Boucher guides South Africa to a commanding position

Johannesburg : South Africa declared at 423-7 to lead England by 243 runs after both first innings on the third day of the fourth Test.

Mark Boucher hit 95 from 118 balls and put on 120 in less than 30 overs with A.B. de Villers (58) after South Africa had lost three early wickets at Wanderers Stadium.

England, leading 1-0 in the four-match series, was on 48-3 in their second innings when bad light stopped play.

Earlier Mark Boucher cut loose after lunch to lift South Africa to a healthy 382 for six at tea.

Boucher had reached 79 when play was stopped 50 minutes after lunch, by lightning followed by rain which led to an early tea.

The South Africa wicketkeeper had spanked seven fours in his 95-ball innings and celebrated becoming only the second specialist wicketkeeper to score 5,000 Test runs after Australian Adam Gilchrist when he reached 66.

South Africa had resumed after lunch on 324 for five and Boucher and AB de Villiers took their sixth-wicket stand to 120 before Stuart Broad ended De Villiers' innings.

De Villiers had scored 58, his 20th test half-century, when he whipped a shortish delivery from Broad to Paul Collingwood at wide mid-on. Debutant Ryan McLaren, on 12 not out, ended the session with Boucher.

South Africa had begun the third day on 215 for two in reply to England's 180, with Hashim Amla on 73 and Jacques Kallis on seven.

Kallis was out without adding to his overnight score and Amla added just two more runs as both were dismissed in the first two full overs of the day.

England's first wicket of the day arrived at the end of Broad's first over as Amla drove at a delivery that left him, edging the ball to wicketkeeper Matt Prior.

Kallis was then undone by a short delivery from left-arm swing bowler Ryan Sidebottom.

Scoreboard

England first innings: 180

South Africa first innings:

(overnight 215-2)

G. Smith c Strauss b Sidebottom 105

A. Prince c Swann b Broad 19

H. Amla c Prior b Broad 75

J. Kallis c Anderson b Sidebottom 7

A. de Villiers c Collingwood b Broad 58

J. Duminy c Collingwood b Swann 7

M. Boucher c Trott b Swann 95

R. McLaren not out 33

D. Steyn not out 1

Extras (b8, lb9, nb1, w5) 23

Total (7 wkts dec) 423

Fall of wickets: 1-36 (Prince), 2-201 (Smith), 3-217 (Amla), 4-217 (Kallis), 5-235 (Duminy), 6-355 (De Villiers), 7-419 (Boucher)

Did not bat: M. Morkel, W. Parnell

Bowling: Anderson 30-4-111-0 (nb1), Sidebottom 31-6-98-2, Broad 29-4-83-3 (w1), Swann 23-0-93-2, Collingwood 6-1-21-0

England second innings

A. Strauss lbw b Parnell 22

A. Cook c Smith b Morkel 1

J. Trott c De Villiers b Steyn 8

K. Pietersen not out 9

P. Collingwood not out 0

Extras (lb-4, w-1 nb-3) 8

Total (three wickets; 13.2 overs) 48

Fall of wickets: 1-6 2-21 3-48

Bowling: Steyn 5.2-0-18-1, Morkel 6-2-21-1 (w-1, nb-3), Parnell 2-0-5-1.