Team KP get off to winning start

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Pietersen looked set to hit the winning runs when he arrived in the middle with only 50 needed following a century stand between openers Alastair Cook (67) and Andrew Strauss (58).

But, for the first time since he took over as skipper from Michael Vaughan a week ago, the script went slightly wrong as Pietersen was dismissed by spinner Paul Harris having made just 13. There was no need for England to panic, though, and Andrew Flintoff ended the match in style just before tea by hitting Harris for a straight six.

"I could not have asked for any more from all the guys," said Pietersen. "After all the commotion leading up to this match everyone pulled together."

Although the match was irrelevant in terms of the npower series with South Africa taking it 2-1, Pietersen is, at least, off to a triumphant start.

Cheered on by a crowd of more than 15,000, Cook and Strauss had given England a perfect platform in their pursuit of a victory target of 197 by putting together a partnership of 123.

Ian Bell could only make four and then Pietersen departed. But after his first-innings century, there was nothing for England's skipper to feel down about, as man-of-the-match and man-of-the-series awards underlined.