Andrew Strauss played some glorious strokes as he led England to 59 without loss at tea on the second day of the second test against South Africa at Kingsmead in Durban on Sunday.
Strauss breezed to 50 not out, including eight boundaries, after Dale Steyn (47) had frustrated England with a last-wicket stand of 56 with Makhaya Ntini (6 not out) to take South Africa's first innings total to 343.
Alastair Cook was with Strauss on eight not out as South Africa's bowlers made a rotten start with the new ball and the left-handed captain capitalised with some top-class driving through the off side.
Graeme Swann finished with four for 110 in 35 overs to take his year's haul to 49 wickets in 12 tests, second only to Australia's Mitchell Johnson (58 in 13). But the off-spinner suffered heavy punishment from Steyn, who hit three sixes off him.
Seamer Jimmy Anderson was eventually called into service and he had Steyn caught behind to end the innings 52 minutes after lunch.
South Africa resumed after lunch on 284 for eight. Morne Morkel failed to add to his score of 23 when he was trapped leg-before by Swann, a decision he unsuccessfully tried to have overturned by the umpire review system.
AB de Villiers reached his 19th test half-century but was dismissed for 50 before lunch.
He and Mark Boucher had resumed on Sunday morning on 175 for five.
The pair added another 58 runs before England used an umpire decision review to dismiss Boucher (39) after Swann had spun a delivery back into the his pads to trap him leg-before.
