Proteas complete Test rout

South Africa go 1-0 up in four-match series after drawn opener at Lord's

Last updated: 21st July 2008

Morne Morkel South Africa celebrating wicket of Andrew Flintoff

Morkel: Celebrating the wicket of Andrew Flintoff

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South Africa knocked off a target of just nine to complete a comprehensive 10-wicket victory over England in the second npower Test with a day to spare at Headingley.

Skipper Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie needed just eight balls to put the tourists 1-0 ahead in the four-match series after they had bowled their opponents out for 327.

They had been denied the chance to secure an innings victory by a defiant unbeaten 67 from Stuart Broad, who shared a last-wicket stand of 61 with Darren Pattinson.

A lower-order batsman had also held up South Africa in the morning, nightwatchman James Anderson making a Test best 34, though few of the more established names managed to follow the lead of their lesser qualified colleagues.

Tall order

Beginning the morning still 269 runs behind, England would have hoped to follow South Africa's example at Lord's and bat out the final two days.

They were given an early boost by the brave display of Anderson, who together with fellow left-hander Alastair Cook (60) frustrated the visitors for nearly 100 minutes to put on 59 for the third wicket.

The Lancastrian's defiance finally came to an end after he received two blows off Dale Steyn, the second a sickening one that thudded into the side of his helmet and dropped him to the floor.

After a lengthy delay for treatment the tailender opted to bat on only to perish soon after, a full ball trapping him leg before.

By the following over the South Africans had struck again, Kevin Pietersen not hanging around as he made 13 in just four balls before nicking his fifth from Jacques Kallis through to Mark Boucher.

His breezy stay at the crease started with a flick to fine leg for four and he followed that up with two powerful drives to the fence in between a quick single, before hanging his bat out at a full ball which took the thinnest of edges.

A further two wickets went down in the session between lunch and tea, Ian Bell the first of them when his well-timed cut shot was brilliantly caught by a diving AB de Villiers at gully.

When a leading edge went to Hashim Amla at cover to end Cook's 178-ball vigil, England needed some careful batting from Ambrose, who took 40 minutes to get off the mark, and Andrew Flintoff to keep the Proteas at bay.

Unlikely recovery

The duo put on 60 for the seventh wicket to raise hopes of an unlikely recovery - perhaps in the mould of the thrilling Ashes Test at the same venue in 1981 - and after such a slow start they looked to be blossoming against the second new ball.

However, once Ambrose (36) became Boucher's fourth victim of the innings and ninth of the match, Flintoff decided the time was right to open his shoulders, a policy that saw him pick up a few boundaries until a loose drive saw him caught at second slip for 38.

With Monty Panesar failing to last long it was left to Broad and number 11 Pattinson to provide some late fireworks for the sparse crowd who had hung around in the evening sunshine.

While his partner at the other end blocked intently, Broad unfurled some classy strokes off both front and back foot to race to his third Test half-century in successive matches.

He reached 50 from just 41 deliveries, hitting consecutive fours off Kallis, before Pattinson came out of his shell to hit the runs that meant England forced their opponents to bat again, a small crumb of comfort in a match in which they had otherwise been outplayed from start to finish.

Morkel eventually ended the innings by bowling Pattinson to finish with 3-61, moving him level with Steyn (3-97) as the pair claimed 14 of England's 20 wickets between them.