A polished performance by a determined South African side saw them beat England by 108 runs in the fourth Standard Bank one-day international at Newlands on Sunday, and take a two-one lead in the series.
Set a target of 292 runs at nearly six runs a ball, England were always on the back foot, particularly when South Africa grabbed three early wickets.
First to go was Geraint Jones, caught behind by Boucher driving wildly at a delivery from Makhaya Ntini, for 19 off 20 balls.
England captain Michael Vaughan, who missed the match in Port Elizabeth because of a stomach bug, was caught in the slips by Jacques Kallis driving at a widish ball from Shaun Pollock without having scored. In the next over, Ntini struck again when he bowled Marcus Trescothick for 13, to have England reeling on 35 for three.
Two South African-born players — Andrew Strauss and Kevin Pietersen — put on a fourth-wicket partnership of 38 before Strauss was brilliantly caught by Ashwell Prince off Andre Nel for 17.
Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood both tried to support Pietersen, but Bell could only manage two runs and Collingwood 11, and the run rate continued to climb.
Pietersen tried valiantly, and in one over hit Kallis for 13 runs, including a massive six, but although he made 75 before he was caught by AB de Villiers off Nicky Boje, the writing was on the wall, and once Pietersen was gone, it was just a matter of time.
Kabir Ali was run out by Herschelle Gibbs for one, and England were 163 for eight.
Ashley Giles made 20 before he was caught in the covers by Pollock off his bowling partner Ntini, and Darren Gough and Stephen Harmison made six runs together before Harmison was caught by Andre Nel for four, to give South Africa victory with eight overs and four balls to spare.
Earlier, a century by Herschelle Gibbs and a maiden half-century by Justin Kemp saw South Africa to an excellent total of 291 for five, after being sent in by England.
Graeme Smith and De Villiers put on 18 runs before De Villiers was given out lbw to Darren Gough for nine, including an enormous six. Smith and Jacques Kallis punished Harmison, back in the team for Matthew Hoggard, and took the score to 50 in the 10th over, but then Smith was unlucky to be given out lbw to Kabir Ali for 16 — television replays showing the ball hit him high on the knee roll.
Smith’s departure brought Gibbs to the wicket. For the next five overs, South Africa were becalmed, putting on just 11 runs, largely due to some excellent bowling by Ali. But they gradually gathered momentum, and Vaughan had to ring the changes with his bowlers, with Harmison and Marcus Trescothick taking a lot of stick.
Trescothick was brought in to stem the tide, but he conceded 12 runs off his only over.
Gibbs was lucky not to be out with his score on 71 — Darren Gough took a brilliant catch off Ali, but fell over the boundary rope to give Gibbs a six and another life. But the partnership was broken immediately after that when Kallis was run out by Paul Collingwood for 71.
Justin Kemp was sent in up the order and he and Gibbs put on 34 runs together before Gibbs was caught by Ian Bell off Harmison for 100 — his 14th limited-overs century. It came up in just more than two hours off 114 balls, and included eight fours and three sixes.
With Gibbs gone, Ashwell Prince joined Kemp. Their 50 partnership came up off 29 balls, and they ended with a partnership of 64 off 34 deliveries, including 20 runs off the last over. Kemp’s half century came off 34 balls, and included three fours and four sixes.
The South Africans dominated for most of the match, and their victory in Port Elizabeth seemed to have given them the confidence to attack the English bowlers and batsmen. Another win would mean that they cannot lose the series. — Sapa