LONDON South Africa successfully held out against England for more than two days to draw the first test on Monday.

When stumps were drawn midway through the evening session at Lord's, with England employing part-time spinners Kevin Pietersen and Alastair Cook, South Africa had progressed to 393-3, a lead of 47.

The visitors began their follow-on innings after being dismissed on Saturday for 247.

Having lost 10 wickets in a single day and needing 346 to make England bat again, South Africa's chances of saving the match seemed remote.

But Neil McKenzie, Graeme Smith and Hashim Amla all scored centuries in the final two days. Their defence and perseverance was aided by a flat pitch and an England attack that lacked penetration.

After the match, the England selectors added all-rounder Andrew Flintoff to the squad for the second test starting in Leeds on Friday.

After Smith was dismissed late Sunday for 107, McKenzie and Amla put on 125 for the second wicket to take the game away from England, who had made 593-8.

By the time McKenzie was dismissed for 138 and Jacques Kallis for 13 after lunch, it was too late for England to mount a late charge.

England captain Michael Vaughan admitted that it was frustrating to finish with a draw after dominating the first three days.

“These last two days we gave everything,” Vaughan said. “All credit to South Africa, they batted really, really well. I couldn't have asked anything more from the England players.”

Amla finished on 104 not out, his fifth test century and first against England. He occupied the crease for 344 minutes and faced 242 balls to keep England at bay.

Ashwell Prince, who scored a century in the first innings, ended on 9 not out after being dropped on 0 and 2.

“It didn't go so well for me when we played England in South Africa four years ago,” said Amla, who was dismissed for 6 in the first innings. “So it was really satisfying to get a hundred here today.”

The second innings, though, belonged to McKenzie. When James Anderson induced the opener to chase one outside off stump, he ended a 554-minute innings that began on Saturday. McKenzie had just called for a runner before he was dismissed after injuring his groin, but is expected to be fit for the second test.

When McKenzie pushed the ball through point Sunday to bring up his fifth test century in 384 minutes, he eclipsed Gary Kirsten's record for the slowest South African century against England by two minutes.

“When we went out to bat on Saturday night I'd made up my mind to bat for time,”

McKenzie said. “I normally like to keep the scoreboard ticking so it was a completely different role for me. But it had to be done ... even though the crowd was a bit frustrated.”

The only South African top-order batsman not to enjoy a lengthy spell at the crease was Kallis. The match was drifting to a gentle draw when Ryan Sidebottom managed to swing a delivery back at Kallis and bowl him.

The dismissal was unexpected as Sidebottom was struggling bowl quickly after suffering from a sore back. He was bowling with such a lack of pace that wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose stood up to the stumps in the morning session.

It was during that spell that Amla brought up his ninth test 50 by ferociously cutting Sidebottom's weary attempt at a bouncer.

Monty Panesar, who took four wickets in South Africa's first innings, bowled 60 overs without success, the most the left-arm spinner has bowled in a single innings.

England opener Andrew Strauss was given permission to leave the field to be with his wife, who is close to giving birth.