At lunch on the fourth day of the first Test they are 264 for seven.

Play was halted by more than half an hour, allowing South Africa to regroup after Angus Fraser had made the early breakthrough England were looking for.

Boucher gave Stewart a straightforward catch

Fraser dismissed Shaun Pollock and Mark Boucher, but since the break Jonty Rhodes and Lance Klusener have scored quickly

Rhodes has lived dangerously, being dropped by Saturday's catching hero, substitute fielder Ben Spendlove at deep backward square leg.

The South African had stroked Dominic Cork for four, but the England seamer's next ball was much quicker, and Rhodes was deceived into hitting it high.

Spendlove, who took two catches at short leg on Saturday, had to run some distance and dive to take the catch. Although he did everything right, getting both hands on the ball, he just spilled it at the last moment.

It would have been a vital capture as Rhodes has been looking comfortable at the wicket.

Shaun Pollock skies the ball

South Africa have been batting agressively all day, but the tactic was risky as Pollock, who had hit three boundaries, was caught by Croft on the boundary having skied a delivery from Fraser.

England captain Alec Stewart took the new ball as soon as it was offered, and Fraser struck again immediately.

He had just bamboozled Mark Boucher with a ball which moved sharply off the seam, and the very next delivery he conned the South African into playing for a ball which moved away outside his offside, giving Stewart an easy diving catch.

Scorecard

England 1st innings

• M Butcher c Kallis b Adams 77
• M Atherton c Boucher b Donald 103
• A Stewart c Cullinan b Klusener 49
• N Hussain lbw Adams 35
• G Thorpe b Pollock 10
• M Ramprakash b Donald 49
• M Ealham b Adams 5
• D Cork c Pollock b Donald 36
• R Croft c Boucher b Donald 19
• D Gough not out 16
• A Fraser c Cronje b Pollock 9

Extras 54

Total 462

FoW: 1-179, 2-249, 3-309, 4-309, 5-329, 6-356, 7-411, 8-430, 9-437, 10-462.

Bowling, Donald 35-9-95-4, Pollock 42-12-92-2, Klusener 31-7-74-1, Cronje 11-3-28-0, Adams 42-10-83-3, Kallis 20-7-46-0.

South Africa 1st innings

• G Kirsten c Butcher b Cork 12
• G Liebenberg c sub b Cork 3
• J Kallis c Stewart b Cork 61
• D Cullinan b Fraser 78
• W Cronje c sub b Cork 1
• J Rhodes not out 68
• S Pollock c Croft b Fraser 16
• M Boucher c Stewart b Fraser 0
• L Klusener not out 20