Early end sees England draw
England's pace bowlers had some valuable practice but spinners Monty Panesar and Kevin Pietersen were the only wicket-takers as South Australia reached 164-2 in their second innings in the drawn three-day match at Adelaide Oval.
Play was called off an hour early with SA still four runs short of their first-innings deficit of 168.
Matthew Elliott and Daniel Harris shared an opening partnership of 94 until left-hander Elliott clipped left-armer Panesar to mid-wicket where James Anderson leapt to pluck a brilliant right-handed catch above his head.
Elliott, who hit eight boundaries in his form-finding 55, was dropped by Pietersen low at backward point off Anderson when on nine in the eighth over.
Cameron Borgas belted five fours on his way to 27 then swept off-spinner Pietersen high and straight to substitute fieldsman Ashley Giles at deep mid-wicket. Harris finished with an unbeaten 71 - 11 short of his highest score in 13 first-class matches. Geraint Jones missed a difficult stumping chance off Pietersen when Harris was 68.
In humid, overcast conditions, the low bounce of the placid pitch did not offer any encouragement for the quick bowlers, and three of them - Anderson, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff - retreated to the dressing room for brief spells and massages before returning. So did Ian Bell, yesterday's century-maker.
This allowed Giles, Ed Joyce, the tour replacement for Marcus Trescothick, Liam Plunkett and, significantly, Steve Harmison to do some fielding duty. Harmison had left no doubt about his recovery from a strained left side by getting involved in England's lengthy fielding session before play started and bowling in the nets later - as he did yesterday.
England were all out for 415 - a first-innings lead of 168 - just before lunch, with Flintoff scoring a surprisingly cautious 47 but virtually being upstaged by tailender Sajid Mahmood.
Swinging vigorously, Mahmood contributed 36 to an eighth-wicket stand of 53 in 12 overs before Flintoff missed a hefty swipe off leg-spinner Cullen Bailey and was bowled. Mahmood made a 46-ball 41 but he was stumped off one of Darren Lehmann's slow, left-arm teasers.
Flintoff, 17 overnight, also had combined with Jones in a seventh-wicket liaison of 66 in 24 overs. The England captain clearly was intent on having batting practice as he spent two-and-a-half hours over his 108-ball 47.
