DURBAN, South Africa, 30 December 2004 — South Africa were left with a battle to save the match after Graham Thorpe led a powerful England batting performance on the fourth day of the second Test at Kingsmead yesterday.

England, who were facing an early defeat after two days of the match, made a massive 570 for seven declared in their second innings, setting South Africa an improbable target of 378 to win.

South Africa were 21 for one at the close after Matthew Hoggard trapped South African captain Graeme Smith leg before wicket for five.

The loss of Smith completed a dismal day for South Africa, who saw their chances of victory disappear as England piled on the runs under a blazing sun.

Thorpe made a determined 118 not out and shared century partnerships with Andrew Flintoff (60) and Geraint Jones (73) as England continued a remarkable fightback which was started when Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss put on 273 for the first wicket Tuesday.

South Africa’s bowlers struck three early blows yesterday and the match was evenly poised before Thorpe and Flintoff put on 114 for the fifth wicket.

The partnership put England on top for the first time in the match. The tourists, who lead the five-match series 1-0, were bowled out for 139 on the first day and trailed by 193 runs on the first innings.

Thorpe and Jones then punished a tiring South African attack as they put on 132 for the sixth wicket, scoring at a run a minute.

England’s second innings total was almost a mirror image of South Africa’s 572 for seven, also in the third innings of the match, when the teams last met at Kingsmead in a drawn encounter five years ago.

South Africa are unlikely to make a serious attempt to score at close to four runs an over on the final day. South African hopes were raised when three wickets fell for 33 runs in the first 18 overs yesterday. Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini bowled unchanged for more than an hour, with Ntini taking two wickets while 28 runs were eked out in 15 overs.

Strauss added only four runs before he was caught at third slip by Martin van Jaarsveld off Ntini for 136.

England captain Michael Vaughan failed for the fourth time in the series when he gloved a lifting ball from Ntini down the leg side to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers after scoring 10.

Mark Butcher, who never looked comfortable, was caught at second slip by Van Jaarsveld off Jacques Kallis after laboring to 13 off 70 balls. At that stage England were 121 ahead and could not afford to lose another wicket. Thorpe started shakily and escaped a confident leg before wicket appeal by Kallis before edging the ball short of first slip off the same bowler.

Thorpe gradually found his touch, however, while Flintoff restrained his normal attacking instincts after an aggressive start when he hit the second ball he faced from Nicky Boje for a straight four.

Flintoff mixed caution with aggression as he went to a half-century off 105 balls with five fours and two sixes.

He celebrated by pulling Makhaya Ntini for his third six but fell soon afterwards to the occasional off-spin of South African captain Graeme Smith, cutting at a ball bowled from around the wicket and edging a catch to De Villiers.

The left-handed Thorpe, searching for his best form after a slow start to the tour, went to his fifty off 106 balls with six fours. He seldom looked in total command of his game but found another able partner in wicketkeeper Jones, who went for his shots from the start.

While Thorpe continued to nudge the ball around, interspersed with the occasional sweetly-struck stroke, Jones raced to 73 off 82 balls, hitting 10 fours and two sixes.

Thorpe reached his 16th Test century off 197 balls and added another 18 off 12 deliveries before the declaration. His innings included 15 boundaries. With 35 minutes to negotiate before the close of play, South Africa had a let-off when Herschelle Gibbs, on six, was dropped by Geraint Jones off Harmison when the wicketkeeper dived in front of Trescothick at first slip.