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Tea South Africa 419 and 239 for 7 (Petersen 10*, Steyn 0*) lead England 425 (Pietersen 149, Prior 68) by 233 runs
Jacques Rudolph scored his first half-century of the series before being dismissed by Kevin Pietersen again © PA Photos
Kevin Pietersen's exhilarating century lifted England's spirits at Headingley, but when he conjured up something special with the ball they must have wondered whether to be excited or embarrassed. Three South African wickets on either side of lunch gave him his best Test figures and outshone the England all-pace attack that had huffed and puffed to no avail.
Pietersen's impromptu performance certainly revitalised Stuart Broad, who is looking more and more a mood player, and who responded with four wickets in 20 balls as the sun broke through and the fifth-day pitch finally began to show signs of wear.
Broad, bowling full and straight, removed AB de Villiers, who had played regally for 44 from 45 balls, and JP Duminy with successive deliveries, Duminy getting his feet in a tangle as he was dismissed first ball. Vernon Philander soon followed.
Then as tea approached, Broad made it four wickets in 20 balls as he banged the ball in short at Jacques Kallis and brushed his glove to claim a wicketkeeper's catch as Kallis limbo danced in self-preservation. It was not the way a batsman suffering from back spasms would have wanted to go but he walked off looking healthy enough.
South Africa led by 233 at tea with three wickets remaining and Alviro Petersen reluctantly taking guard with a damaged hamstring that prevented him running between the wickets. There were only 44 overs left and the required rate already heading towards six an over was at a level that England would regard with deep foreboding. This Test had come alive a session too late.
South Africa's opening pair, crucially, resisted sturdily until the last over before lunch, at which point, frustratingly for Jacques Rudolph, he was again immediately overcome by Pietersen's lightly-regarded offspin. Pietersen had Rudolph stumped in his first over on the second day, and this time he had him lbw in his first over on the final day. On both occasions, the ball turned sharply.
As Pietersen assembled his best Test figures, Graeme Swann, whose off spin was omitted at Headingley as England opted for an all-pace attack, was preparing to join Nottinghamshire in a championship match against Somerset at Taunton. The conclusion that England had erred in selection could not easily be avoided - although Pietersen's final wicket, a loopy full toss which Hashim Amla drilled to short extra, hardly ranked as evidence.
Pietersen also uprooted Graeme Smith, whose battling half-century, which was reached from the last ball of a morning session extended to two-and-a-half hours, and interrupted by two rain stoppages, had made Headingley's first draw in 13 Tests all but inevitable.
Pietersen had thought he had Smith caught at the wicket only for South Africa's captain to overturn the decision on DRS. But he fell in Pietersen's next over, a second review by Smith this time failing after an ungainly sweep at Pietersen was caught by James Taylor at short leg. Umpire Steve Davis was fortunate that the tv umpire, Asad Rauf, did not find enough proof to overturn his decision.
Smith had looked embattled. The look suited him, as it always does. It was a grouchy morning, with showers scudding across the outfield at regular intervals, his knee was strapped to try to combat a dicey cartilage and he had a Test match to save. As events subsequently suggested, it was not as straightforward as many supposed.
Jacques Rudolph scored his first half-century of the series before being dismissed by Kevin Pietersen again © PA Photos
Kevin Pietersen's exhilarating century lifted England's spirits at Headingley, but when he conjured up something special with the ball they must have wondered whether to be excited or embarrassed. Three South African wickets on either side of lunch gave him his best Test figures and outshone the England all-pace attack that had huffed and puffed to no avail.
Pietersen's impromptu performance certainly revitalised Stuart Broad, who is looking more and more a mood player, and who responded with four wickets in 20 balls as the sun broke through and the fifth-day pitch finally began to show signs of wear.
Broad, bowling full and straight, removed AB de Villiers, who had played regally for 44 from 45 balls, and JP Duminy with successive deliveries, Duminy getting his feet in a tangle as he was dismissed first ball. Vernon Philander soon followed.
Then as tea approached, Broad made it four wickets in 20 balls as he banged the ball in short at Jacques Kallis and brushed his glove to claim a wicketkeeper's catch as Kallis limbo danced in self-preservation. It was not the way a batsman suffering from back spasms would have wanted to go but he walked off looking healthy enough.
South Africa led by 233 at tea with three wickets remaining and Alviro Petersen reluctantly taking guard with a damaged hamstring that prevented him running between the wickets. There were only 44 overs left and the required rate already heading towards six an over was at a level that England would regard with deep foreboding. This Test had come alive a session too late.
South Africa's opening pair, crucially, resisted sturdily until the last over before lunch, at which point, frustratingly for Jacques Rudolph, he was again immediately overcome by Pietersen's lightly-regarded offspin. Pietersen had Rudolph stumped in his first over on the second day, and this time he had him lbw in his first over on the final day. On both occasions, the ball turned sharply.
As Pietersen assembled his best Test figures, Graeme Swann, whose off spin was omitted at Headingley as England opted for an all-pace attack, was preparing to join Nottinghamshire in a championship match against Somerset at Taunton. The conclusion that England had erred in selection could not easily be avoided - although Pietersen's final wicket, a loopy full toss which Hashim Amla drilled to short extra, hardly ranked as evidence.
Pietersen also uprooted Graeme Smith, whose battling half-century, which was reached from the last ball of a morning session extended to two-and-a-half hours, and interrupted by two rain stoppages, had made Headingley's first draw in 13 Tests all but inevitable.
Pietersen had thought he had Smith caught at the wicket only for South Africa's captain to overturn the decision on DRS. But he fell in Pietersen's next over, a second review by Smith this time failing after an ungainly sweep at Pietersen was caught by James Taylor at short leg. Umpire Steve Davis was fortunate that the tv umpire, Asad Rauf, did not find enough proof to overturn his decision.
Smith had looked embattled. The look suited him, as it always does. It was a grouchy morning, with showers scudding across the outfield at regular intervals, his knee was strapped to try to combat a dicey cartilage and he had a Test match to save. As events subsequently suggested, it was not as straightforward as many supposed.