From the most unpromising of beginnings, a memorable Test was played out at Old Trafford yesterday - perhaps even one of the greatest.

This was the Great Escape II. Asked to bat out all but 35 minutes of the last two days to save the match, England drew with South Africa by the skin of their teeth with a rearguard action to rival that in Johannesburg three years ago.

In the end, for all the resilience and dedication shown by those who had preceded him, England depended on the ability of Angus Fraser, a number 11 of no pretensions, to play six deliveries from Allan Donald, indisputably one of history's finest fast bowlers.

England had reached 369 for nine, wiping out the deficit so that at least South Africa would have to bat again and score one run to win should the last wicket fall. In theory there were four overs of the day remaining but in fact Donald had just six balls to set up the victory, as any portion of an over counts as a whole one and two overs would go for the changeover of innings.

So it was that Donald, having sweated blood for 39 overs to take six of the wickets, had to conjure one last scalp.

This was high drama, played out in bright sunlight in front of a small but enthralled crowd. Fraser allowed the first ball to hit him in the small of the back, blocked the second with aplomb and then almost played a yorker on to his stumps. Fraser bit his lip and prowled, Donald stalked back to his mark.

The next delivery ballooned from pad to short leg. The one after that, fast and short, was played down firmly to his feet.

One ball to go. Donald turned at the end of his run, and wiped his hands before sliding in one final time. The yorker, fast and with inswing, homed in to Fraser's leg, striking him on the pad. The impassioned appeal for leg before wicket was rejected by the New Zealander Doug Cowie.

And that, according to the Laws, should have been the end and match drawn, but in the confusion one more over was bowled - although even if Fraser's partner Robert Croft was out to the first ball, it would have counted as a full over and left no allotment for South Africa to change over.

Fittingly it was Croft who played the final delivery before offering a clenched-fist salute, shaking hands and walking off. For 190 tense minutes the Welshman had defied the bowlers, and while he began his innings like a numbskull he recovered to bat heroically. His was the stroke off Makhaya Ntini that went past cover point for the two runs that brought the scores level.

Croft had arrived at the crease 50 minutes after lunch, three wickets having gone down for three runs in as many overs and the basis laid for an England Special-style collapse. Briefly, against Paul Adams's left-arm weirdos, he batted like a man possessed, seemingly oblivious to the situation while his partner Mark Ramprakash was digging in. Ramprakash's words between overs were like slapping an hysteric round the chops and thereafter he put not a foot wrong.

The pair were still together at tea, only for Ramprakash to fall leg-before for a three-hour 34 to Donald's second delivery after the interval. Donald had Ashley Giles immediately but Darren Gough now stayed with Croft for 20 overs, helping him add 38 priceless runs for the ninth wicket before Donald, armed with the third new ball, moved his line of attack from over to around the wicket, banged in his bouncer and forced Gough to glove a looping catch to short leg. Enter Fraser . . .

The foundations of the recovery, which leaves South Africa 1-0 up, came in the first session when England lost the single wicket of Mike Atherton.