Pietersen's dream start to the captaincy boosted by Harmison

England are bouncing: Anderson claims Kallis's wicket

All England needed, it seems, was love. If Kevin Pietersen was not cuddling a member of his side on Thursday, he was smiling or cajoling them as he brought a touchy-feely approach to the captaincy which ended with England's best day since the false dawn at Lord's.

Losing the toss at The Oval was the only thing Pietersen did wrong on his first day in high office - and even that turned out to be a blessing as the return of Steve Harmison and a five-man attack saw England blast South Africa out for 194.

If they can build on their 49 for one in reply, and finally produce a decent first innings total, then England should end this lost series on an overdue high.

If Michael Vaughan was watching at home in Sheffield he would have envied Pietersen the pace, bounce, hostility and extravagant swing that was at his disposal as Harmison made a triumphant return to the side and Jimmy Anderson again showed that he is finally doing justice to his talents.

And it would not have been lost on the former captain that Pietersen was able to call on five bowlers because England were able to omit the only truly out-of-form member of their previously heralded top six, namely Vaughan himself.

The extra bowler made a difference as Pietersen had the sort of start he could only have dreamed of when he was suddenly elevated to the captaincy on Monday, despite South Africa initially riding their luck and reaching 103 for the loss of only one wicket.

The honeymoon has barely begun for Pietersen and there will undoubtedly be much harder times ahead, but the new captain made an excellent impression on the first day of the final npower Test even though there was a suspicion that South Africa were more than a little demob happy.

The captain's body language was positive, the bowling changes were invariably rewarded and the England side responded with energetic, incisive cricket that would have saved Vaughan had it come in the second innings at Edgbaston rather than the first here. Only the over-rate was tardy.

Losing start: KP was not successful at the toss but it turned out to England's advantage

Harmison was left out of the series-deciding third Test despite his recall to the squad, yet this most talented but infuriating of performers returned on a surface that could have been made for him. He wasted no time in demonstrating that reports of him terrorising county batsmen for Durham had by no means been exaggerated.

What a start England would have made had Alastair Cook held on to a chance offered by Graeme Smith off the very first ball; Harmison set the tone with an excellent first over ending with a delivery that was too fast for Smith and keeper Tim Ambrose as it burst through his gloves and hit his mouth.

Cook was again culpable when he dropped Hashim Amla off Andrew Flintoff but, in between his two lapses, he caught the hardest of his three chances to send back Neil McKenzie. England were on their way.

Down but not out: Pietersen sets an example with a stop in the field

Heads could have dropped after lunch as Smith, who was struggling physically and mentally to lift himself after his monumental effort at Edgbaston, survived a series of near misses that saw him stagger towards his half-century.

Then, just when England were in need of that extra ingredient their attack has so often lacked, Harmison made his decisive intervention.

First, the South African captain, in the 32nd over, top-edged a pull to Anderson running from long leg and then next ball, with the fastest delivery from anyone so far this Test summer, Harmison ripped out Amla's middle stump with a brute of a 92.9mph near yorker.

When Anderson trapped Jacques Kallis with an inswinging full-pitched delivery and forced Ashwell Prince to drive loosely to cover, England had taken four wickets in 33 balls.

Friendly advice: Pietersen has a word with Andrew Flintoff

Monty Panesar has endured a frustrating series which has seen him twice fail to bowl out South Africa when England needed him to but he enjoyed immediate success when Pietersen brought him on for the last over before tea, AB de Villiers falling to an lbw that might have been a bit high.

Stuart Broad was the only England bowler not to impress initially , going for 11 boundaries in his first 10 overs, but Pietersen was rewarded with two wickets when he kept the youngster on after tea. Anderson, the pick of the bowlers, deserved his third wicket while Panesar ended some late South African defiance.

Andrew Strauss was the only other viable Test captaincy candidate within the team but the doubts over his form could hardly have been lifted by a loose jab outside off-stump, giving South Africa their only success before the close.

Yet that will not be a problem for England if their opponents fail to gain the swing that was so evident on Thursday. Easy game, huh Kev? Now all you have to do is show it will not affect your batting.