South Africa rallied to 151 for five at tea on the first day of the third and final test against England on Thursday after losing four cheap wickets in the opening session.
South Africa rallied to 151 for five at tea on the first day of the third and final test against England on Thursday after losing four cheap wickets in the opening session.
The Proteas, who will replace England at the top of the world rankings if they draw, doubled their lunctime total for the loss of only AB de Villiers (27) as Jacques Rudolph (41 not out) and JP Duminy (26 not out) consolidated.
England fast bowler Steven Finn captured three wickets in seven balls before lunch while James Anderson took the other two wickets either side of the lunch interval.
Captain Graeme Smith (14), fellow-opener Alviro Petersen (22), Hashim Amla (13) and Jacques Kallis (3) all departed before lunch after South Africa had won the toss and elected to bat.
Left-handers Rudolph and Duminy were mostly untroubled, even against the off-spin of Graeme Swann turning the ball away from them, though Rudolph might have been run out on 40 had Anderson's throw from mid-wicket to the non-striker's end been more accurate.
De Villiers was well caught by Alastair Cook at third slip after he nicked Anderson, pushing outside off stump. He had failed to add a run having survived an England review when they felt he was lbw to Anderson.
The Hawkeye replay showed the ball had pitched outside the line of off-stump.
In the morning session, Smith was first to go when Anderson came around the wicket to the left-hander for the first time. The batsman stabbed at a delivery wide of the off-stump and was caught behind but given out only after England had reviewed umpire Kumar Dharmasena's decision.
Petersen survived another England review but did not last long thereafter, gloving Finn down the leg side. Amla was bowled three balls later by Finn through the gate as the ball cut back down the infamous Lord's slope.
The biggest talking point of the morning was the loss of Kallis, second on the all-time list of test century scorers. Kallis gave wicketkeeper Matt Prior his third catch after a deflection off his glove after Dharmasena initially rejected the appeal.
England called for a review and replays seemed to show that the ball had clipped Kallis's bottom glove but only when his hand had left the bat handle. Third umpire Rod Tucker over-ruled the original decision and Kallis walked off, shaking his head in annoyance.
England, who had dropped their most dynamic batsman Kevin Pietersen after he fell out with players and management, selected Swann in place of Tim Bresnan, giving Finn another chance on his home ground.
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