England fail to finish job again

England have done their best throughout this series to suggest that they are vulnerable and, on a rain-hit third day at Centurion, their batsmen did it again.

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Four balls later, Vaughan was caught and England were reeling on 29-3. Andrew Strauss then appeared completely to lose touch and, frankly, Graham Thorpe has only very occasionally been in form throughout the series. The left-handers scratched about, barely laying bat on ball, but somehow they survived, despite some very close lbw appeals. They managed to add 85 between the interruptions until Strauss uncharacteristically chased a ball well wide of his off stump from Andre Nel and edged to Boucher for 44. Moments later, lightening drove the players from the ground. Time is ticking away now and, with just two days to go, it would take something remarkable for the South Africans to win the match from here. But England's fallibility, and their growing tendency to allow the opposition a second chance is something that should concern their supporters. Everyone is anticipating a close, exciting Ashes series in the summer. But, being completely honest, England will have to improve enormously on their efforts on this tour even to come close to threatening the Aussies.