The weather may have the final say on the result of the first Test at Edgbaston but some spirited English batting in a long final session yesterday - abetted by more woeful bowling from the most hyped opening attack in the world - has given England an outside chance of forcing a win, and at the very least the opportunity to finish on the high ground, while South Africa still have an interest, especially as England are a bowler short. It could be an intriguing last day.

South Africa were 192 for five overnight and England duly bowled them out, Dominic Cork finishing with five for 93 on his return to Test cricket, but not before a terrific eighth-wicket partnership of 104 between Jonty Rhodes and Lance Klusener, the highest of the innings, had rescued them from 224 for seven, 29 short of avoiding a possible follow-on. It helped them to 343.

Rhodes was finally out to Angus Fraser (one of four wickets for him and the 150th of his career), having batted 229 minutes for his 95, while Klusener, who became Mark Ealham's maiden first-class victim of the summer, hit 57 with 11 boundaries, as the depleted bowling wilted.

With a lead of 119 and four sessions remaining, a negative England might have considered the worst-case scenario and settled in to see what happened. England's response, therefore, was all the more heartening in its positive intent and practice, even if they pushed it to the extreme. At stumps they had reached 170 for eight, from 45 overs, giving them an overall lead of 289. When Mike Atherton reverse-sweeps in a Test match, then things really have changed.

So great was the pressure applied by the batting that Hansie Cronje was compelled to fall back on that unappetising standby much used by England in the past - of a left-arm spinner, in this case Paul Adams, bowling over the wicket and pitching the ball wide of leg stump. As Adams had conceded fewer than two runs per over during his 42 overs in the first innings, without resorting to such practice, it was doubly dubious.

The final session was exhilarating, with Atherton belting his first ball off the back foot to the cover boundary to set the tone. Mark Butcher (11) and Nasser Hussain (0) were victims of questionable lbw verdicts. But Alec Stewart swung the bat with gusto for his 28, once biffing the bemused Pollock over mid-on.

Atherton, meanwhile, had caught the mood much as he had a year ago when England chased a target to beat Australia. He batted for almost three hours for his 43, but in the latter stages played with freedom and character.

Rhodes played perhaps his best innings for South Africa, having taken the initiative away from England on Saturday and, with Klusener's vigour in tandem, did so again after Fraser removed Pollock and Boucher.