England in tie with South Africa

Second one-day international, Bloemfontein:
South Africa 270-8 (50 overs) tied with England 270-5 (50 overs)

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England's Geraint Jones stumped Andrew Hall off the final ball to secure a thrilling tie with South Africa in the second one-day match in Bloemfontein.

Kevin Pietersen hit his maiden century for England but their 270-5 was not quite enough in the day-night game.

Herschelle Gibbs (78) and Jacques Kallis (68) shared a partnership of 134 but both fell in the dying stages.

Kabir Ali bowled the final over with eight needed and conceded five off the first ball but took two vital wickets.

After a waist-high full toss was called a no ball, the hosts needed three runs from six deliveries but Kabir had Mark Boucher caught in the deep and saw Ashwell Prince run out before dismissing Hall.

The result, only England's third ever tie, kept the tourists ahead at 1-0 in the series with five matches remaining.

Pietersen hit 108 not out and shared stands of 80 with Michael Vaughan (42) and 92 with Paul Collingwood (40) as England posted their third-highest total against this opponent.

In reply the hosts had looked in trouble when captain Graeme Smith and debutant AB de Villiers fell in the space of three balls.

Smith was again a victim of Matthew Hoggard for 25 and De Villiers, on 25, found substitute fielder Vikram Solanki while trying to hook Ali.

The first ball went for four and I thought: Oh God, what I have done? Kabir Ali More post-match reaction

Gibbs demonstrated his maturity in adapting to a new role at four in the order, emulating Kallis's patience in a century partnership that took 126 balls.

But chaos followed their dismissals.

Kallis top-edged Ashley Giles to short fine leg with 86 still needed off 12 overs

Gibbs added 52 with Justin Kemp before he flicked Hoggard to fine leg with the hosts 44 short and 26 balls left.

And Kemp, who clubbed two massive sixes on his way to 32, was bowled by a brilliant Darren Gough yorker four deliveries later.

Pietersen celebrates his maiden international century

Shaun Pollock hit an unbeaten 17 but could not do enough to inspire victory, justifying a decision by Marcus Trescothick, standing in as captain with Vaughan ill, to turn to Kabir.

The Worcestershire bowler, in just his third international, had conceded 49 from his previous seven overs, but came through under the heaviest pressure.

South African-born Pietersen had again walked to the crease to a cacophony of boos from the home crowd but responded well to calm a crisis, with Vaughan accompanying him.

Jones and Trescothick had made a confident start, putting on 52 in 10 overs to make South Africa's decision to bowl first look ill-advised.

But there was a sudden about-turn as three wickets fell for 15 runs in the space of six stifling overs.

Kabir Ali has shown incredible strength to come back after taking a lot of hammer From Jon Have your say on TMS

Trescothick, cramped for space with the wicket-keeper standing up, got bottom-edge onto his stumps for 37 as he looked to cut Pollock.

New pinch-hitting opener Geraint Jones ended an innings that included three stylish boundaries on 20 when he got a leading edge high to mid-off trying to drive Andre Nel.

And Andrew Strauss had no time to settle before chasing a full ball from Andrew Hall down the leg-side for a diving wicket-keeper Mark Boucher to collect

Neither Pietersen nor Vaughan looked hurried as they took 96 deliveries over their 50 partnership.

But they found their feet to pick regular singles from a spread field, with a rocket throw from third man De Villiers required to run Vaughan out.

Pietersen survived half-chances on 14, when the short extra-cover Jacques Kallis failed to hold on with his left hand, and on 67 as Ntini floored a diving chance on the point boundary.

He hit just three boundaries in his half-century, but it still occupied just 55 deliveries, and once there he slipped up a gear with sixes off Pollock and Nel.

His century came with a pull behind square off his 91st ball faced, and he and made an ostentatious display of kissing the three lions on his helmet in celebration.

By that time a fifth-wicket stand with Collingwood was well established, the latter lasting until the 47th over before flat-batting at head-height to long on.

But Ian Bell proved an ideal late foil as 77 runs were added in the last 10 overs.

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South Africa: G Smith (Capt), H Gibbs, A Prince, J Kallis, AB de Villiers, J Kemp, M Boucher (Wkt), A Hall, S Pollock, A Nel, M Ntini.

England: M Vaughan (Capt), M Trescothick, G Jones (Wkt), A Strauss, K Pietersen, I Bell, P Collingwood, A Giles, Kabir Ali, D Gough, M Hoggard.