South Africa are fighting for pride and fortune against England at St. Georges Park, Port Elizabeth in the first of the five-Test series. Despite England's rather embarrassing defeat at the hands of South Africa A at Potchefstroom on the eve of the game, South Africa were the team that had everything to prove in the Test series. This is primarily because South Africa are a different side from the one that England fought hard against in the previous series in 2003 to achieve a 2-2 draw.

While the South Africans have had a bumpy ride since then, England have, in rather unglamourous and unassuming fashion, rode their way nearly to the top of the ladder.

South Africa have their task cut out at the end of the third day's play. Their first innings after winning the toss and electing to bat was one of kick-starts and abrupt halts. While Steve Harmison hogged the headlines as the world's premier fast bowler, it was Matthew Hoggard who struck the telling blow by dismissing Graeme Smith, who led from the front in the previous serious in England with back-to-back double centuries, including a record 277. Hoggard induced the South African skipper to nick a widish delivery off the second ball of the innings. Andrew Hall, the hero of the Indian tour, was shunted to the lower half of the line-up. Herschelle Gibbs does not find himself in South African coach Ray Jennings' good books, and consequently, finds himself out of the side, although an injury has been 'officially' cited for his absence. This proved fortuitous for Abraham B. de Villiers, who had a brief opportunity to display his stroke-making flair before Andrew Flintoff dismissed him lbw for twenty-eight. South Africa suffered one more loss before lunch when Jacques Kallis lost sight of a full-toss from Harmison that crashed into the base of his off-stump and fell for no score.

Jacques Rudolph has displayed a steely resolve in his brief international career. With Boeta Dippenaar, he started the rebuilding process with a long century stand that thwarted England from making any further inroads in the afternoon session. Rudolph made most of Harmison's waywardness, though he was living life rather dangerously. Rudolph's undoing turned out to be the only occasion on which he allowed himself to get rattled. He took his eyes off an Andrew Flintoff delivery, and then gloved the very next ball to Geraint Jones after a hard fought four-hour vigil of ninety-three. Flintoff subsequently flummoxed Zander de Bruyn, who watched the ball clip the top of his stumps, leaving South Africa at a potentially perilous 192-5.
 

Shaun Pollock stuck around steady for thirty-three. But Matthew Hoggard dealt vital blows, snuffing out Pollock as well as bowling Andrew Hall off an inside-edge, reducing South Africa to 273-7 at dusk on day one. Dippenaar, batting overnight on seventy-nine, found a tenacious partner in Thami Tsolekile in a sixty-one run defiance. Dippenaar's career-graph resembles that of a struggling actor's, but it also reveals an unpretentious and poised penchant to make the most of the opportunities that do come his way. He scored his third Test century but could not elevate South Africa's innings close to the 400-mark. Apart from a brief spectacle from debutant pace bowler Dale Steyn, who displayed his range of delicate off-drives and a straight six lofted off Ashley Giles, South Africa had to be content with 337.

First home, then away - Andrew Strauss celebrates his entry into one of Test cricket's most exclusive clubs.

It soon became apparent that South Africa were lacking the confidence and incisiveness in the bowling department as Andrew Strauss and Marcus Trecothick put together an effortless 152-run partnership. Marcus Trescothick played an unusually cautious knock of forty-seven before a swift delivery from Steyn crashed into his stumps much to the fulsome celebration from the debutant. Andrew Strauss showcased his penchant for delectable cuts and commanding pulls en route to playing a drive through an elite list of players scoring centuries on both, home and away, debuts and rubbing shoulders with another famous England player in Ranjitsinhji and the likes of Australia's Harry Graham, Kepler Wessels, Lawrence Rowe for West Indies, Pakistan's Azhar Mahmood and more recently, Michael Clarke. South Africa were a despondent lot with an indisciplined and inconsistent bowling act as England finishing rather luminously on a dull day on a formidable 227 for the loss of one wicket.
 

England were looking very much in command until Makhaya Ntini sent the ladder wobbling and triggering a mini collapse in the middle-order. First he had Mark Butcher in dilemma only to glove the ball to a live wire Thami Tsolekile for seventy-nine. Andrew Flintoff was the next victim after an enterprising thirty-five, holing on the leg side to Jacques Rudolph who was deliberately positioned for exactly that type of shot. Ntini struck again to dismiss Geraint Jones while Andrew Hall did his bit sending back Matthew Hoggard. Suddenly England lost four wickets for a measly twelve runs. Earlier in the day Andrew Strauss could not add to his 126 with Shaun Pollock applying the brakes while Andrew Hall accounted for the England skipper. Graeme Smith's decision to bowl himself was vindicated as England's stoic veteran Graham Thorpe was bowled round his legs as England were losing some ground at 277-4. The England tail though wagged with a couple of thirty plus partnerships to take them to 425. Ashley Giles's intrepid batting with Simon Jones and Harmison bringing an amusing but nonetheless valuable partnership changed the scenario yet again. Suddenly England's slender lead turned into a apprehensive eighty-eight run deficit for South Africa. AB de Villiers was not allowed to shine with Matthew Hoggard latching onto a catch off his own bowling even though the South Africans started on a positive note. Rudolph was sent back caught by Marcus Trescothick at first slip off Ashley Giles.

The South Africans hold onto a slim lead of eleven runs with eight wickets in hand at ninety-nine runs and skipper Smith and Jacques Kallis still at the crease. If they can mentally haul themselves to give a better showing against the England pace battery and take a leaf out of their strategy of patience and perseverance on the Indian tour, it will certainly liven up the match and the series.