Pietersen's England dominate Proteas

Kevin Pietersen floated his way through his first day as England captain at the Oval

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Kevin Pietersen enjoyed a perfect first day as England captain after his bowling battery shredded through South Africa on day one of the fourth npower Test at the Brit Oval.

An energetic Pietersen inspired his bowlers to barge out the tourists for a paltry 192 with James Anderson picking up a trio of wickets whilst Monty Panesar, Stuart Broad and a resurgent Steve Harmison grabbed two apiece.

Andrew Flintoff, who initially got the ball rolling in the morning session with the wicket of Neil McKenzie, picked up a solitary wicket as England finished the day totally in control on 49 for one in reply.

The home side lost Andrew Strauss early after he wafted at Makhaya Ntini but Ian Bell (22) and Alastair Cook (20) saw the hosts through to the close to cap off a remarkable debut day for England’s new commander-in-chief.

Pietersen began the day in disappointing fashion when he lost the toss and opposite number Smith asked England to field amidst sunny conditions.

A rejuvenated Harmison however came close with the opening delivery of the Test when he found steepling bounce and hurried Smith into guiding the ball into the hands of Cook in the gully.

Cook failed to grasp the chance despite getting two hands to the ball, much to the consternation of both the crowd and his team mates.

It made for a frustrating session for England as they picked up just a solitary wicket, that of the stoic McKenzie (17) caught at third slip by a relieved Cook from a tempting full ball from Flintoff.

He and Smith had scratched around for sustained periods but looked to have seen off England’s opening volley, with Smith in particular becoming increasingly savage on anything remotely short from England’s bowlers.

The stocky left-hander recorded South Africa’s first boundary after 59 balls by shovelling Anderson through midwicket and despite McKenzie’s departure he and Hashim Amla had moved the score on to 63 for one when the players took tea 15 minutes early due to rain.

The resumption however immediately brought a deserved chance for England, although Cook at third slip again failed to cling on to a chance offered by Amla off Flintoff.

Andrew Flintoff began the fireworks when he sent back opener Neil McKenzie in the morning session

It looked to have proved costly when Amla went on to dismiss Stuart Broad for three fours in one over, following it up with two more emphatic slaps through the covers in his following over.

The flurry of boundaries heralded a bowling change and the dangerous Harmison nearly sent Smith back with the first ball of his new spell, his close lbw shout rightly adjudged to have pitched outside the line of leg stump by umpire Steve Davis.

The tall quick didn’t have to wait long to re-announce his arrival as a force for England however as Smith top-edged a pull down into the safe hands of Anderson at fine leg to end his knock of 46.

Harmison then made it two wickets in as many deliveries when he produced a box-office yorker to clean up Amla for 36, with Anderson taking care of Jacques Kallis (two) with a vicious inswinger an over later to make it three wickets in eight balls.

Ashwell Prince also failed to make an impression and fell to Anderson for four when he swished a full ball to Bell at point, and Mark Boucher soon suffered a similar fate when he feathered a consummate out-swinger from Anderson through to a jubilant Tim Ambrose for three.
It left South Africa, who had been sitting pretty on 103 for one, languishing on 132 for six and in danger of being totally blown away having lost five wickets for 28 runs in 63 balls.

AB de Villiers shouldered the responsibility of rebuilding the South Africa innings and launched a stinging counter attack as he punished a series of Broad deliveries to the rope off the front and back foot.

The 24-year-old launched the England seamer back over his head for four and timed a brace of deliveries picturesquely through the covers before, with tea looming, inexplicably playing back to Monty Panesar’s quicker ball and being trapped lbw for a breezy 39.

Tim Ambrose and Paul Collingwood celebrate as Monty Panesar ends AB de Villiers' resistance

Morne Morkel became the persevering Broad’s first scalp in the evening session when, having resumed on 158 for seven, he gloved a rising delivery to a diving Bell at short leg for 17 with the score on 168.

Nottinghamshire seamer Broad then got the better of Andre Nel when, having been clubbed over square leg for four two balls previously, he induced a thick edge through to Ambrose to dismiss the South African for four.

It left last pair Paul Harris and Ntini at the crease and, after a 61-ball partnership encompassing 22 runs, Panesar (who finished with exemplary figures of 2-4) finally cleaned up the latter to wrap up the Proteas’ innings inside 65 overs.

It left England with a tricky period still to bat, and the South Africans made immediate inroads when Ntini persuaded Strauss to fence at a delivery angled across him.

Smith took the resulting edge at first slip to send the left-hander on his way for six.

Bell, who has yet to make a hundred coming in at number three, and Cook continued to be watchful with the former only getting off the mark with a streaky five following a quick single that deflected to the rope after a direct hit from Amla.

Bell took full advantage of Ntini’s misdirection to clip him through square leg for four, a feat he repeated next ball through the covers on the back foot.

The pair batted pleasingly through to the close, with Bell adding another sweetly-timed leg-side four to his tally before he and Cook strode off to a standing ovation from a delighted Pietersen on the players' balcony.