Agence France Presse

Port Elizabeth, February 5:

Captain Graeme Smith hit a maiden one-day international century as South Africa levelled the series against England with a three-wicket win in the third limited overs international at St George’s Park on Friday.

In a second successive tense finish, following the tied second match in Bloemfontein on Wednesday, South Africa won by three wickets with five balls to spare.

Chasing a challenging England total of 267 for eight, Smith made 105 before he was sixth out in the 43rd over when 54 runs were still needed.

Mark Boucher slammed 33 off 21 balls and Ashwell Prince batted calmly to make 17 not out off 18 deliveries, hitting the winning runs when he lofted Darren Gough for a boundary over mid-on off the first ball of the final over.

Smith, who has hit seven Test centuries, had a highest one-day score of 99 in 58 previous matches. He had not reached a half-century in 13 matches leading up to Friday’s match, while his team had endured a dismal run, losing 12 and winning only one of their previous 14 matches.

The lone win was against minnows Bangladesh and it was South Africa’s first victory against credible opponents since they beat New Zealand in Auckland last February. The South African captain had some luck in the middle of his innings. On 53 he was dropped by acting England captain Marcus Trescothick when he top-edged a pull against Paul Collingwood.

Five runs later he should have been run out when wicketkeeper Geraint Jones failed to gather a flick from Kevin Pietersen at cover with Smith well short of his ground.

Smith said a 107-run fourth wicket stand between himself and Herschelle Gibbs (50) had put South Africa on top but when they were both dismissed it put pressure on the lower order batsmen.

Trescothick admitted that his own dropped catch had probably been the turning point. But he said England would re-group before the next match of the seven-game series in Cape Town on Sunday.

Vikram Solanki anchored the England innings, hitting top score of 66. He replaced Vaughan, still suffering from a stomach illness which prevented him from fielding in Bloemfontein. Vaughan decided after taking part in the pre-match warm-up that he was not fit enough to play.

Batting at number three, Solanki shared half-century stands with Jones, Andrew Strauss and Pietersen before he was caught at long-off in the 40th over.

Fast bowlers Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini both took three wickets for South Africa, with England losing momentum towards the end of the innings.

Trescothick got England off to a quick start on a ground where batting first in day-night matches is usually an advantage, hitting five fours and a six as he made 33 of the first 49 before he skied a catch off Nel to Smith at mid-off, a similar chance to the one he later put down off Smith.

Pietersen, who again got a hostile reception from the crowd in the country of his birth, was out for the first time in the series when he was caught at midwicket off Nel for 33, hit off 37 balls.

South Africa brought back left-arm spinner Nicky Boje for a day-night match to be played on what is usually a slow pitch. Boje, who replaced Andrew Hall, bowled steadily to take one for 42 in an unbroken ten-over spell.