Last man Graham Onions played out a tense final over from Makhaya Ntini as England escaped with a draw on the fifth and final day of the first Test against South Africa at SuperSport Park on Sunday.
The match seemed to be heading for a routine draw when Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen batted together for more than three hours, but South African new cap Friedel de Wet produced an inspired spell with the second new ball to leave England hanging on.
“The emotion in our dressing room is excitement about getting so close and bowling so well,” South African captain Graeme Smith said. “We finished the match on top and played the better cricket throughout the Test match. We will go into [the second Test in] Durban with a lot of confidence.”
De Wet dismissed Trott in the second over with the new ball and had a spell of three for three in five overs. Five wickets fell in the final 15 overs but Paul Collingwood and Onions survived the last 20 balls. It was a tense finish reminiscent of the first Ashes Test against Australia in Cardiff earlier this year when England were also nine down at the end.
But England captain Andrew Strauss said the circumstances were different.
“In Cardiff, for the majority of the day, we were behind the eight ball. For the majority of today we were heading for a draw. It would have been very disappointing if we had lost,” he said.
England, set 364 to win, finished on 228 for nine.
Trott, who came to the wicket after the dismissal of nightwatchman James Anderson in the third over of the day, defied the South African bowlers for 317 minutes and faced 212 balls in making 69.
South African hopes were raised early in the day when Anderson gloved De Wet down the legside to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Alastair Cook defended resolutely for 79 minutes and 56 balls, scoring 12 runs, before he too was caught off a glove, when a ball from left-arm spinner Paul Harris went to Smith at leg gully off his glove and pad.
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