PORT ELIZABETH, Dec 18: Andrew Strauss joined an elite band of players to score centuries in their first Tests both home and away on Saturday as England took firm control of the first Test against South Africa in Port Elizabeth.

England ended the second day on 227 for one in reply to the home side's first innings of 337, with Strauss was 120 not out.

Mark Butcher was at the other end on 24.

South African-born Strauss was at the crease for almost five hours, facing 215 balls and hitting 16 fours, as the South African attack dropped short throughout the day to feed his favourite pull and cut shots.

The left-hander, playing his eighth Ttest and who scored 112 in his debut Test against New Zealand at Lord's in May, looked in peerless form by the end after putting on 152 with Marcus Trescothick (47) for the first wicket.

Only six other players have made hundreds in their Test debuts home and away, with Michael Clarke achieving the feat for Australia earlier in the year.

Strauss, whose parents left South Africa when he was a young boy and who learnt all his cricket in England, also became the first player in Test history to score a century in his maiden Test against three different countries.

He has yet to lose a Test, with England seeking a national-record eighth win in a row in Port Elizabeth.

Boeta Dippenaar's 110 was South Africa's top score. South Africa had resumed on 273 for seven and were dismissed just before lunch on Saturday, with left-arm spinner taking two of the last three wickets to fall.

Simon Jones removed Dippenaar while Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff both took three wickets.

Scoreboard

South Africa (1st innings) (overnight 273-7)

G Smith c Strauss b Hoggard 0

A de Villiers lbw b Flintoff 28

J Rudolph c G Jones b Flintoff 93

J Kallis b Harmison 0

H Dippenaar c Trescothick b S Jones 110

Z de Bruyn b Flintoff 6

S Pollock c G Jones b Hoggard 31

A Hall b Hoggard 6

T Tsolekile c Flintoff b Giles 22

M Ntini not out 2

D Steyn c Strauss b Giles 8

Extras (lb13, nb14, w4) 31

Total (110.4 overs) 337

Fall OF WKTS: 1-0, 2-63, 3-66, 4-178, 5-192, 6-253, 7-261, 8-324, 9-327

Bowling: Hoggard 20-4-56-3 (2nb), Harmison 25-2-88-1 (3w), S Jones 16-4-39-1 (3nb), Flintoff 22-4-72-3 (8nb, 1w), Giles 27.4-8-69-2

England (1st innings)

M Trescothick b Steyn 47

A Strauss not out 120

M Butcher not out 24

Extras (lb12, nb23, w1) 36

Total (1 wkt, 66 overs) 227

Fall of wkts: 1-152

Bowling: Pollock 18-9-25-0 (4nb), Ntini 16-1-58-0 (1w), Steyn 11-1-45-1 (10nb), Hall 13-0-54-0 (6nb), De Bruyn 3-0-18-0 (3nb), Smith 5-1-15-0

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

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

TV umpire: I Howell (RSA)

Match referee: C Lloyd (WIS).

-Agencies