CAPE TOWN, South Africa (Reuters) – Seamers Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn took three England wickets each to lift South Africa on the second day of the third Test yesterday.

England, replying to the home team’s 291, reached 241 for seven at the close thanks to battling knocks by Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Matt Prior.

Cook fell just after tea for 65, paddling Morkel to midwicket, and Prior and Bell added 41 for the sixth wicket before Bell cut the nagging seam bowling of Jacques Kallis straight to backward point.

Bell made 48 in nearly three hours at the crease and Prior, who survived several anxious moments, completed his 12th Test half-century two balls before the close. He finished unbeaten on 52 with Graeme Swann on five.

SHARP CATCH
Steyn also failed to add to his score of 26 when he edged James Anderson’s first ball of the day into the slips, Jonathan Trott taking a sharp catch.

Anderson gained reward for his top-class swing bowling when he dismissed Morkel, Swann taking a superb diving catch at second slip, and Friedel de Wet for ducks to complete fine figures of five for 63.

England were quickly in trouble when captain Andrew Strauss edged a flat-footed drive at an away-swinger from Morkel to be caught behind for two.

Cook and Jonathan Trott took the score confidently to 36 before Steyn struck twice in his third over.

Trott, who had cruised to 20, chopped a delivery into his stumps and, two balls later, Kevin Pietersen sent an ambitious drive straight back to the bowler who reacted sharply to take a one-handed catch.

Paul Collingwood was the only wicket to fall in the afternoon session, trapped lbw by Morkel for 19.

South Africa are 1-0 down in the four-match series having lost by an innings in the second Test in Durban last week.
SOUTH AFRICA first innings (o/n 279-6)
G. Smith c Prior b Anderson 30
A. Prince c Prior b Anderson 0
H. Amla lbw b Onions 14
J. Kallis c Prior b Onions 108
AB de Villiers c Strauss b Swann 36
JP Duminy c Prior b Swann 0
M. Boucher lbw b Broad 51
D. Steyn c Trott b Anderson 26
M. Morkel c Swann b Anderson 0
P. Harris not out 10
F. de Wet lbw b Anderson 0
Extras: (b-1, lb-13, w-1, nb-1) 16
Total: (all out, 86.1 overs) 291
Fall of wickets: 1-1, 2-46, 3-51, 4-127, 5-127, 6-216, 7-280, 8-280, 9-281.
Bowling: Anderson 21.1-1-63-5 (nb-1, w-1), Onions 20-4-69-2, Broad 19-6-54-1, Swann 22-1-74-2, Pietersen 4-0-17-0.

ENGLAND first innings
A. Strauss c Boucher b Morkel 2
A. Cook c Prince b Morkel 65
J. Trott b Steyn 20
K. Pietersen c & b Steyn 0
P. Collingwood lbw b Morkel 19
I. Bell c Duminy b Kallis 48
M. Prior not out 52
S. Broad b Steyn 25
G. Swann not out 5
Extras: (lb-2, w-2, nb-1) 5
Total: (for seven wickets, 82 overs) 241
Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-36, 3-36, 4-73, 5-133, 6-174, 7-225.
Bowling: Morkel 19-3-57-3 (w-1), De Wet 16-3-36-0 (nb-1), Steyn 19-5-64-3, Kallis 14-2-27-1 (w-1), Harris 9-0-39-0, Duminy 5-0-16-0.