At tea on the fourth day England were 343 for seven in their second innings, still 166 behind South Africa's record 682 for six declared.

Darren Gough was 14 not out. But it was Flintoff, who faced 96 balls including three sixes and 11 fours who entertained the sun-drenched crowd.

Flintoff and Ashley Giles checked South Africa's progress with a stand of 89 after three wickets had fallen for no runs either side of lunch to leave England 208 for six.

But the second over with the new ball did the trick for South Africa.

Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini took his fourth wicket of the innings when Giles, on 21, edged to first slip Shaun Pollock, leaving England 297 for seven in the 85th over.

Gough almost went on eight when he slashed at Pollock only to see substitute fielder Neil McKenzie drop the difficult fourth slip catch.

Despite the situation, Flintoff continued to bat in typically aggressive fashion pulling Ntini for two sixes in four balls, having got out hooking against the paceman in the first innings.

Ntini split Flintoff's bat with one delivery but the powerful all-rounder refused to be cowed.

Flintoff also lofted left-arm spinner Paul Adams for six and brought up his fifty with a straight driven four off fast bowler Dewald Pretorius.

Ntini, who took five for 75 in England's meagre first innings 173, had already struck twice in the last over before lunch.

He removed veterans Nasser Hussain (61) and Alec Stewart (nought) in the space of four balls.

Hussain, who resigned the England captaincy after the drawn series opener at Edgbaston, wastefully gave his wicket away when he became the latest English batsman to get out trying to hook Ntini.

The ball went straight up in the air and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher took the easy catch.

Then, two balls later, 40-year-old wicketkeeper Stewart, England most's capped player, saw his last Test innings at Lord's end with a duck when he edged a fine Ntini delivery to Andrew Hall at second slip.

That left England 208 for five at the interval, still 301 runs behind.

And the third ball after lunch saw Anthony McGrath go without adding to his 13 when he edged Pollock to Boucher.

Pretorius, who only bowled four overs in England's first innings after sustaining a thigh strain, eventually came back into the attack after being off the field since before lunch on Friday.

However, he was off again after three overs.

In the first session Mark Butcher and Hussain offerered resistance with a third wicket stand of 126.

However, on 70, Butcher donated his wicket when he clipped Hall straight to Gary Kirsten at square leg.

Butcher faced 125 balls including 14 fours, his stand with Hussain spanning 38 overs.