Stewart and Atherton in blazing but futile stand

The England team are nothing if not perverse. Just as we were wondering whether the Samaritans' phone number should go into the England and Wales Cricket Board contacts book, the lads suddenly provided a sparse crowd - swaddled in the sort of clothing more suited to rounding Cape Horn in winter - with some of the most compelling cricket of the summer.

Even so, England will probably lose this match some time today and so go to Trent Bridge and Headingley knowing that, yet again, they cannot win a home series. But the fact that they had even the luxury of another night in the team hotel instead of pottering down the motorways is little short of a miracle.

Having begun the day on 162 for eight, England had been bowled out for 183 in the morning and followed on 369 behind. When Allan Donald then removed Nick Knight for one with the certainty of one who knows a county colleague inside out, and Jacques Kallis plucked out Nasser Hussain's off stump with a memorable delivery, England, with 35 minutes to go even to lunch, were 11 for two and sinking fast.

They were rescued by an alliance between Mike Atherton and Alec Stewart, captains emeritus and present. Stewart reached the 11th century of his Test career late in the final session, and his partner, never better than when there is a cause to be saved, moved to within 19 of what would be his 13th century. At times the quality of the play was as breathtaking as it had hitherto been banal, never more so than the period between lunch and tea when the pair hit 17 boundaries and 121 runs at a rate of four an over.

The light finally closed in with 10 minutes remaining, by which time they had taken the score to 211 for two, their third-wicket partnership worth exactly 200, only 45 short of a ground record against South Africa. Under the circumstances it was a victory of sorts, but unless they and the rest of the team can carry it through today it will remain strictly pyrrhic.

England will almost certainly have to continue without a meaningful contribution from Graham Thorpe, who suffered a recurrence of back spasms. He batted down the order in the first innings but, in some discomfort, made a duck, and he will bat in this innings only "if required", whatever that means. It seems that he will need an operation, which will put him out of action for eight to 10 weeks.

Stewart was the driving force behind the recovery, hitting 16 boundaries in an unbeaten innings of 114 over 41/2 hours.

At the other end, Atherton played superbly, riding out the ferocity of Donald's opening assault and batting for 319 minutes. His dozen boundaries included some hearteningly controlled and brave hooks off Donald and a pair of cover drives garnished with the panache of a Caribbean one-knee finish.

Neither batsman gave a discernible chance as Hansie Cronje rotated his bowlers, driving Kallis into the deck after he made the initial breakthrough, using Donald as a short sharp shock and allowing Adams to twirl from both ends. At times, though, despite the massive lead, the South Africa captain attempted to shut the game down rather than persist with attacking fields.