Andrew Flintoff lasted less than an hour on centre stage at Headingley today as England lurched into deep trouble against South Africa.

Returning to the team at No7 after an 18-month absence, Flintoff found himself out of the spotlight this morning when the selectors controversially replaced back-injury victim Ryan Sidebottom with little known Ango-Aussie Darren Pattinson for the Second Test.

But it was all a bit too much like old times for Flintoff, whose last series was the Ashes whitewash in Australia, when he bounded to the middle with England 123 for five. He began with a carved four off Makhaya Ntini and reached 17 without suggesting he would last too long.

And when Dale Steyn sent down a wide delivery, the all-rounder flashed hopefully to be caught behind.

With Ian Bell having already departed, England were struggling horribly at 177-7.

Having won the toss again, South Africa looked as though they might waste the new ball - just as they did on the first morning at Lord's last week.

Neither Steyn nor Ntini made England's openers play nearly enough on a grey, drizzly morning and it needed the introduction of Morne Morkel, plus an umpiring error from Billy Bowden, to put the visitors back on track after 11 overs.

Alastair Cook missed Morkel's delivery by quiet a margin as it headed down legside but was given out, caught behind, after the ball brushed his thigh pad. And, nine balls later, the home team were 27 for two after Michael Vaughan's second failure of the series.

A delivery from Steyn swung away just enough to find the edge of a forward defensive stroke. Now England were under the cosh, and they remained there even though Kevin Pietersen began his innings by clipping Steyn for four and then hooking a six.

Andrew Strauss came through a moment of real controversy - when AB de Villiers claimed a low catch at third slip only for TV replays to prove that the ball bounced - but could not survive until lunch, fencing at Morkel's lifting delivery wide of off stump to give keeper Mark Boucher his second victim.

If anyone could launch a counter-attack from 62 for three it was Pietersen. He tried, too, plundering 28 runs from 16 balls. But just when another extra-special KP innings seemed possible, to follow his fabulous Lord's century, a touch too much ambition brought about his downfall.

Steyn invited another drive, then bellowed in triumph as Pietersen edged one that left him and was caught at first slip by Graeme Smith. Now England's selection policy of dropping Paul Collingwood and promoting Tim Ambrose to No6 came under real scrutiny.

Vaughan said he had no worries about pushing the keeper into new territory, even though he missed out with the bat at Lord's and had a wretched one-day series against New Zealand. Today at least, though, it proved a challenge too far for Ambrose. When Ntini went around the wicket and angled a delivery across him, only the edge of the bat came into play to give Boucher another catch.

Enter Flintoff to a huge roar from some supporters. It was Bell, however, who looked like a conquering hero while driving several sumptuous boundaries. Dragging a ball from Jacques Kallis into his stumps ended that promising knock, though.

Earlier, Pattinson's shock selection reopened the debate about whether England are too quick to look beyond home-grown talent. However anyone wraps it up, Pattinson is an Australian - apart from where he was born. He speaks with an Aussie accent and has admitted he never dreamed of playing for England when he was working on roofs in Victoria.

"It's a huge honour," said Pattinson after being handed his cap by Vaughan. "I'm as shocked as anyone."

Pattinson has played only 11 first-class games - the first five for Victoria and the last half dozen for Notts this season. In total he has taken 40 wickets at 26.30 runs apiece, and performed well enough to convince the national selectors he is worth a punt this week ahead of more obviously English candidates like Matthew Hoggard, Simon Jones and Steve Harmison.