Smith: Led from the front to clinch series for tourists

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Third npower Test Match
Edgbaston - Day Four
England 231 (A N Cook 76, I R Bell 50) & 363 (P D Collingwood 135, K P Pietersen 94, M Morkel 4-97) v South Africa 314 (N D McKenzie 72, J H Kallis 64, A Flintoff 4-89) & 283-5 (G C Smith 154 no)
South Africa beat England by 5 wkts

Skipper Graeme Smith led from the front with an unbeaten century as South Africa secured a five-wicket victory in the third Test at Edgbaston that also seals the series.

The Proteas moved into an unassailable 2-0 lead as they chased down a target of 281 with a day to spare, after England had been bowled out for 363 in their second innings.

Paul Collingwood was the last man out for an excellent 135 and hopes of a home win were raised when South Africa slumped to 93-4 in their run chase.

However, Smith steered his side home in style, fittingly hitting the winning runs to finish on 154 not out and seal the Proteas' first series victory on English soil since 1965.

Tension

Mark Boucher was alongside his skipper on 45 not out at the end of a contest that had threatened to boil over in the afternoon session when two batsmen were trapped lbw when they hadn't picked up the ball.

On both occasions Andrew Flintoff was the bowler, the all-rounder somehow managing from the Pavilion End to find a blind spot in the background, just as he had done on the second evening during a hostile spell that had lifted England off the canvas for the first, but not the last, time in the match.

Neil McKenzie was the first to fail to see a yorker when he turned his head away from one that hit him on the boot, leaving umpire Steve Davis with a simple decision.

The opener left the field with a wry smile on his face but Jacques Kallis was apoplectic after being hit on the thigh by a full toss that he never spotted. It was the second time in the match he had been deceived by his rival all-rounder.

In between Flintoff's double strike Monty Panesar got the benefit of a dubious lbw appeal against Hashim Amla and when James Anderson found the edge of Ashwell Prince's bat, the visitors were four down and on the back foot.

While carnage ensued at the other end Smith stayed calm, looking comfortable against the seamers while using his feet excellently to get right across his crease against the dangerous Panesar.

It was a nasty, turning delivery that should have led to his downfall on 85 but despite the ball wrapping his glove and looping up in the air for wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose to take, England barely bothered with an appeal.

They had been much more vociferous 11 runs earlier when Smith padded up to one that came back out of the rough. Umpire Aleem Dar turned down the shouts and in conjunction with de Villiers, the left-hander edged his team closer to glory with a 76-run stand.

Panesar gave England renewed hope when he had de Villiers caught by Collingwood at slip, but a tiring attack could find no way to remove Smith, who claimed the extra half hour to see his side home in fading light.

Severe blow

Haqving resumed on 297-6 on the fourth morning, England knew they needed to add considerably to their lead of 214, only to be dealt a severe blow in the opening over of the day.

Having suffered at the hands of Kevin Pietersen and Collingwood the previous day, Morne Morkel bounced back in emphatic fashion by bowling Tim Ambrose for 19. But after striking so quickly, the South Africans had to wait more than 16 overs for their next breakthrough.

Ryan Sidebottom proved a major thorn in their side as he stuck around with Collingwood in a 65-run stand for the eighth wicket that pushed England's advantage beyond the 250-mark.

The left-hander was resolute in defence early in the partnership before blossoming with some fine shots of his own, one textbook straight drive off Morkel the pick of his five boundaries out of 22 before he gloved the next ball to Amla at short leg.

Anderson, a hero with the bat in the 10-wicket loss at Headingley in the second Test, proved unable to follow Sidebottom's lead as he contributed just one before chopping on a short ball from Kallis.

The next over saw the innings close, Morkel getting Collingwood to edge a slower ball through to Boucher behind the stumps to end the Durham man's 195-ball knock, as the hosts lost their last three wickets for just one run.