PORT ELIZABETH, Dec 20: Simon Jones took four wickets and Andrew Strauss scored an unbeaten half-century to take England to the brink of victory in the first Test against South Africa on Monday.

England, chasing 142 to seal a record-breaking eighth successive Test win, were 93 for three when bad light ended the fourth day's play 12 overs early with Strauss on 51 not out and Graham Thorpe 23.

Fast bowler Jones claimed four for 39 as South Africa collapsed to a second-innings total of 229. Captain Graeme Smith's 55 and 61 by Jacques Kallis were the only noteworthy scores as the last six wickets fell for 28 runs in 14 overs.

Smith scored a solid 55 but 45 minutes before lunch his top-edged hook to a ball from fast bowler Andrew Flintoff was scooped up centimetres from the turf by Jones, who ran in from fine leg and dived to take an excellent catch.

Smith batted for three hours, faced 105 balls and hit five fours, and his dismissal ended a third-wicket stand of 88 with Kallis. Three overs before lunch Boeta Dippenaar attempted to cut left-arm spinner Ashley Giles's third ball of the day and dragged it on to his leg stump to be bowled for 10.

Jones struck in the sixth over after the interval when he trapped Kallis in front, ending the All-Rounder's three-hour knock which included nine fours. England had squandered an opportunity to dismiss Kallis for 28 when Mark Butcher dropped a straight forward chance at cover off fast bowler Matthew Hoggard.

Umpire Simon Taufel gave Shaun Pollock out caught behind off the next ball but television replays indicated that the ball had brushed Pollock's pad and not his bat. Seven overs later Flintoff had Zander de Bruyn caught by Marcus Trescothick at slip for 19, and Jones claimed his third wicket when he bowled Thami Tsolekile for a duck.

Jones completed his haul in his next over when he trapped Makhaya Ntini in front for four. The innings ended in Jones's next over when Andrew Hall was run out for 17 by Graham Thorpe's throw from deep third man.

Fast bowler Pollock had Trescothick caught behind by wicket keeper Thami Tsolekile with the first ball of England's second innings. England were 11 for two in the fourth over when Butcher, on nought, edged Ntini to first slip, where Smith held a sharp catch.

Strauss, who also made a century in the first innings, and Michael Vaughan took England to within 92 runs of victory before fast bowler Dale Steyn knocked back Vaughan's off-stump for 15 with a magnificent delivery that pitched on middle. Strauss and Thorpe batted sensibly to prevent further drama, however, and the touring side are well set to wrap up yet another victory.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa (1st innings) 337 (B.Dippenaar 110, J.Rudolph 93)

England (1st innings) 425 (A.Strauss 126, M.Butcher 79)

South Africa (2nd innings) (99-2 overnight)

A.de Villiers c and b Hoggard 14

G.Smith c S Jones b Flintoff 55

J.Rudolph c Trescothick b Giles 28

J.Kallis lbw b S.Jones 61

B.Dippenaar b Giles 10

Z.de Bruyn c Trescothick b Flintoff 19

S.Pollock c G.Jones b S.Jones 0

A.Hall run out 17

T.Tsolekile b S.Jones 0

M.Ntini lbw b S.Jones 4

D.Steyn not out 2

Extras (pen-5 b-4 lb-3 nb-6 w-1) 19

Total (all out, 69.1 overs) 229

Fall of wkts: 1-26 2-64 3-152 4-168 5-201 6-201 7-217 8-218 9-224.

Bowling: Hoggard 12-2-38-1, Harmison 14-1-54-0 (nb-1), Giles 15-2-39-2, Flintoff 15-2-47-2 (nb-3 w-1), S Jones 13.1-3-39-4 (nb-2).

England (2nd innings)

M.Trescothick c Tsolekile b Pollock 0

A.Strauss not out 51

M.Butcher c Smith b Ntini 0

M.Vaughan b Steyn 15

G.Thorpe not out 23

Extras (lb-3 nb-1) 4

Total (for three wkts, 31 overs) 93

To bat: A.Flintoff, G.Jones, A.Giles, M.Hoggard, S.Jones, S.Harmison

Fall of wkts: 1-0 2-11 3-50

Bowling: Pollock 7-2-22-1, Ntini 6-1-16-1, Hall 9-1-14-0 (nb-1), Steyn 4-1-15-1, Smith 5-0-23-0. -Agencies

Hall reprimanded for Vaughan gesture

PORT ELIZABETH: South Africa bowler Andrew Hall has been reprimanded for gesturing at Michael Vaughan after dismissing the England captain on the third day of the first Test on Sunday. Hall pointed in the direction of the dressing room after he had Vaughan caught at first slip for 10, three balls after the England batsman had cut him for six over backward point.

"It was a level one, point six offence, and the match referee (Clive Lloyd) delivered a stern warning that should he transgress again he would be punished more severely," South African media manager Gerald de Kock told reporters on Monday. De Kock said Hall had attended a disciplinary hearing after play on Sunday. -Reuters