England seamers strangle South Africa on 4th day of first test

England's seamers reduced South Africa to 80 for four in their second innings at lunch on the fourth day of the first test on Saturday.

South Africa, scrapping for every run on a cracked pitch producing inconsistent bounce, extended their lead to 142 runs. Hashim Amla, on a doughty 34, and AB de Villiers, with a sprightly 17, were the batsmen at the crease.

South Africa resumed on another hot day on nine for one and swing bowler James Anderson removed obdurate nightwatchman Paul Harris for 11 in the third over.

Harris was bowled trying to flick a leg-side delivery away, the ball deflecting off his leg back on to the stumps.

Captain Graeme Smith scored 12 before he left a gap between bat and pad playing forward to disciplined seamer Graham Onions, who zipped the ball back into the left-hander and bowled him off the inside edge.

That left South Africa on a shaky 34 for three and first-innings centurion Jacques Kallis also struggled in the testing conditions.

Kallis scored four in 47 minutes before falling into a trap laid by Stuart Broad and hooking the paceman to Alastair Cook at deep square-leg.

England were unable to snatch another wicket before the break, though, as Amla and De Villiers survived a few anxious moments to collect another 34 runs, including a big six by De Villiers off spinnner Graeme Swann.