Swann strikes again

Graeme Swann almost immediately took England another step closer to an innings victory over South Africa on the final morning of the second Test at Kingsmead.

The off-spinner repeated his party trick of striking in his first over after a break, taking the wicket of Morne Morkel.

South Africa therefore stumbled ever nearer to defeat on 108 for seven half-an-hour into their mission improbable to avoid going 1-0 down with two matches to play.

Another cloudy day had dawned with a crumb of good news for the hosts - who discovered their adjusted first-innings deficit of 231 was one run fewer than they thought, the umpires belatedly realising they had erroneously awarded Ian Bell five runs for what should have been just four overthrows.

That minor alteration did not preface any imminent turning of the tide against England, however.

Swann, unsurprisingly given the bowling duties along with Stuart Broad after they had accounted for Tuesday's six wickets between them, almost had Morkel with his fourth ball of the morning.

He turned it to take the outside edge, only to see the ball snake between wicketkeeper and first slip for four.

More success was delayed only momentarily, though, Morkel back in defence to the next delivery and missing the arm ball to go lbw.

Swann (four for 35), who has taken 53 wickets in an astounding year of personal achievement, was up to 13 already in this series - in a country where finger spinners have traditionally played bit-part roles.

He was close to his second five-wicket haul in successive Tests too when Mark Boucher nudged a single just past Alastair Cook's outstretched right hand at short-leg, off the face of the bat, on 25.