Flintoff backs England to respond

Match scorecard Day two photos

England all-rounder Andrew Flintoff is confident that the team can recover from 95-4 to challenge South Africa's formidable 441 in the third Test.

"We're going to have to scrap," said the burly all-rounder, who is next in.

"We've been in this position before in the last year and have the confidence that we can get out of it. Someone's going to have to put up their hand.

"In the past 12-18 months when a performance has been needed someone has done it, there's a lot of fight in us."

Flintoff was satisfied with England's bowling performance on a flat wicket.

"It's been hard with only two days off but we've tried hard back at home for this and the body feels good," he said.

"The wicket is placid and Jacques is in great form.

We have to knock over a wicket early so we can get at Flintoff while there is still a little bit of juice in the pitch Jacques Kallis

"We tried all sorts at him, bouncers and bowling wide but he's a machine at the moment, every time he comes to the crease he scores runs.

"He's got a good technique and so far he's had answers for everything we've thrown at him. He loves scoring runs but we've got to keep perservering."

South Africa centurion Jacques Kallis predicted further problems for the England batsmen: "It's going to get harder to bat as the Test goes on," he said.

Kallis revealed that Flintoff was a key target for the South Africans when he comes in at the fall of the next wicket, having been saved to number seven to allow nightwatchman Matthew Hoggard to play out the final deliveries of day two.

"We know what we have to do," Kallis said.

"We have to knock over a wicket early so we can get at Flintoff while there is still a little bit of juice in the pitch."