Flintoff gives England the edge

England's Andrew Flintoff produced an inspired all-round display against South Africa to keep the rain-affected fifth and final Test alive on Monday.

Flintoff scored 77 and put on 141 with Graham Thorpe (86) for the fifth wicket to give England a 112-run first-innings lead, then snapped up two early wickets on the penultimate day as South Africa closed on 59-2, still 53 runs behind.

England, 2-1 up in the series, are on the brink of their first series win in South Africa since 1964-5.

Earlier, South African quick Andre Nel took career-best figures of six for 81 but could not stop England making 359 in their first innings.

Thorpe and Flintoff survived the morning session before hitting out as they put on 141 for the fifth wicket.

Wicketkeeper Geraint Jones followed suit, reaching 44 not out with Ashley Giles on 25 in an unbroken seventh-wicket stand of 72.

England, 29 for three on Sunday, resumed on 114 for four and looked still vulnerable, even though more than half the first three days had been lost to rain and bad light.

Thorpe and Flintoff bided their time through penetrative first spells by fast bowlers Makhaya Ntini and Shaun Pollock.

Aggressive first-change bowler Andre Nel failed to make a significant impression, and left-arm spinner Nicky Boje was brought into the attack in the 12th over of the day. Soon South African captain Graeme Smith had brought himself on at the other end to bowl his part-time off-spin.

Boje and Smith bowled in tandem for 14 overs, and Smith had several confident leg-before appeals for Thorpe's wicket turned down by umpire Steve Bucknor.

Aided by an increasingly flat pitch, Thorpe and Flintoff were able to keep gathering runs inconspicuously and complete a wicketless first session in which they scored 85 runs in 39 overs. Of the 236 balls bowled before lunch, only 36 produced scoring shots.

Thorpe and Flintoff batted with far more aggression after lunch, hammering 56 runs off 59 balls before the stand was ended by an inswinging yorker from Nel that bowled Thorpe.

Thorpe was at the crease for 341 minutes, facing 269 balls and hitting 11 fours.

Flintoff was out six balls later for his best score of the series when, still pressing, he drove at a wide delivery from medium pacer Andrew Hall and was caught behind. He batted for 204 minutes, faced 144 balls and hit 12 fours and a six, his 50th in test matches.

Only Ian Botham, who hit 67 sixes, is ahead of Flintoff among England Test players