Cricket: Kallis century puts South Africa in control

DURBAN - Jacques Kallis scored his 18th test century to put South Africa in control on the second day of the second cricket test against England on Monday.

Kallis was last out for a near-flawless 162 having guided South Africa to 332, a lead of 193 over England's first innings of 139.

At stumps England were 30 without loss in their second innings, still 163 runs behind with Andrew Strauss on 21 and Marcus Trescothick on seven.

Kallis batted for more than six hours, hitting 21 fours and a six in 264 balls to resurrect an innings that dwindled to 118 for six before lunch.

The innings put Kallis on 1278 runs for the year, breaking the record of 1198 set by Graeme Smith in 2003 for the most runs scored in test matches by a South African in a calendar year.

Kallis found good support from Shaun Pollock, who scored 43 in a seventh-wicket stand of 87. Makhaya Ntini, who scored 22, helped Kallis add 50 for the ninth wicket.

South Africa resumed on 70 for three, and lost three wickets for 38 runs in a morning session that yielded just 69 runs.

They lost their fourth wicket in the sixth over of the day when Martin van Jaarsveld dragged fast bowler Andrew Flintoff on to his stumps.

Fellow paceman Steve Harmison struck 10 overs before lunch when Hashim Amla gloved a steepling delivery to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones.

Van Jaarsveld and Amla scored just one, and both took their time doing so with van Jaarsveld facing 17 balls in 27 minutes while Amla occupied the crease for 43 minutes and faced 31 balls.

AB de Villiers hit two boundaries in a bright 14 before shaping to pull a ball from fast bowler Simon Jones and shovelling a catch to Graham Thorpe at mid-wicket.

England bowled with discipline to restrict the South Africans in the morning session but Kallis and Pollock scored more freely after lunch as England's bowlers wilted in the heat.

England were hampered by the absence of left-arm spinner Ashley Giles, who suffered a back spasm while batting on Sunday and did not take the field in South Africa's first innings.

Michael Vaughan came on as part-time spinner and six overs before tea he had Pollock caught behind by Geraint Jones for 43 with an off-spinner that drifted down the leg side.

Nicky Boje was out for 15 when he drove at a ball from fast bowler Matthew Hoggard and was caught at backward point by substitute fielder Paul Collingwood.

Ntini and Kallis had England chasing leather for the next 11 overs, with Ntini hitting four fours and a six from 20 balls before slicing a delivery from Flintoff to Simon Jones at third man.

The innings ended when Kallis pulled a ball from Hoggard to Collingwood on the square leg boundary.

- REUTERS