Cricket One Day International Series: Calmly, and with the assurance of a batsman in the form of his life, Jacques Kallis took the game away from England at Old Trafford yesterday evening, writes Mike Selvey at Old Trafford.

The scorer of centuries in his two previous matches of the series, he was probably denied his third only because he was 82 not out when South Africa passed the target of 223 with 15 balls remaining.

With the floodlights ablaze, an unbroken fourth-wicket partnership with Jacques Rudolph had yielded 145, the young left-hander reaching 71 not out.

England, who won the toss and, as is usual in a day-night match, decided to bat, had struggled against accurate South African bowling with Marcus Trescothick spending 92 balls over his 60 and Anthony McGrath making 52 from 98 as the pair added 114 for the third wicket.

If Makhaya Ntini, with three wickets, was the most successful of the visiting bowlers, it was Shaun Pollock who took the plaudits, bowling nine overs for 11 runs before conceding 10 from his final over to leave a dent in his figures.

Unlike the recent match against Pakistan, England had managed to get to a total that was at least defendable provided the bowlers were up to scratch. But James Anderson, for once, was unable to find rhythm on his home ground, conceding six wides in his opening spell, and Darren Gough lacked penetration.

This pitch, so dry just a couple of weeks ago for England's match against Pakistan, had spent too much of the last few days under cover and with moisture in it, Pollock, hitting a length with metronomic regularity, was so difficult to get away that Trescothick, a natural free striker of the ball in prime form, settled on survival.

The South African was nearing the end of his fifth over before he conceded a run, the left-hander angling a single to third man.

By this time Trescothick had broken his duck - after 18 balls - he had already seen Solanki and Vaughan depart and was looking for support. It came from McGrath, who had been batting with staunch common sense when Tuesday's game at Headingley was abandoned and continued to do so yesterday. He batted with confidence and largely untroubled until carelessness by Trescothick ended the alliance, as he top edged a sweep off the part time spin of Martin van Jaarsveld. He had hit seven fours.

McGrath reached his first half-century in one-day internationals from 93 balls.