England claim thrilling win

Kirtley's figures of 6 for 34 were the best ever by anyone making his Test debut at Trent Bridge.

Five years ago, England famously beat South Africa in Nottingham after losing heavily at Lord's. Then they won at Headingley to take the series.

The possibility of a repeat performance, in terms of results, encouraged thousands of home supporters to head for Trent Bridge this morning, but there was one significant difference from 1998. This time, South Africa were batting - requiring another 139 runs, just as England had done five summers ago when they began the final day of the match on 108 for one.

McKenzie and Boucher had proved a real problem for Vaughan's attack in the first innings, adding 129 for the sixth wicket on Saturday to banish the possibility of a follow on.

Last night, in fading light after being thrown together at 50 for five, the pair eked out 13 runs but, importantly, denied England another success across 12 tense overs. This morning, with bright sunshine rapidly giving way to heavy cloud cover, Vaughan gave Flintoff and Kirtley first crack at achieving the breakthrough.

A Boucher single to mid-wicket and McKenzie's nicely placed square drive meant that South Africa reduced their requirement by four runs during Flintoff 's opening over. Kirtley, though, soon reminded everyone - especially South Africa's batsmen - that progress on this pitch would be anything but smooth.

The Sussex paceman beat McKenzie outside off stump and then almost sent him packing with a horrible 'scuttler' that went past the target at ankle height.

Batsmen can do nothing but hope for the best against such deliveries. Four overs later, though, McKenzie's luck ran out.

The crucial ball from Kirtley was not as low as that earlier missile but it still hit no higher than halfway up off stump.

Now England really fancied their chances. Boucher, typically, responded in feisty fashion by driving Flintoff for two cracking boundaries. Pollock, though, had little chance to get his eye in before the big all- rounder uprooted his off stump with a ball that struck timber no more than nine inches above ground level.

Then, when Hall drove ambitiously at Kirtley to edge a fast catch to first slip which Marcus Trescothick made look ridiculously easy, the end was nigh for South Africa.

Vaughan, meanwhile, knows he will take one potentially priceless asset with him when England head for Yorkshire tomorrow: a young Lancastrian with his confidence restored.

Anderson is bubbling again, having looked a less than golden figure at Lord's a fortnight ago.

Encountering, for the first time in his short career, a combination of a flat pitch and top-class opponents, the 21-year-old Burnley boy managed only a couple of wickets in the capital after a similarly unrewarding experience at Edgbaston.

Here, though, he picked up five wickets in South Africa's first innings and another two last night.