LONDON, July 13: Openers Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie continued to frustrate England in the first Test at Lord’s as South Africa got through their second session here on Sunday without losing a wicket.

The Proteas, following on, were 128 without loss at tea on the fourth day, still needing a further 218 runs to make England bat again but with both their openers having shown what was possible on a pitch still good for batting.

South Africa captain Smith was 71 not out and McKenzie 50 not out after four hours and 14 minutes of resistance, having defied all attempts so far by England captain Michael Vaughan to bemuse them with unusual field settings.

They resumed after lunch on 67 without loss. Left-hander Smith was then 36 not out with McKenzie unbeaten on 24.

Both men continued to bat in unhurried fashion and chose which balls to go after with care.

Smith’s cut four off fast bowler Stuart Broad saw him complete a fifty off 106 balls — a fair run-rate for someone conscious of the need to preserve his wicket —with six fours.

As over after over passed without a wicket, the normally reserved Lord’s crowd did their best to encourage England by roaring and clapping as the bowlers ran-in. They ‘appealed’ as well, but all to no avail.

McKenzie had a lucky break when he went to 48 with an edge off left-arm quick Ryan Sidebottom. But Vaughan had decided to do without a second slip and the ball went through the gap.

His single off left-arm spinner Monty Panesar saw McKenzie to a 190-ball fifty with seven fours.

The closest England had come to taking a wicket on Sunday was during the morning session when Smith, on 26, got a thin inside edge off Panesar.

But wicket-keeper Tim Ambrose had stood up too soon and the, admittedly difficult, chance bounced off his pads.

South Africa resumed on Sunday on 13 without loss, a huge 333 runs behind England’s 593 for eight declared.

The Proteas knew that if they batted as they did while being dismissed for a first innings 247 the opening match of this four-Test series could end with more than a day to spare.

Smith, whose decision to field first had backfired spectacularly, was eight not out and McKenzie one not out.

However, there was a heartening moment for South Africa when, off Sunday’s second ball, McKenzie cover-drove Sidebottom for four.

Smith, who in the corresponding match five years ago made 259, the highest individual score by an overseas batsman in a Lord’s Test, then struck an elegant late cut four off Broad.

Panesar as happened on Saturday, got turn out of the footmarks outside the left-hander’s off-stump. This proved a problem for Smith, troubled by the 26-year-old spinner either side of his escape.

However, after lunch, Smith repeatedly moved way outside his off-stump to counter Panesar’s spin and, in the process, decreased his chances of being given out lbw.

On Saturday, Panesar exposed South Africa’s historic fallibility against spin bowling with four for 74 as the visitors were bowled out for 247 in their first innings.

Ashwell Prince was the only batsman to defy the bowling for any length of time, compiling a doggedly resourceful 101 in his first Test against England. His eighth Test hundred took six minutes short of five hours and he hit 13 boundaries and a six.

Prince and A.B. de Villiers partially restored their side’s fortunes with a fourth-wicket partnership of 78 which was ended by Panesar when Anderson leaped high at mid-on to catch the latter for 42.

Morne Morkel could make little of Panesar and was bowled for four through a wide gap between bat and pad and Paul Harris succumbed for six to another fine catch by Anderson, this time diving forward.

Throughout the chaos at the other end, left-hander Prince persevered with unremitting concentration on a pitch still full of runs.

He played Panesar confidently, reverse-sweeping a four and hitting the Englishman over the mid-wicket boundary two balls later.

His century was a due reward for his diligence and emphasised the failings of his team mates on a benign pitch.

At 203 for eight, the end of the South African innings seemed imminent but Dale Steyn hung on as England went on the defensive, conceding singles to Prince to give the strike to the tailender.

Sidebottom finally made the breakthrough when Prince played a tired looking shot outside the off-stump and was caught by Ambrose.

With the light failing, Michael Vaughan returned to Panesar and introduced Kevin Pietersen’s occasional off-spin. Pietersen responded by capturing the wicket of Steyn, caught by Sidebottom for 19.

Panesar and Pietersen took the new ball when South Africa batted again to prevent the umpires asking the batsmen if they wanted to go off for bad light. Smith and McKenzie negotiated the four overs.

Scoreboard

ENGLAND (1st Innings) 593-8 declared (I.R. Bell 199, K.P. Pietersen 152, S.C.J. Broad 76, A.N. Cook 60; M. Morkel 4-121).

SOUTH AFRICA (1st Innings):

G.C. Smith c Bell b Anderson 8

N.D. McKenzie b Panesar 40

H.M. Amla c Ambrose b Broad 6

J.H. Kallis c Strauss b Sidebottom 7

A.G. Prince c Ambrose b Sidebottom 101

A.B. de Villiers c Anderson b Panesar 42

M.V. Boucher b Broad 4

M. Morkel b Panesar 6

P.L. Harris c Anderson b Panesar 6

D.W. Steyn c Sidebottom b Pietersen 19

M. Ntini not out 0

EXTRAS (B-1, LB-4, W-3) 8

TOTAL (all out, 93.3 overs) 247

FALL OF WKTS: 1-13, 2-28, 3-47, 4-83, 5-161, 6-168, 7-191, 8-203, 9-245.

BOWLING: Sidebottom 19-3-41-2; Anderson 21-7-36-1 (1w); Broad 23-3-88-2 (2w); Panesar 26-4-74-4; Collingwood 4-1-3-0; Pietersen 0.3-0-0-1.

SOUTH AFRICA (2nd Innings, following-on):

G.C. Smith not out 71

N.D. McKenzie not out 50

EXTRAS (B-4, LB-3) 7

TOTAL (no wkt, 60 overs) 128

BOWLING (to-date): Panesar 20-6-42-0; Pietersen 3-1-8-0; Sidebottom 12-5-16-0; Anderson 14-4-37-0; Broad 9-3-18-0; Collingwood 2-2-0-0.—Agencies