England end on a high

Jacques Kallis falls cheaply to James Anderson in the final session at Headingley

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England put in place the foundations for a stirring comeback against South Africa after producing a determined bowling effort having previously been scythed out for 203 at Headingley Carnegie.

South Africa had looked like ending day one of the second npower Test in complete control after bustling out the home side cheaply, but two wickets from James Anderson and one from dangerman Andrew Flintoff hauled England back from the brink to leave South Africa tottering on 101 for three.

England could well have been in a stronger position had Hashim Amla not have been controversially called back, having walked off after Michael Vaughan claimed a catch off Flintoff.

Vaughan was adamant he wrapped his fingers under a looping catch at mid-off, but after Amla stopped near the pavilion he was adjudged not out on the advice of third umpire Richard Kettleborough and returned to the crease to see out the day, much to the consternation of Vaughan.

Dale Steyn (4-76) and Morne Morkel (4-52) had previously ripped through the England batting with a hostile display of pace bowling, leaving Vaughan to ponder a substantially below-par batting performance.

Flintoff regained his place at the expense of Paul Collingwood,but the real team news at the start of the day concerned Darren Pattinson, the Nottinghamshire seamer drafted in for a debut in place Ryan Sidebottom, who had a stiff back.

The Grimsby-born former roofer, who has taken a roundabout journey that includes an emigration to Australia en route to selection with England, was made to wait for a chance to impact on the game when South Africa skipper Graeme Smith won the toss and asked England.

Openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook duly proceeded to blunt an initially ineffective visiting attack, with Cook in particular looking in confident touch in playing a brace of early back-foot punches to the rope.

The Proteas had looked in for a long day in not too dissimilar fashion to the first Test, but the introduction of Morne Morkel soon shifted the balance of power when he fortuitously picked up the wicket of Cook (18) with the score reading 26.

Michael Vaughan is dismissed for a duck by South Africa paceman Dale Steyn as England struggle

Morkel had the left-hander caught down the leg side despite replays suggesting the ball clunked through to keeper Mark Boucher via his thigh pad, and England’s misery was compounded when skipper Michael Vaughan followed him back to the pavilion shortly afterwards after falling without scoring to Dale Steyn for the second time in the series.

Vaughan, who has now faced 10 balls in two knocks, pushed uncertainly forward at a fizzing Steyn outswinger and edged a simple catch through to opposite number Smith at first slip.

It left England swaying on 27 for two, although Kevin Pietersen’s arrival at the crease heralded the usual flurry of boundaries, and he first aggressively flicked Steyn through midwicket to get off the mark before battering a short ball from the same bowler high over square-leg for a remarkable six.

Having had a reprieve when de Villiers shelled a sharp chance at third slip, Strauss - having firmly driven through the covers for four two balls previously - fell to the impressive Morkel when he found some extra bounce and had him caught at the wicket fencing at a ball just before lunch for 27.

It sent England into the interval at 70 for three and with hope that Ian Bell and the flowing Pietersen could restore some parity in front of a hearty Headingley crowd.

Indeed the home side set off with a renewed sense of purpose immediately after the break, scoring freely at a rate of over five and a half an over.

Pietersen opened his account after lunch by rocketing a Steyn long-hop to the rope in the first over after the resumption, and accosted it with a twirling flick through mid-on for another boundary.

He then whipped Ntini, surprisingly given the ball immediately after lunch despite an inauspicious spell in the morning, through square-leg before underlining his dominance with another outrageous whirl past midwicket.

The right-hander looked in ominous form, typified again when he crunched a good-length delivery from Steyn through mid-off off the back foot.

Kevin Pietersen continues his outstanding form from the first Test by making a thrilling 45

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However, he then paid the ultimate price for his over ambition when, after teeing off in a blistering innings of 45 at nearly a run a ball, he attempted one exuberant shot too many and flashed a drive to Smith at first slip.

Tim Ambrose, promoted to number six to accommodate the returning Flintoff, entered the fray desperate for runs after a disappointing series thus far - but he lasted only 17 balls before he pushed at an Ntini delivery from around the wicket into the hands of a delighted Mark Boucher.

England were crumbling at 123 for five and in desperate need of an anchor - a role the returning Flintoff seemed happy to play as he watchfully began his first Test innings in 18 months.

The 30-year-old flayed two boundaries over gully to reach double figures but he and Ian Bell, who had played a series of eye-catching strokes, looked intent on steadying the ship.

This seemed increasingly plausible as the pair seized on anything loose, Bell particularly impressing with a back foot push through the off side in the 35th over then following it up with a sumptuous drive on the move off an innocuous looking Jacques Kallis two overs later.

The Warwickshire batsman entered the thirties with a classic drive that melted through the covers to much cheer from a hearty crowd, only to abruptly inside edge a repeat attempt next ball and be clean bowled for 31.

The knock typified England’s day with the bat, and a series of attractive strokes from the incoming Broad seemed only a prelude to yet more wickets.

Flintoff (17) duly obliged with a front foot swish that compliantly found an edge through to keeper Boucher from a wide, inaccurate Steyn delivery while Broad (17) lasted seldom longer as he sharply flashed a ball from the same jubilant bowler to AB de Villiers at third slip.

It left England toiling at 181 for eight and unsure as to whether they would bat out the session, with an on-song Morkel doing for Monty Panesar (0) shortly afterwards as he found typically steep bounce that de Villiers gleefully snapped up again at slip.

Andrew Flintoff shows his frustration after falling for just 17 to Steyn on his comeback innings

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Some late resistance from a surprisingly confident Anderson - who has gone 36 innings without a duck - and debutant Darren Pattinson saw England past the 200 mark, although Steyn picked up the wicket of the latter for eight minutes before tea to hand him his fourth wicket and give Mark Boucher his fifth scalp behind the stumps.

South African openers Smith and Neil McKenzie were greeted with bright sunshine when they emerged after tea, and the pair breezed along uninhibited to 51 without loss at a healthy rate.

Smith particularly looked in solid form with a series of industrious swings to the leg side and McKenzie also appeared content to revert to the anchorman role that brought him a magnificent hundred at Lord’s.

It was therefore something of a surprise when the right-hander, having beautifully stroked his third four the ball before, played in front of his body and edged Anderson to Flintoff at second slip.

It gave England the impetus they needed and Flintoff, a resurgent force who looked threatening since replacing opener Pattinson, produced one that climbed on Smith and was duly taken by Strauss at first slip.

South African lynchpin Kallis lasted only 14 balls when he became Anderson’s second wicket, chopping onto his stumps to a delivery that he jerked awkwardly at having tucked himself up trying to force the ball behind square.

It left the Proteas reeling at 76 for three, which then nearly became 76 for four when Amla was controversially called back having chipped Flintoff in the air to a sprawling Vaughan.

Having narrowly survived, Amla and Ashwell Prince - himself the subject of a close leg-before shout off the impressive Anderson - saw South Africa through to the close having just nudged past the hundred mark.