Run chase falters as England draw with South Africa

ASSOCIATED PRESS

LEEDS: Despite an unexpectedly dramatic final day, the second Test between England and South Africa at Headingley ended in a draw on Monday.

South Africa declared on 258-9 late on the final day, setting England a target of 253 to win from 39 overs, but the hosts were 130-4 when the teams shook hands on the draw. England opened with Kevin Pietersen, but he fell to Vernon Philander for 12 and despite 46 from Alastair Cook the batsmen were unable to keep up with the run rate and in the end had to block. JP Duminy had South Africa's best figures with 1-10.

Earlier, the tourists collapsed from 120-0, after Jacques Rudolph and Graeme Smith had hit 69 and 52, respectively. The game had looked to be meandering toward a draw until part-time spinner Pietersen took 3-52 to remove South Africa's top three. Stuart Broad took 5-69, including a spell of four wickets from 20 balls. James Anderson caught and bowled Dale Steyn and when Morne Morkel soon after holed out to Broad, South Africa declared.

Smith should have departed on the fourth ball of Bresnan's first over of the day, but a diving Anderson failed to hold a difficult chance. Rudolph fell lbw to Pietersen's second ball of the morning, a decision he unsuccessfully referred -- the spinner had also removed Rudolph with his second ball in South Africa's first innings.

The hosts were convinced Smith was out caught behind to Pietersen in the second over after lunch, but a referral upheld umpire Steve Davis' decision that he hadn't touched the ball. In Pietersen's next over, however, Smith did go, in contentious circumstances. He was hit on the pad and Davis ruled the ball had brushed his bat before it was caught by James Taylor at short leg. Smith referred the call and although replays looked inconclusive third umpire Asad Rauf sided with Davis.

Anderson then dropped his second catch of the day when he put down AB de Villiers off Pietersen, but Hashim Amla fell for 28 in the 51st over when he drove a rank full toss from Pietersen straight to Cook at cover. South Africa scored so quickly that the game was going away from England until Broad took two wickets in as many balls in the 56th over.

De Villiers was lbw for 44 to a ball that was drifting down the leg side. Duminy was lbw for a golden duck to Broad's next ball and Philander fell, also leg before, to Broad. Jacques Kallis, batting despite back spasms, was caught behind off Broad for 27, forcing Alviro Petersen, who has a hamstring problem and was only due to bat in an emergency, to the crease. Anderson partly atoned for his earlier drops when he brilliantly caught and bowled Steyn for three early in the evening session and South Africa surprisingly declared when Morkel fell for 10.

South Africa, who lead the three-Test series 1-0, will replace England at the top of the world rankings by winning the series. The third and final Test begins at Lord's on August 16.

KP threatens to quit

LEEDS: Kevin Pietersen threatened to quit Test cricket on Monday in the aftermath of England's draw with South Africa in the second Test, blaming "politics" and leaks to the media.

After confirming the third and final Test against the Proteas at Lord's starting on August 16 could be his last, Pietersen said he wouldn't elaborate on his reasons — before doing just that. "You can ask me a hundred times, I'm not getting into it," Pietersen said. "The family thing is just one point, but there's a lot of other issues. It would be a huge shame. I love playing Test cricket for England, but we'll see."

Pietersen denied the lure of the Indian Premier League was a factor. "It's absolutely 100 per cent not about money," he said. "I love playing cricket for England but we'll see. The politics is what I have to deal with personally. It's tough being me playing for England." Pietersen retired from one-day internationals earlier this summer and as a consequence England ruled him out of Twenty20 side.