England produce glittering display

Mark Boucher's furniture is disturbed by Stuart Broad as England dominate at Lord's

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England shredded through a talented South Africa batting line-up on day three as the tourists struggled to 247 all out and left themselves staring down the barrel of a heavy defeat in the first npower Test at Lord’s.

With only four batsmen making it into double figures - and Ashwell Prince’s magnificent, gutsy hundred aside - England bustled out their opponents thanks to Monty Panesar's four wickets and a spirited team display.

Forced to follow on, South Africa reached 13 without loss in the four overs possible before the close on day three.

Having banked a first-innings total of 593 for eight declared, England began their quest for wickets in a hurry as James Anderson hurried out skipper Graeme Smith for eight with just the 12th ball of the day.

After fielding for two days on a benign wicket, Smith looked disgusted as the England seamer got one to spit off a length which ballooned from the shoulder of his bat to Ian Bell at gully.

Neil McKenzie and Hashim Amla attempted in vain to stem the flow, and a sustained England bowling plan of peppering Amla with short pitched deliveries paid dividends when he was caught on the crease to a fuller length Broad delivery and could only feather a catch through to Tim Ambrose.

That brought South African lynchpin Jacques Kallis to the crease at 28 for two, and the 32-year-old nearly added to his remarkable record of having never scored an international run at Lord’s by fending a full delivery from Broad low through the slips for a fortunate boundary to get off the mark.

However, England didn’t have to wait long to snatch the prized scalp when the right-hander pushed uncharacteristically at a ball from Sidebottom and offered a sharp chance that a diving Andrew Strauss at first slip duly accepted.

It brought Prince to the wicket, who barely survived a hostile first ball that bounced steeply and somehow flew through a congested slip cordon.

Jacques Kallis trudges off after offering a slip catch to Andrew Strauss for a meagre seven

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McKenzie, who during the flurry of wickets had looked unflustered in making his way to 35, and Prince then saw off the introduction of Panesar after 27 overs to take the visitors through to lunch at 78 for three.

England began the afternoon session in much the same manner they started the day, with Panesar producing a superlative delivery to see off McKenzie for a well-played 40 just seven balls after lunch.

The opener played innocuously forward to a ball that pitched well outside leg-stump only to see it spin viciously off the pitch and clatter into his wicket to bring his 89-ball vigil to an end.

It gave each of England’s attack a wicket to leave the Proteas struggling at 83 for four - however it brought to the crease AB de Villiers, who along with Prince knuckled down to frustrate a tight and disciplined bowling unit.

The pair dropped anchor as South Africa attempted to inch their way out of trouble, sharing a 73-run stand in an unbroken, gritty display to keep Graeme Smith’s side resolutely clinging to England’s coat tails.

Prince continued doggedly, in between some watchful defence, to seize on anything loose - carving Broad over point for a boundary and dealing severely with a series of mis-directed Sidebottom deliveries.

Panesar was at his wily, subtle best and was noticeably darting in a multitude of flatter deliveries to de Villiers.

However, both batsmen’s techniques held sway and it was the left-arm spinner who was on the back foot when Prince swatted him back over his head for four after 46 overs.

The pair moved slowly but without much incident to 156 for four at tea, Prince bringing up his eighth Test half-century shortly before the interval having faced 82 balls and stroked eight boundaries.

Ashwell Prince lifts Monty Panesar for a huge six during his examplary knock of 101 for South Africa

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England secured a wicket shortly after the break, for the third time in the day, when James Anderson spectacularly flew full length to his left and plucked a firmly struck de Villiers drive out of the air at mid-on.

It gave Panesar his second wicket and the Northamptonshire spinner was far from finished, when, after the dismissal of Mark Boucher - bowled convincingly for four by Broad - he produced a ripping, fizzing, brute of a delivery to bring one back and clip Morne Morkel’s off stump through the gate for six.

Opposite number Paul Harris became Panesar’s third victim when he played an unflattering chip to mid on, also for six.

It left South Africa languishing on 203 for eight, although Prince was able to guide the score to some semblance of respectability before he fell almost immediately after reaching a deserved hundred.

The stoic left-hander brought up his eighth Test hundred with a comfortable tuck off his legs from Ryan Sidebottom, having hit 13 boundaries and cracked a solitary six off Panesar.

He fell soon afterwards with the score reading 245 to give Sidebottom his second wicket as England took advantage of the second new ball.

South Africa’s final wicket - which fell two runs later - encapsulated their disappointing effort as Dale Steyn hacked needlessly skywards at a gentle, loopy Kevin Pietersen delivery to close the innings on 247.

That left six overs still to play, with Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie having to suffer the indignity of opening the batting twice in a day.

The pair negotiated through to the close but will open tomorrow still trailing by a mammoth 333.