Even as the weatherman predicted a sixty percent chance of rain, Andrew Strauss and Graham Thorpe required just about half an hour to secure a famous victory for England. South Africa went into the fifth and final day at St. Georges Park in Port Elizabeth with a heavy heart and a throbbing headache, coming face to face with imminent defeat and conceding the crucial first Test to England. England, batting overnight on 93 for the loss of three wickets, were faced with little difficulty as they quickly chased the remaining runs to ensure their best ever win streak in Test matches.

'Man of the Match' Andrew Strauss left his imprint on the Test with yet another remarkable unbeaten ninety-three to go with a splendid century in the first innings. He dominated the attack in the half hour's play and showed the young debutant Dale Steyn no mercy. Andrew Strauss has been a lucky charm for England, having been a part of the team since the start of their winning streak. While Strauss' century in the first innings ensured England were in a commanding position and unfazed by the under-par South African total, the second knock was vital from the standpoint of not giving the home team even a sniff of a highly improbable victory. Graham Thorpe, a clear veteran in the England dressing room, stood rock solid on an unbeaten thirty-one with the dashing young opener.

South Africa were given a fortuitous second life in the Test when Makhaya Ntini struck with four wickets for the hosts just as the visitors overhaul South Africa's first-innings score. While that did not prevent the England tail from wagging to a healthy eighty-eight run lead, Graeme Smith, Jacques Kallis, and to a certain extent Jacques Rudolph, wiped out the deficit with aplomb. When the curtains were raised on day four, South Africa were in with a realistic fighting chance to save the Test and perhaps turn the tables on the visitors. That was a very realistic possibility with the South African skipper and Jacques Kallis having added eighty-eight runs. But as luck would have it, disaster struck as Simon Jones pulled off a magnificent catch when Smith top edged a hook shot off Andrew Flintoff after going past a vital half-century. The task on hand far from complete, Boeta Dippenaar joined his skipper for lunch in the dressing-room, being bowled by Ashley Giles. But there was still hope with Jacques Kallis stylishly on sixty-one.

 

Simon Jones appeared still very hungry after lunch. Desperation turned to despair for South Africa as Jones put up a pumped up, fiery display and cut short South Africa's defiance with a four-wicket haul that had England hopping in sheer delight. In successive deliveries, he sent back Jacques Kallis and then Shaun Pollock, though the latter was rather unlucky as the ball brushed his pads on the way to the wicketkeeper. South Africa lost six wickets for a meagre twenty-eight runs, the gloom in the dressing room not unlike the conditions at Port Elizabeth.
 

South Africa were guilty of conceding too many extras in England's first innings and only a miraculous effort raised above the one seen in recent times was going to save them the blushes after setting a modest target for 142. Shaun Pollock gave South Africa early hopes by snapping Marcus Trescothick first ball. Ntini then turned on his magic as he had Mark Butcher caught by a sharp and alert skipper in the slips and England were wobbling at eleven for two. Michael Vaughan tried to regain some composure but was a victim to Dale Steyn's ferocious delivery aimed at middle. England though recovered without any further drama largely due to a calm and collected innings from Andrew Strauss, who had Graham Thorpe for company when bad light put paid to England's march to a record-breaking eighth successive Test victory on the fourth day itself.

Simon Jones, who destroyed South Africa in the second innings with four scalps, including those of Kallis and Pollock.

South Africa were always going to be the underdogs even though they were playing in their own backyard. This is largely so because England has used the last eighteen months to settle into a winning mould since Michael Vaughan took over the captaincy from Nasser Hussain midway through South Africa's tour to England. Graeme Smith's South Africa is in the restoration phase with the likes of stalwarts like Gary Kirsten, Allan Donald and Jonty Rhodes having left the scene. With Nicky Boje, Herschelle Gibbs and Andre Nel sidelined, they have had to blood young Dale Steyn. Shaun Pollock and Jacques Kallis are the only two remaining senior pros and the rest of the batting line-up, the talented Jacques Rudolph apart, is yet to settle into a fixed pattern with defined roles and responsibilities.

While England have learnt the efficacy of making the most of their lone frontline spinner in Ashley Giles who is no mug with the bat either, the hosts do not have a substitute for Nicky Boje. England now possess a formidable bowling attack in Steve Harmison, Simon Jones and Matthew Hoggard who spelt doom for South Africa in the first innings.

Despite Dippenaar's century and Rudolph's resistance, South Africa were always going to play catch-up with an under par total. The chasm in the two sides was evident as Andrew Strauss waltzed his way to a glorious century and even Ntini's late heroics proved in vain.

All this analysis does not make for good reading for the hosts, but they have done tenacious battle in India and are presently up against the world's second-best Test team. This premature home defeat will rankle. A lot more tenacity and commitment will obviously be expected if the hosts are give a fitting riposte at Durban, a venue that will suit the England pace battery quite nicely it has to be said. Their ante has to raise more than a notch or two if they are not stop the England juggernaut in the Boxing Day Test.