the 19th ball of the day when he was forced on to the back foot by a lifting delivery from Harmison which he edged to wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose. He added only five runs on Sunday.

Kallis never looked settled against the pace and bounce of Harmison and the swing of James Anderson. He had an escape on nine when he drove Harmison low to wide mid-off where England captain Kevin Pietersen dropped the chance.

But he was out next ball without adding to his score when he edged Harmison low to Paul Collingwood at third slip.

For Kallis, long regarded as South Africa's most reliable batsman, it completed his least successful series since he became an established Test player. In seven innings he scored 104 runs at an average of 14.85, with 64 of his runs coming in one innings in the third Test. He was the only member of the South African top six in the batting order not to score a century during the series.

Ashwell Prince was troubled early on by Harmison but seemed fairly secure as he advanced to 24. But then he slashed at a short ball from Andrew Flintoff and edged a catch to Andrew Strauss at first slip.

Mark Boucher helped de Villiers add 40 for the sixth wicket before Anderson extracted extra bounce from the pitch and Boucher was caught off the splice of his bat by Collingwood at backward point.

Morne Morkel was caught at short leg off left-arm spinner Monty Panesar before Paul Harris joined de Villiers in a stand which was worth 47 by tea despite England taking the second new ball five overs before the break.

Scoreboard

SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings) 194.

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 316 (K.P. Pietersen 100, P.D. Collingwood 61; M. Ntini 5-94).

SOUTH AFRICA (2nd Innings, overnight 110-2):

G.C. Smith lbw b Anderson 0

N.D. McKenzie b Broad 29

H.M. Amla c Ambrose b Harmison 76

J.H. Kallis c Collingwood b Harmison 9

A.G. Prince c Strauss b Flintoff 24

A.B. de Villiers not out 76

M.V. Boucher c Collingwood b Anderson 12

M. Morkel c Bell b Panesar 10

P.L. Harris not out 12

EXTRAS (B-6, LB-8, NB-3) 17

TOTAL (for seven wkts, 85 overs) 265

FALL OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-82, 3-119, 4-138, 5-161, 6-201, 7-218.

BOWLING (to-date): Anderson 20-2-73-2 (1nb); Harmison 23-6-68-2; Flintoff 15-4-47-1 (2nb); Panesar 13-4-28-1; Broad 13-4-34-1; Pietersen 1-0-1-0.—Agencies