There can only be one team smiling their way to Johannesburg, the venue of the fourth Test. South Africa, clearly the underdogs, turned the tables on England in the most comprehensive manner yet. Their submission at Port Elizabeth was not surprising. While England rued the missed opportunity to go up two-nil at Durban, South Africa saw plenty of positives. They even contemplated the fact that they were in the running to reach the target but the loss of quick wickets on the fifth day meant that saving the Test was paramount. Cape Town held no such predicaments.

When play ended on the third day of the thid Test, South Africa played out its second innings in bizarre fashion, despite a lead of 278. Jacques Kallis and Boeta Dippenaar seemed were quite happy to plod and bide their time, as if they were trying to save the Test rather than win it. The first hour of the fourth day's play though saw another eccentric side to the home team. In a desperate bid to get England in early, South Africa managed to score just thirty-eight runs, and lost seven wickets in just under eleven overs.

Kallis' innings of sixty-six was valuable while Dippenaar, despite his forty-four, will have to re-evaluate his approach that for the second time, has led to a slip in South Africa's momentum. Two run outs, and a delay as Makhaya Ntini forgot his arm-guard only added to the skipper's impatience. Smith declared the innings at 222 for the loss of eight wickets, leaving England an implausible target of 501 runs for victory. South Africa tasted immediate success as Marcus Trescothick was caught off Shaun Pollock by Hashim Amla at a strategically positioned silly mid-off. Andrew Strauss and Robert Key held England steady for a tantalizing period for the hosts. But Andrew Strauss was adjudged lbw by umpire Steve Bucknor, a dubious call, because though the ball was clearly headed towards the middle stump, replays hinted at a feather-touch inside-edge. Even as England's most successful batsman on this tour trudged back, there were more pressing concerns back home.

Steve Harmison displays his batting skills against Shaun Pollock in the second innings.

One has to really question the presence of mind of the England skipper. Michael Vaughan survived one caught-behind chance. But in the very next over, he did not as much as pause to think before hooking straight to Jacques Rudolph at backward square leg, again smart field-positioning by Smith. That shifted the focus off Robert Key, who after a patient forty-one, gave in to impetuousness as he charged towards Nicky Boje, only to be stumped by a waiting Abraham de Villiers. If Graham Thorpe and Andrew Flintoff bore semblance of flickering hopes for the outplayed and out-thought visitors, it was promptly extinguished as Shaun Pollock bowled the perfect delivery to induce the nick. At 151 for five, England had little chance to draw.
 

Graham Thorpe survived a close lbw shout off Smith last night but perished early, Geraint Jones and Ashley Giles dug in for most of the morning session. In the period leading upto lunch, Nicky Boje had Giles caught in the slips. Despite smashing the ball over Boje's head, Jones offered a meek catch next ball. Steve Harmison helped himself to a career-best forty-two scorching runs and was the top-scorer in the innings, while Matthew Hoggard dropped anchor in a record tenth-wicket partnership, English fans finding something to cheer about. England were eventually bowled out for 304. South Africa squared the series winning by 196 runs, their first win in seven Tests. England's defeat is their first in fourteen since the loss to Sri Lanka in December 2003.

South Africa caught England napping. The result: a spectacular result at a spectacular venue by a resurgent team in equally spectacular fashion! Perhaps over-confidence after the first win led to complacency in England's team strategizing. South Africa have responded in the fashion of a wounded tiger. One certainly look forward to a spicier contest at Johannesburg.