Cricket: England beat South Africa for 8th test win in row

PORT ELIZABETH - England clinched a record eighth test victory in a row on Tuesday as they beat South Africa by seven wickets in the first cricket test.

Matchwinner Andrew Strauss (94 not out) hit the winning runs, cutting strike bowler Makhaya Ntini for a boundary, to put the touring side 1-0 up in the five-match series.

Fellow left-hander Graham Thorpe was 31 not out at the other end.

England, chasing 142 to win after dismissing South Africa for 229 in their second innings, resumed on 93 for three, still needing 49, as dark clouds gathered around St George's.

Strauss led the way as England rattled up the runs in just under 10 overs on Tuesday morning.

Strauss set the tone by smashing a six and a four off quick bowler Dale Steyn in the third ball of the day.

He made 126 in the first innings, meaning he had scored centuries on both his home and away debuts.

England, who whitewashed New Zealand 3-0 and West Indies 4-0 at home before coming to South Africa, won seven consecutive tests between 1928 and 1929 under Percy Chapman.

Only four sides have won more tests in a row, with Australia holding the world record of 16. The second test of the five-match series starts on Sunday in Durban.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa (first innings) 337

England (first innings) 425

South Africa (second innings) 229

England (second innings, overnight 93-3)

M Trescothick c Tsolekile b Pollock 0

A Strauss not out 94

M Butcher c Smith b Ntini 0

M Vaughan b Steyn 15

G Thorpe not out 31

Extras (lb-3 nb-2) 5

Total (for 3 wickets, 40 4 overs) 145

Fall: 0, 11, 50

Did not bat: A Flintoff, G Jones, A Giles, M Hoggard,

S Jones, S Harmison

Bowling: Pollock 11-2-36-1 (1nb), Ntini 6 4-1-24-1, Hall

9-1-14-0 (1nb), Steyn 6-1-29-1, Smith 8-0-39-0.

Result: England won by seven wickets

England lead the five-match series 1-0.

- REUTERS