First Test, Centurion (day three, close):
South Africa 418 & 9-1 v England 356
Dates: 16-20 December Start: 0830 GMT
Coverage: Test Match Special on BBC Radio 4 LW, BBC Radio 5 live sports extra, Red Button and online. Text commentary on BBC Sport website. Also on Sky Sports
Match scorecard
By Jamie Lillywhite
**Graeme Swann’s magnificent Test-best 85 rescued England on day three of the first Test against South Africa.**Despite Paul Collingwood’s gritty 50, England slipped to 242-8 in reply to 418, largely thanks to slow left-armer Paul Harris who finished with 5-123.
But Swann, who took 5-110 with the ball, hit 10 fours and two sixes and shared 106 with James Anderson (29).
England mustered 356, conceding a lead of 62, but ousted Ashwell Prince and South Africa closed 71 ahead at 9-1.
Swann’s captivating innings was the highest score by an England number nine for 38 years, and rather made a mockery of his team-mates, the majority of whom had struggled for fluency.
A sizeable crack had developed in the centre of the Centurion pitch and when captain Andrew Strauss was the victim of a shooter that shot along at ankle height it perhaps clouded the minds of the other top-order batsmen.
Harris, with a low, almost non-existent front arm, bowled nine overs unchanged through to lunch and surprised the batsmen with changes of pace, and the very occasional turning delivery.
His first victim was Jonathan Trott who added only 10 from 19 overs to his overnight 18 and tried to hit down the ground, but what transpired was an ungainly heave and a rattling of the timbers.
The situation was tailor-made for the chalk and cheese combination of Pietersen and Collingwood, but such was the situation that both had to play in gritty mode.
Pietersen had opened his account with an effortless drive through the covers that also brought up England’s 100, but it was to be his only four of the session.
There was one moment of respite when a full toss from Harris was beautifully picked up over mid-wicket for six, but England scored only 55 runs for the loss of those two wickets in the 27-over morning session.
If the first session was tough the second was torturous as four wickets fell, Harris bowling through and collecting three of them.
It was paceman Morne Morkel who made the key breakthrough though, in the fifth over of the afternoon session.
Pietersen, having battled his way to 40 primarily looking to work the ball into the leg-side, tried to force one on the up through the covers and got an inside edge on to off-stump, although replays showed Morkel should have been called for a no-ball, not that England could have asked for a referral in that instance.
Collingwood played with customary resilience, but, unlike many of his colleagues, was able to keep the scoreboard ticking, even in the face of calamity at the other end.
Many questioned the inclusion of Ian Bell at number six, and many more were doing so after a particularly soft dismissal at the hands of Harris.
Bell had seen the previous ball turn a fraction and miss the off-stump, but when the next one pitched in line he inexplicably left it alone and to his horror saw it cannon into the middle pole.
Matt Prior did not fare much better, lofting a sweep straight to the fielder within 50 yards on the leg-side.
Collingwood swept the first ball after a drinks break for six to bring up the 200 in style and swept his fifth four to record his fifty.
When he edged to slip to bring in Swann, England were still 197 behind, and after two fours from Stuart Broad, he too was on his way.
The South Africans were unsure whether to use their one remaining referral when the ball thudded into Broad’s pads and was given not out, but after a lengthy delay during which, England argued, the South African balcony had time to see how close it was, a replay was requested and the decision was overturned by TV umpire Amiesh Saheba.
Broad voiced his displeasure to on-field official Aleem Dar and was later seen taking his protestations to the match referee’s room, but the only outcome of the complaint is likely to be him returning there to part with a chunk of his match fee.
Graeme Smith took the new ball as soon as it became available, ending a spell of 24 consecutive overs from Harris, but 40 were scored off Makhaya Ntini and Morkel in seven overs and the slow bowler was soon called back.
He was unable to stem the runs either as Anderson, who got off the mark with a drive off the backfoot for four that the great David Gower or Brian Lara would have approved of, also swept his first six in Test cricket, while Swann played the reverse sweep and even the Pietersen switch hit for four in a scintillating rearguard effort.
South Africa were left with a potentially awkward 20 minutes to bat, and Anderson continued the momentum for England by inducing Prince to edge onto his stumps.
Thanks to Swann’s swashbuckling innings, the home side will have to spend a lot longer at the crease than they intended before setting England a target.