LEEDS  – Kevin Pietersen (124 not out) and Taylor unbeaten 24 put on 120 runs for the unbroken fifth wicket stand against South Africa helped England post 295 for four on the third day of the second Test at Headingley cricket ground on Saturday.
Kevin Pietersen completed 7,000 runs in the Test cricket. Earlier, England reached tea on the third day 236 behind South Africa's 419 with six wickets left, having lost Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell on an afternoon session that finally gave way to prolonged sunshine. England made 103 in the session, a necessary rate if they were to get back into the match, but they also batted with a vulnerability rarely exhibited by South Africa.
South Africa dismissed four England batsmen on an attritional third day of the second Test at Headingley on Saturday. England were 183 for four at tea, with Kevin Pietersen, the only batsman able to score with relative freedom, unbeaten on 43.
Alastair Cook (24), Andrew Strauss (37) and Jonathan Trott (35) all fell to disciplined bowling after lengthy but not particularly productive stays at the crease. South Africa struck a crucial blow shortly before the tea interval when Ian Bell was caught at first slip off Jacques Kallis for 11, leaving Pietersen to rebuild the innings together with new cap James Taylor, who scored his first runs in Test cricket when he drove leg-spinner Imran Tahir past mid-off for four in the final over before tea.
Strauss and Cook had to combat some hostile bowling in a morning's play curtailed by rain, which stopped play for an hour and a half. Philander made the breakthrough when Cook played around a straight delivery and was given out leg before wicket by umpire Steve Davis. Cook unsuccessfully sought a review which showed the ball was hitting his middle stump.
Strauss was caught behind off Dale Steyn after a two-and-half hour stay when he pushed at a ball from the fast bowler to edge a straightforward catch. Trott batted for two hours before losing patience and flashing at Steyn to be caught at first slip.
Pietersen showed attacking intent from the start of his innings and hit seven fours in reaching 43 off 83 balls by tea. Strauss' laborious innings was ended with the fourth full over after lunch by Dale Steyn, who had repeatedly bowled too wide at him, but who finally found a more demanding line to force an outside edge, but Trott and Bell both departed to shots that they will regret. Graeme Smith's catch at first slip, as Dale Steyn dismissed Trott for 35, came from a cross-batted carve at a length ball.

     scoreboard

South Africa 1st innings: 419
England 1st innings:
(O/night 59/0)
AJ Strauss c de Villiers b Steyn    37
AN Cook lbw b Philander    24
IJL Trott c Smith b Steyn    35
KP Pietersen not out    124
IR Bell c Smith b Kallis    11
JWA Taylor not out    24
Extras: (b5, lb15, w14, nb4)    38
Total: (4 wkts; 89 overs)    293
To bat MJ Prior†, TT Bresnan, SCJ Broad, JM Anderson, ST Finn
FOW: 1-65, 2-85, 3-142, 4-173
Bowling: M Morkel 23-9-54-0 (1nb, 3w), Philander 22-8-53-1 (2nb, 1w),DW Steyn 22-6-82-2,JH Kallis 12-3-34-1 (2w), Imran Tahir 9-0-45-0 (1nb), JP Duminy 1-0-5-0