England seized the initiative on the second morning of the third Castle Lager/MTN cricket Test at Newlands on Monday, capturing three wickets for the addition of 90 runs. South Africa went to lunch on 337 for seven.
Jacques Kallis and Hashim Amla survived a torrid first half hour in which Steve Harmison was particularly aggressive. He hit Kallis on the right hand with the first delivery of the morning, and in the second had Kallis tumbling to the ground as he tried to duck a bouncer.
But it was Matthew Hoggard who made the first breakthrough when Amla was given out lbw for 25 — his highest score in Test cricket. He was generally regarded as having been unlucky, because while the ball was going straight, it appeared to be too high.
AB de Villiers and Kallis put on 49 runs together before De Villiers charged down to a delivery from Ashley Giles, which he missed, and he was bowled for 21.
Shaun Pollock, still recovering from a finger injury he sustained when Harmison hit him on both hands in successive overs, lasted just eight minutes before he nicked a ball that was caught behind by wicketkeeper Geraint Jones off Andrew Flintoff for four.
Meanwhile, Kallis moved to his 19th Test century. It took him just more than five-and-a-half hours, and came off 227 balls. He was not out on 120 at lunch with Nicky Boje on 12. — Sapa