All the talk going into day two at Newlands was that the batsmen would flourish in favourable conditions, but it was the bowlers who ensured that the pavilion gate was like the proverbial swinging door.

In glorious sunshine and in front of a crowd not remotely lacking in liquid refreshment, the bowlers from both sides left the third Test intriguingly poised while making the willow-wielders arrive and depart the middle in an ordered procession.

England have been criticised heavily in certain quarters (well, by Bob Willis) for not having the gumption to skittle out the tail, but Jimmy Anderson

Cardiff, Centurion, and now Cape Town: England once again proved that they have character in spades as they held a rampant South Africa at bay on the final day at Newlands.

Paul Collingwood was again a cross between Mike Atherton and David Steele as his ever-elusive outside edge became a celebrity in itself during a four-and-a-half hour vigil at the crease.

Praise for Ian Bell has always been tempered with the widespread assumption that he only performs in cushy circumstances, but England's number six shattered that suggestion with a dogged 78 off 213 balls.

Bell, who occasionally has been

Jacques Kallis was again the immovable presence to thwart England's charge at Cape Town with an unbeaten 108 which frustrated the bowlers as much as the umpires' light-meters at the close.

Newlands is comfortably England's least favourite venue in South Africa historically, but some fine bowling and coin-tossing saw Andrew Strauss's side seize the initiative early on until Kallis set up camp at the crease and refused to budge.

The festively plump all-rounder has feasted at Newlands many times in the past with 1,556 runs at his home ground, including six centuries. Kallis's fluent batting

If there is one thing Graeme Smith loves more than bludgeoning a belligerent century against England, it is grinding them into the dust.

The tourists toiled away in searing heat at Newlands and Smith was ruthless as he became only the second skipper to amass 6,000 Test runs.

The other Test captain to achieve the landmark was Allan Border, who famously treasured his wicket like a crate of stubbies in his kitbag.

Similarly, Smith had all the adhesive qualities of a Cape Point limpet as he left England's attack blunted and thoroughly disheartened.

Even first-over specialist Graeme Swann could

If it was ever a run-chase England were confronted with on the fourth day at Newlands then it certainly wasn't one by the close as South Africa had the last say with three wickets.

The Proteas also had the first say of the day in the form of a statement to declare their decision not to lodge an appeal over what they described as 'suggestions of ball-tampering and malpractice'.

The hysterical furore over England's alleged ball tampering was frankly tedious and untimely; the last thing such an enthralling, combative series needs being an injection of unnecessary and facetious mind-games and

The world's third best bowler Graeme Swann ripped and twirled his way merrily through South Africa's second innings with a smile as broad as his blond bowling partner.

Not since 1964 have England won at Kingsmead - and that too by an innings - as the irrepressible Swann ensured that the tourists closed out the final match of the decade with as much haste as a Darrell Hair email.

As a result of his nine wickets in the match, Swann strides above Muttiah Muralitharan, Harbhajan Singh, and South Africa's own 'straight spinner' Paul Harris into third spot in the official ICC Test rankings.

The

The Twenty20 series between England and South Africa may have been tied, but Duckworth-Lewis could do little to paper over the Antigua-esque cracks in the tourists' side.

Eoin Morgan's belligerent and exhilarating 85 in the first match at the Wanderers was the solitary positive for England with a typically hefty dose of D/L responsible for their slender victory in the opener.

It is common knowledge in international cricket that South African players simply cannot crack the code devised by Messrs Duckworth and Lewis, but it should not hide the fact that England were bulldozed by a man named

Beaten but unbowed, that is what the local press should be writing about a Trinidad & Tobago team who went so close to Champions League glory.

T&T travelled to India for the Champions League Twenty20 and they were accompanied by all the baggage of the shambles that is West Indies cricket.

Politics is a murky world and Cow Corner has no intention of digging into the row between the West Indies board and their star names.

But it cannot go unnoticed that T&T performed above expectations shortly after West Indies sent a reserve side to the Champions Trophy in South Africa.

The West Indies game may