Panesar to the fore

Monty Panesar's four wickets helped England force South Africa to follow on at Lord's - and his unexpected reward was being asked to take the new ball for the first time in his career.

Left-arm spinner Panesar's 4-74 continued the good work started by England's seamers on the third day as the hosts hustled South Africa out for 247 in reply to 593 for eight declared.

Despite a battling century from Ashwell Prince (101) on his first visit to the home of cricket and maiden match against England, the tourists began their second innings needing 346 to make their opponents bat again.

It was as South Africa reached stumps on 13 without loss from four overs before stumps, though, that a bizarre turn of events saw Panesar and part-time off-spinner Kevin Pietersen open the bowling.

The threat of bad light was the reason - and Panesar explained the new ball, with rain falling as well, was very much a mixed blessing for someone more used to coming on many overs into an innings.

Monty Panesar sets off in exuberant celebration after removing AB de Villiers

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"I did dry my hands a bit more than normal, because the new ball obviously is a little bit slippy - so I just tried to make sure I got a grip on it," he said. "I didn't want to bowl a beamer first ball."

It was a shock for Panesar to learn from captain Michael Vaughan that he would be in action at the very start of South Africa's second innings.

"When we got back in the dressing room, knowing that the light was bad for the seamers, Vaughany mentioned 'Be prepared to open the bowling with the new ball’,” Panesar explained.

"The umpires said, ‘As long as the spinners bowl, it is fine to get in those last few overs’.

"I'd never bowled with a brand new ball. But in general I like bowling with a hard, newer ball - because you tend to get a bit more bounce, and sharper turn as well."

Panesar and Pietersen's unusual party piece followed a fine display by the England attack first time round - and another disappointing one from South Africa.

"We've performed fantastically these last three days," said Panesar. "The seamers bowled brilliantly as a unit, even though it was not swinging so much.

"They had to be very patient and created a lot of pressure. That made my job a lot easier, when I came on to bowl."

Panesar's most memorable wicket came when he turned the ball sharply out of the rough to bowl an unsuspecting Neil McKenzie behind his legs - but he admitted there was an element of luck to the dismissal.

"There is a bit of rough, and you know it can turn out of it," he said. "But that was a fortunate one, coming back like that to hit the stumps."

Ashwell Prince forces off the back foot on the way to a determined rearguard century for South Africa

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Prince was harder to shift, and Panesar gave the gritty left-hander due credit for his 173-ball hundred - in the absence of worthwhile support.

"He batted well. Obviously there was a bit of rough there, which kept me in the game, but he managed to counteract that well," added England's chief wicket-taker.

Prince, meanwhile, was hard on himself - after getting out to a loose shot when batting with the tail.

He dug in for nearly five hours and was able to celebrate a worthy achievement in front of his wife and baby son in the crowd.

But Prince still felt he should not have given his wicket away.

"I thought I let the team down, getting out just a few overs before the end of the day's play," he said.

"The last thing I wanted was to have the captain and Neil McKenzie go out again tonight and face a few overs. It was a bit difficult leaving them in the lurch.

"At the time I got out, I probably started thinking about too many things and probably ended up not watching the ball - and that's what did for me."

Prince, who hit 13 fours and six in his marathon innings, added: "It's a proud moment for me - but having said that, it would have meant a lot more if it was more meaningful for the team. Unfortunately we didn't put in a good performance as a team today."