CRICKET/TEST MATCH:GIVEN A fair wind - and the forecast seems to suggest that - England should win the final Test today to deprive South Africa of a third successive victory.

This, of course, presupposes England have the wherewithal to score 197 runs today. Having taken rather more time than they might have expected to bowl South Africa out, thanks largely to a battling 97 from AB de Villiers - the fifth time he has been out in the 90s - and some brave resistance from Paul Harris, they set out with 23 overs of the fourth day remaining only to be driven back to the dressingroom by a torrential shower after a single over, with neither wicket down nor run scored. Play was abandoned at six o'clock.

The rain will have done England no harm, for South Africa had momentum following the eighth-wicket partnership of 95 between De Villiers and Harris. The adrenaline would have been pumping through their systems, something that will be difficult to replicate first thing. It might have been a ticklish session for Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook.

That England failed to bowl South Africa out cheaply a second time around was a disappointment from bowlers who had done very well to reduce them to 168 for five by lunch, a lead of only 46. Steve Harmison had bowled a high-class spell in the morning to see off Hashim Amla for 76 and Jacques Kallis for nine, while Andrew Flintoff first softened up Ashwell Prince as if tenderising a steak and then dismissed him when he had clearly had enough.

It was all set up for a classic post-lunch coup de grace. Instead De Villiers, scrappily at first but with increasing confidence, dug in, as did Mark Boucher, and the pair added 40 for the sixth wicket before Jimmy Anderson found extra bounce to dismiss the wicketkeeper.

Monty Panesar then disposed of Morne Morkel, as he seems to have done on a regular basis, to leave one end open wide. It was an opportunity that England failed to take.

Harris's was a yeoman effort from someone who was struck a ringing blow in the back of his head from Flintoff, the resulting headache required medication, and was left in no doubt that the attack he was to face would consist of deliveries short and full with little middle ground. Still he got in behind.

It was stirring stuff and it allowed De Villiers to make the decision to trust his partner rather than attempt to farm the strike. In this Kevin Pietersen, who had a less distinguished day in the field, played into his hands by spreading the field wide for him and offering him singles. De Villiers took them gratefully but still the tactic persisted.

Most bewildering was the use of the new ball, available shortly before tea, by which time the partnership had reached just 24 and the lead 120. While Harris rightly was attacked, Pietersen offered De Villiers the threat of a single slip and a gully with the field scattered still.

The pair survived, taking the innings beyond tea until, with De Villiers having made his way to within three runs of his hundred, Harris edged Stuart Broad low to Flintoff at second slip.

De Villiers now made the judgment that unless he took on Panesar at the Vauxhall end to get to three figures, he might run out of partners.

Panesar went over the wicket and darted the ball into the rough. Twice De Villiers came down the pitch to work him for runs and twice he failed. The third time the ball caught the rough, spun sharply outside his bat and hit leg stump.

Broad finished the job by having Makhaya Ntini caught at third slip to give him a third wicket for the innings and a fifth in the match.

Guardian News

South Africa: first innings 194; England: first innings 316

South Africa second innings (overnight 110-2)

G Smith lbw b Anderson 0

N McKenzie b Broad 29

H Amla c Ambrose b Harmison 76

J Kallis c Collingwood b Harmison 9

A Prince c Strauss b Flintoff 24

AB de Villiers b Panesar 97

M Boucher c Collingwood b Anderson 12

M Morkel c Bell b Panesar 10

P Harris c Flintoff b Broad 34

A Nel not out 3

M Ntini c Collingwood b Broad 2

Extras (b-6,lb-8, nb-3, w-5) 22

Total (all out; 99.2 overs) 318

Fall of wickets: 1-0 2-82 3-119 4-138 5-161 6-201 7-218 8-313 9-313 10-318.

Bowling: Anderson 22-2-85-2 (1nb), Harmison 25-6-84-2 (1w), Flintoff 18-4-53-1 (2nb), Panesar 17-5-37-2, Broad 16.2-4-44-3, Pietersen 1-0-1-0.

England: Second Innings

A J Strauss not out 0

A N Cook not out 0

Total 0 wkts (1.2 overs) 0

To Bat: I R Bell, K P Pietersen, P D Collingwood, A Flintoff, T R Ambrose, S C J Broad, S J Harmison, J M Anderson, M S Panesar.

Bowling: M Morkel 1-1-0-0; Ntini 0.2-0-0-0.