England prepare to perform another rescue act

Set a world record 466 to win, England began encouragingly with a century opening stand between Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook.

But both then went for the addition of just six runs – and after Kevin Pietersen followed too, the tourists stumbled to a vulnerable 132-3 by the close.

Even as thousands of travelling supporters were beginning to pinch themselves at the prospect of a famous rearguard action, or even last-day run chase, a series-levelling victory for the hosts was always easily the most obvious outcome.

After South Africa had declared on 447-7 on the back of captain Graeme Smith's 183, it was unlikely his opposite number Strauss's team talk in the innings break was especially taxing.

England's cage was handily rattled by Tuesday's transitory inference of ball-tampering which can have done little for player relations in this heavyweight tussle.

South Africa publicly voiced concerns about James Anderson and Stuart Broad's treatment of the ball but chose not to make an official complaint yesterday morning, and a subsequent International Cricket Council statement put the issue to bed by lunchtime.

Motivation to prove a point was nevertheless in no doubt as England set out on their mission improbable with the bat.

Strauss himself had the closest calls before tea, two successive lbw appeals from Dale Steyn turned down by Tony Hill with South Africa resisting the DRS temptation.

The England captain responded in Steyn's next over with three consecutive off-side boundaries, only to be struck painfully on the shoulder in the next by a nasty short ball as the fast bowler persisted from round the wicket.

There was a moment of luck for each of England's left-handed openers shortly after tea, Cook's aerial sweep on 27 off Paul Harris landing just over Friedel de Wet's head in the deep but going only for four and Strauss edging Morne Morkel for a boundary at catchable height between second slip and gully to go to 28.

Cook would then have been well out five short of his 50, attempting a dangerous single for Strauss to point, but JP Duminy was unable to hit one stump. He survived to reach his half-century from 105 balls but was still the first England batsman to go, mis-pulling a catch high behind him to Mark Boucher in the first over of a new spell from De Wet. When Strauss fell bat-pad to Harris only three overs later, England were up against it to revive receding hopes.

Pietersen was grateful – with just a single to his name – to DRS for proving Daryl Harper's lbw verdict for De Wet had to be overturned because of a big inside edge.

But he got little further before walking across his stumps and missing one from Steyn to go lbw for single-figures anyway.

It was therefore left to Jonathan Trott to see England to stumps with nightwatchman Anderson.

Smith was finally dismissed yesterday morning – mis-hooking Graham Onions to give Paul Collingwood a steepling catch on the long-leg boundary.

Replays soon showed Onions had overstepped for a no-ball, but England were long overdue a slice of fortune.

After Smith's 85-run third-wicket stand with Jacques Kallis was ended, Kallis was out four short of a 53rd Test half-century.

Then, in the early-afternoon chase for quick runs, AB de Villiers, Boucher and Duminy all fell when trying to pile up the runs as Anderson and Graeme Swann finished with three expensive wickets each.

Third test scorecard

South Africa v England

Cape Town:

Overnight: England 273 (M J Prior 76; M Morkel 5-75). South Africa 291 (J H Kallis 108; J M Anderson 5-63) and 312-2.

South Africa First Innings

G C Smith c Prior b Anderson 30

A G Prince c Prior b Anderson 0

H M Amla lbw b Onions 14

J H Kallis c Prior b Onions 108

A B de Villiers c Strauss b Swann 36

J P Duminy c Prior b Swann 0

M V Boucher lbw b Broad 51

D W Steyn c Trott b Anderson 26

M Morkel c Swann b Anderson 0

P L Harris not out 10

F de Wet lbw b Anderson 0

Extras b1 lb13 w1 nb1 16

Total (86.1 overs) 291

Fall: 1-1 2-46 3-51 4-127 5-127 6-216 7-280 8-280 9-281

Bowling: Anderson 21.1 1 63 5; Onions 20 4 69 2; Broad 19 6 54 1; Swann 22 1 74 2; Pietersen 4 0 17 0.

England First Innings

A J Strauss c Boucher b M Morkel 2

A N Cook c Prince b M Morkel 65

I J L Trott b Steyn 20

K P Pietersen c & b Steyn 0

P D Collingwood lbw b M Morkel 19

I R Bell c Duminy b Kallis 48

M J Prior b Steyn 76

S C J Broad b Steyn 25

G P Swann c Smith b M Morkel 5

J M Anderson c Smith b M Morkel 0

G Onions not out 4

Extras lb6 w2 nb1 9

Total (88 overs) 273

Fall: 1-2 2-36 3-36 4-73 5-133 6-174 7-225 8-241 9-241

Bowling: M Morkel 22 4 75 5; de Wet 16 3 36 0; Steyn 22 5 74 4; Kallis 14 2 27 1; Harris 9 0 39 0; Duminy 5 0 16 0.

South Africa Second Innings

A G Prince lbw b Swann 15

G C Smith c Collingwood b Onions 183

H M Amla c Cook b Swann 95

J H Kallis c Prior b Anderson 46

A B de Villiers c Broad b Anderson 34

J P Duminy c Prior b Anderson 36

M V Boucher c Bell b Swann 15

D W Steyn not out 1

Extras b8 lb7 nb2 pens 5 22

Total 7 wkts dec (111.2 overs) 447

Fall: 1-31 2-261 3-346 4-376 5-401 6-442 7-447

Bowling: Anderson 22.2 1 98 3; Onions 22 4 87 1; Swann 37 5 127 3; Broad 22 4 79 0; Pietersen 3 0 6 0; Trott 5 0 30 0.

England Second Innings

A J Strauss c Amla b Harris 45

A N Cook c Boucher b de Wet 55

I J L Trott not out 24

K P Pietersen lbw b Steyn 6

J M Anderson not out 0

Extras b1 lb1 2

Total 3 wkts (51 overs) 132

Fall: 1-101 2-107 3-129

Bowling: M Morkel 12 3 26 0; Steyn 14 3 30 1; de Wet 8 4 19 1; Harris 13 2 43 1; Kallis 4 1 12 0.