Lancashire lads give England lift

Coach Peter Moores promised his under-fire team would show some character after being dismissed for 231. But they were doing little to loosen the opposition's grip on the npower Third Test until Anderson's outstanding athleticism gave them a glimmer of hope.

Anderson sprinted and then flung himself full length to hold a one-handed return catch to dismiss Hashim Amla.

It was a terrific piece of work from England's fast bowler. And when Lancashire team-mate Flintoff won a leg before decision against Neil McKenzie three overs later to claim a landmark victim, South Africa were wobbling just a little at 135 for four.

Michael Vaughan's team, already one down in the four-match series, needed plenty more, however. And they did not do enough to help themselves, with the hapless Paul Collingwood having dropped McKenzie on 57.

On top of that, South Africa still had plenty of batting to come - as Jacques Kallis and Ashwell Prince showed while sharing a half-century stand to take their total close to 200.

Conditions were ideal for swing bowling, with heavy cloud cover, a muggy atmosphere and drizzle never far away. But Vaughan still pinned plenty of faith in Flintoff's bang-it-in approach from one end while rotating Anderson and a sluggish Ryan Sidebottom at the other.

It was Flintoff who gave England just about their only moment of real joy yesterday when dismissing Graeme Smith. And, after a slightly delayed start and following another short hold-up for rain, he thought he had done the trick again this morning.

McKenzie, master of the leave-alone, was finally forced into playing something threatening off stump and edged low to first slip. Andrew Strauss appeared to take the catch but then seemed to suggest he was not totally sure the ball had carried.

As always happens these days, umpires Aleem Dar and Steve Davis declined to make a decision and, equally inevitable, TV replays left enough doubt for the 'dismissal' to be chalked off.

Instead of being able to celebrate a significant milestone, Flintoff had to return to the drawing board. In truth, though, England's bowling was as uninspiring this morning as their batting was yesterday and did nothing to perk up another disappointingly small crowd.

Anderson was particularly off line and when even McKenzie decided to throw his bat at another unthreatening delivery, the ball whistled past Collingwood in the gully on its way to the boundary.

However, just when it looked as though not only McKenzie but also nightwatchman Paul Harris would negotiate the first session, Sidebottom managed to find the outside edge of the tailender's bat for Alastair Cook to do the rest at third slip.

It was still a good effort from the burly Harris, who survived for 90 minutes in all while helping to add 77 for the second wicket.

England simply had to stir themselves after lunch. But when Collingwood dropped McKenzie, and the Edgbaston faithful groaned long and loud, it seemed as though another long bout of misery might be in store.

It never rains but it pours. Unable to score any runs this season, Collingwood can now add to his misery a miss at second slip and two indifferent overs of medium pace which cost 12 runs.

Flintoff could only turn on his heel and try again. But without Anderson's moment of magic during the next over, England might have drifted into an unshakeable depression.

Amla, playing towards mid-wicket, inside edged on to his pad and must have thought he would be okay as the ball ballooned away towards short cover. He reckoned without the determination of probably the best athlete on the field, because Anderson first sprinted from the end of his follow-though and then dived full length to clutch the catch, left-handed, an inch or two off the turf.

Brilliant, and just the pick-me-up England desperately needed.

There was still plenty of South African batting to get through, starting with McKenzie, who had his sights firmly trained on adding another century to his marathon effort at Lord's.

The opener moved to 68 by clipping Flintoff for four, then off-drove the next delivery for his 11th boundary. But that was the last act of another damaging innings.

Although McKenzie's bat came down straight, he was looking to play to leg at the last moment and could not fail to be lbw when a delivery angling into him.

After two false starts, Flintoff could finally celebrate his 200th Test wicket (193 for England and seven for the World XI against Australia in 2005). A few more here would be handy.