Collingwood to the rescue

Paul Collingwood goes to a splendid hundred with an on-driven six off Paul Harris

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Paul Collingwood timed his return to form to perfection as England mounted another brave attempt to keep the npower Test series alive at Edgbaston.

Collingwood brought his barren run to an end in sensational fashion, hitting a magnificent unbeaten 101 that carried England to 279 for six by the close of a pulsating third day’s play in the third npower Test.

That represented a lead of 214, which, though far from insurmountable, at least gives the hosts something to bowl at in the fourth innings, a prospect that appeared unlikely at best when they lost their top three in erasing an 83-run first-innings deficit.

When Ian Bell’s departure left England reeling on 104 for four, South Africa’s grip on this absorbing game was almost absolute.

But Kevin Pietersen, who fell six short of a sensational hundred of his own, and Collingwood - boasting just 96 runs in 10 first-class innings before today - set about repairing the damage courtesy of a crucial 115-run stand for the fifth wicket.

Collingwood saw Pietersen and Andrew Flintoff perish in the space of five balls, but he showed immense character not only to stand firm until the close, but in reaching his sixth Test hundred - and surely his most important - with an on-driven six off Paul Harris, the exact shot which brought about Pietersen’s downfall.

Tim Ambrose’s part in England’s renaissance is also worth recounting. He will resume tomorrow on 19 not out, having batted for more than an hour and a half in adding an unbroken 76 with Collingwood for the seventh wicket.

Earlier, England had extended their remarkable resurgence with the ball into the third morning, hurrying through the South Africa tail by claiming the remaining four wickets inside 13 overs.

If Flintoff was responsible for England’s early-evening fightback yesterday that saw the tourists close on 256 for six, Ryan Sidebottom and James Anderson did the damage this morning as they hustled South Africa out for 314.

Michael Vaughan takes to the air to pull off a stunning catch and end South Africa’s first innings

England left the field last night with their spirits buoyed by Flintoff’s late double breakthrough, and Sidebottom ensured the momentum remained with the home side by removing the obdurate Ashwell Prince with the final ball of his first over today courtesy of a wild drive and faint outside edge.

Morne Morkel contributed a useful 18 containing an imperious straight drive on the up at Flintoff’s expense before he was beaten for pace and trapped leg before by Anderson, and Andre Nel had his middle and leg stumps uprooted by a Sidebottom delivery that arced back in sharply.

Though Monty Panesar spilled a simple chance at deep fine-leg off Sidebottom to reprieve Boucher on 37 - the same batsman had been put down by Collingwood at second slip on 12 - Michael Vaughan combined with Anderson to end Boucher’s innings for 40 two balls later.

Making room, Boucher drove to deep extra cover, where Vaughan, running round to his right at some pace, clung on to a splendid diving catch at full stretch.

England’s attempt to wipe out the deficit began inauspiciously as Alastair Cook, who survived a loud shout for lbw to Nel’s first ball, fell for nine to provide Makhaya Ntini with his 350th Test wicket.

Having pulled Ntini’s first ball for four, Cook attempted the same stroke to the next delivery, only to find the top edge. Boucher made light of a swirling wind to hold on to a diving effort almost at square-leg.

The fact that Vaughan hit four fours in his innings of 17 reflected his positive intentions, but he perished on the drive, superbly held by Hashim Amla low to his left at short extra cover off Nel.

Kevin Pietersen unfurls his trademark switch-hit on the way to a mangificent 94 as England fight back

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Andrew Strauss was content to watch Pietersen assume the role of aggressor during their third-wicket alliance, until Morkel returned to have the left-hander smartly taken at second slip by Jacques Kallis for 25.

Pietersen opened his shoulders - and rode his luck - to carry England into the black, while Bell entertained briefly in making 20 before falling in similar circumstances to Cook to give Ntini a wicket with his first ball of a new spell.

Never short of confidence, Pietersen continued to entertain the crowd and frustrate South Africa in equal measure, most noticeably when he unfurled two switch-hits in an over off Harris.

By then he had registered a 90-ball fifty, and Collingwood - visibly growing in confidence - made the most of the plentiful short deliveries to bring up his landmark off just 61 deliveries.

The session appeared to turn in the space of five balls moments later as Pietersen - searching for the six that would have taken him to three figures - failed to clear AB de Villiers at mid-on, and Flintoff fell to a bat-pad catch to give Harris an unexpected, but hugely important, double breakthrough.

Collingwood’s form and technique this summer may have left much to be desired, but he provided an appreciative crowd - which included the England dressing room - with more evidence of his battling qualities by keeping South Africa at bay for the remainder of the session.

Accumulating steadily off his legs, cutting powerfully and slog-sweeping to good effect, he moved into the nineties before - astonisinghly, given the manner of Pietersen’s demise - advancing down the track to lift Harris back over his head. He had faced just 133 balls and hit 14 fours in addition to that maximum.

The muted celebration suggested that Collingwood acknowledged his job was far from complete, and he will know better than anyone that he and Ambrose must tomorrow reproduce the sort of rearguard action that saw them keep South Africa at bay for 26 overs if England are to complete one of the greatest comebacks.