De Villiers, Ntini put Proteas in command

Leeds: South Africa's Makhaya Ntini took two key wickets after AB de Villiers's hundred put the Proteas in a commanding position in the second Test at Headingley here Sunday.

England, at the third day's close, were 50 for two in their second innings, still needing 269 more runs to make South Africa bat again after Ntini had removed opener Andrew Strauss and captain Michael Vaughan.

De Villiers's 174 was the cornerstone of South Africa's 522 all out, which also featured a Test-best 149 from vice-captain Ashwell Prince. That gave South Africa a first innings lead of 319 after they'd bowled England out for a meagre 203.

De Villiers had been booed by the crowd as he first came out to the crease after claiming a slip catch off Strauss, when replays showed the ball had bounced, on Friday. Although Strauss was given not out on that occasion, the incident created lingering ill-feeling towards de Villiers amongst both spectators and the England team.

"I walked out there and it is the first time I had been booed coming out on to the field," de Villiers said. "That was quite disappointing but, if anything it motivated me to do better and it is very satisfying to be sat here with a hundred under my belt."

Fast bowler Ntini, coming from round the wicket, had Strauss out for nought on Sunday after the left-handed opener edged a full, rising ball through to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.

What had seemed a placid pitch when England bowled, appeared a very different surface as Ntini and fellow quick Dale Steyn tested the batsmen with a succession of sharp deliveries.

Ntini, who finished the day with two wickets for 16 runs in nine overs, saw his accuracy rewarded again shortly before stumps when Vaughan got an outside edge which was well-held by a diving Boucher. Alastair Cook was 23 not out and nightwatchman James Anderson nought not out at stumps.

"We're going to have bat well tomorrow, really dig in," Anderson said. "They are going to come out all guns blazing."

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