CENTURION, South Africa: Andrew Strauss and Jonathan Trott shared an unbroken 63-run second wicket stand as England made a solid start in reply to South Africa’s 418 all out on the second day of the first Test at SuperSport Park on Thursday.

England were 88 for one at the close, with Strauss on 44 not out and Trott on 18.

Off-spinner Graeme Swann took five for 110 as England’s bowlers were forced to toil under a hot sun for the second successive day.

It took until after tea to work their way through stubborn resistance by South Africa’s lower order batsmen.

There was a dramatic start to the England innings when Makhaya Ntini, who led the side on to the field in his 100th Test, was denied a wicket with his fourth delivery. Alastair Cook edged the first ball he faced to AB de Villiers at third slip, who could not hold a sharp throat-high chance.

Cook made only 15 before he was caught behind off South African new cap Friedel Wet, getting a thin edge to a ball, which moved away from the left-hander.

It took Trott 11 balls to score his first runs, when he drove De Wet through the covers for four. When he was on 12 Trott survived a review by television umpire Amish Saheba after being given not out by umpire Steve Davis when left-arm spinner Paul Harris appealed for leg before wicket.

The review showed that although the ball would probably have clipped the top of leg stump it was outside the “zone of certainty” required for an on-field decision to be overturned.

Gayle blitz at Perth

Meanwhile in Perth, the fifth fastest Test century by skipper Chris Gayle helped West Indies finish the second day on 214 for two off 46 overs in their first innings of the third and final Test against Australia here on Thursday.

Gayle, who smashed six sixes and nine fours, scored 102 off 72 balls before falling to Doug Bollinger.

Gayle’s opening partner Travis Dowlin in contrast scored a patient 55 off 116 balls before falling to Mitchell Johnson.

Former West Indies skipper Ramnaresh Sarwan and Narsingh Deonarine were batting on 42 and 10 respectively when the stumps were drawn for the day.

Earlier, Aussie wicketkeeper-batsman Brad Haddin slammed a fine 88, after the hosts had lost two quick wickets in the morning, before the hosts declared their first innings 520 for seven off 130.4 overs just after lunch.

Resuming at their overnight score of 339 for three, the hosts lost not out batsmen Mike Hussey pretty quickly but Marcus North hung around to complete his half-century.

Hussey could just add one run to his overnight score of 81 not out before he was caught behind the wicket off Ravi Rampaul after facing 172 balls and hitting nine boundaries while North, who was on 23 not out, was caught and bowled by Deonarine for 68 after adding 78 runs for the fifth wicket with Hussey.

North also stitched a fruitful 89-run sixth wicket partnership with Haddin off just 16.5 overs to put the Aussies in command while Deonarine (two for 63) was most successful bowler for the visitors so far.

SCOREBOARD:

South Africa (first innings):

G. Smith c Prior b Broad 0

A. Prince c Collingwood b Swann 45

H. Amla c Collingwood b Onions 19

J. Kallis c Collingwood b Anderson 120

A. de Villiers c Cook b Swann 32

J. Duminy c Collingwood b Swann 56

M. Boucher c Cook b Swann 49

M. Morkel c Prior b Onions 13

P. Harris b Onions 38

F. de Wet lbw b Swann 20

M. Ntini not out 4

Extras: 22

Total: 418

Fall of wkts: 1-1, 2-51, 3-93, 4-159, 5-283,

6-316, 7-341, 8-377, 9-414.

Bowling: Anderson 37-9-104-1 (w1), Broad 32-8-

74-1 (w2), Onions 30-5-86-3 (w2), Swann 45.2-

10-110-5, Collingwood 7-1-18-0, Trott 2-0-9-0

England (first innings):

A. Strauss not out 44

A. Cook c Boucher b De Wet 15

J. Trott not out 18

Extras: 11

Total:(1 wkt, 23 overs) 88

Fall of wkt: 1-25.

Bowling: Ntini 7-1-18-0, De Wet 7-0-46-1 (nb3,

w1), Morkel 4-0-12-0 (nb2), Harris 5-2-11-0.