DURBAN, Dec 30: Bad light forced a draw on the fifth day of the second Test between South Africa and England on Thursday with the tourists needing only two wickets to record a ninth straight test win.

South Africa, who were set a target of 378, were 290 for eight in their second innings when the umpires offered the light to the batsmen with 15 overs left in the match, much to the disgust of England captain Michael Vaughan.

England's players decided not to return to the dressing room and sat down on the turf in case the light improved but the game was then called off. Despite their disappointment, England have gone through 2004 without losing, winning 11 out of 13 matches.

They won the first Test in Port Elizabeth by seven wickets last Tuesday and take a 1-0 lead in the five-match series into the third test in Cape Town on Sunday. Jacques Rudolph's 61 was South Africa's top score while England pace bowler Matthew Hoggard took two for 58 and Steve Harmison claimed two for 62.

At the enforced close AB de Villiers was 52 not out, his maiden Test half-century, with Makhaya Ntini on 16 having scored four boundaries in his six balls. De Villiers and Shaun Pollock had kept England at bay for 27 overs with a gritty eighth-wicket stand of 85 after the tourists looked poised for victory.

The stand ended when De Villiers pushed a ball from Hoggard to mid-off and Pollock strayed out his ground to be expertly run out by Simon Jones. Pollock batted for almost two hours for his 35 and he left the field with two blows to the fingers after being struck on both hands by Harmison.

South Africa resumed on the final day on 21 for one and England made a good start in their quest for victory with Nicky Boje (10), Herschelle Gibbs (36) and danger man Jacques Kallis (10) all falling in the morning session.

Rudolph reached his seventh half-century, hitting eight fours and a six before left arm spinner Ashley Giles, who did not bowl in the first innings because of a back spasm, had the left hander caught off the glove by Andrew Strauss at short leg.

Five balls later fast bowler Simon Jones trapped Hashim Amla in front for a second ball duck as South Africa slumped to 173 for six. They were soon 183 for seven when Martin van Jaarsveld edged Hoggard to Marcus Trescothick at first slip for 49.

The floodlights were turned on 15 minutes before lunch before the light improved and they were turned off but they came on again with 19 overs left when the clouds returned.

SCOREBOARD

ENGLAND (1st innings): 139

SOUTH AFRICA (1st innings): 332

ENGLAND (2nd innings): 570-7 dec

SOUTH AFRICA (2nd innings) (overnight 21-1):

G. Smith lbw b Hoggard 5

H. Gibbs c Giles b Harmison 36

N. Boje c Thorpe b Flintoff 10

J. Rudolph c Strauss b Giles 61

J. Kallis c G Jones b Harmison 10

M. Jaarsveld c Trescothick b Hoggard 49

H. Amla lbw b S Jones 0

A. de Villiers not out 52

S. Pollock run out (S Jones) 35

M. Ntini not out 16

EXTRAS: (b8, lb4, nb3, w1) 16

TOTAL: (for 8 wkts) 290

OVERS: 86

DID NOT BAT: D. Steyn

FALL OF WKTS: 1-12, 2-33, 3-87, 4-103, 5-172, 6-173, 7-183, 8-268

BOWLING: Hoggard 19-3-58-2, Harmison 19-4-62-2, Flintoff 14-5-38-1 (2nb), S Jones 14-4-36-1 (1nb, 1w), Giles 19-1-84-1, Vaughan 1-1-0-0.

RESULT: Match drawn

SERIES: England lead 1-0

UMPIRES: S Taufel (AUS) and D Hair (AUS)

TV UMPIRE: K Hurter (RSA)

MATCH REFEREE: C Lloyd (WIS)

REMAINING MATCHES:

Jan 2-6: Third Test, Cape Town

Jan 13-17: Fourth Test, Johannesburg

Jan 21-25: Fifth Test, Centurion. -Agencies