England fought to wrench back the initiative from South Africa in the fourth Test on Friday, on a day when the sides seemed to swap their collective personalities.

South Africa, so dominant at the start of the series, eked out 342 in their first innings, thanks mainly to a magnificently obdurate 130 from Gary Kirsten, before England rattled along to 197 for three as bad light cut short the second day.

Shrugging off their frustrations -- Kirsten had put on 150 with Monde Zondeki to equal South Africa's record for the eighth wicket -- the home team scored at more than four runs an over in an attempt to make up time.

Michael Vaughan fell cheaply, a block against Makhaya Ntini spinning back into his leg stump, before Mark Butcher (77) and Marcus Trescothick (59) put on 142 for the second wicket.

Both, however, fell shortly before the close. Perhaps unwisely, they had accepted a break for light shortly before.

So dominant before the interruption, Trescothick was caught and bowled by Jacques Kallis, who threw himself right to take the chance, just nine balls after the teams returned to the field.

Butcher, whose innings was peppered with square cuts and forces, then drove at the same bowler and edged behind, leaving Nasser Hussain and Ed Smith at the crease.

South Africa, despite still being stuck at 1-1 in the five-match series after losing the third Test on a poor pitch, have got used to setting the agenda, though, not at Headingley.

Reduced to 21 for four on the first day after opting to bat, they have been struggling to stay in the game ever since.

The key difference has been in their bowling.

While England's remodelled seam attack at Headingley latched onto a disciplined off-stump line, the South Africans bowled wide and short for the first time.

Indeed, they looked just like the home team had done in the first two Tests.

MISSING POLLOCK

Without Shaun Pollock's world-class talents -- he has been attending the birth of his first child -- the tourists seemed determined to feed Butcher's favourite cut shot and he feasted on it.

Soon captain Graeme Smith had been reduced to posting two fielders at cover point to try and staunch the flow.

Dewald Pretorius, Pollock's stand-in, ended the day conceding 58 runs from nine overs.

Zondeki added to South African problems as he left the field with a side strain after just 11 deliveries.

Smith's side, however, are nothing if not determined.

In the morning they added 82 to an overnight score of 260 for seven before subsiding one over before lunch.

Kirsten's 18th Test century was admirable for its stone-walling rather than for strokeplay. Forced by circumstance, he restricted himself to cuts, drives, pulls and a lot of leaves.

The left-hander, who described his own stubborn style as "horrible" on Thursday, received a lot of help from Zondeki, on his debut and in only his 16th first-class match.

He concentrated on a straight bat and front-foot driving to make a career-best 59.

Kirsten, running out of partners, attempted a lofted straight drive and skied Kabir Ali to mid-on to end his 323-ball marathon, giving the bowler his third wicket on his debut.

Scoreboard

South Africa (1st innings) (overnight 260-8):
G.Smith c Stewart b Kirtley 2
H.Gibbs c Stewart b Bicknell 0
G.Kirsten c Bicknell b Kabir Ali 130
J.Kallis c Vaughan b Bicknell 6
N.McKenzie c Stewart b Kabir Ali 4
J.Rudolph lbw b Kabir Ali 55
M.Boucher c Vaughan b Flintoff 16
A.Hall c Smith b Flintoff 0
M.Zondeki c Butcher b Anderson 59
M.Ntini not out 32
D.Pretorius c Stewart b Kirtley 9

Extras: (lb-20 w-2 nb-7) 29

Total: (all out, 114.4 overs) 342

Fall of wickets: 1-2 2-2 3-16 4-21 5-116 6-142 7-142 8-292 9-316

Bowling: Kirtley 29.4-10-74-2 (w-2), Bicknell 27-11-50-2 (nb-1), Kabir Ali 22-3-80-3 (nb-3), Anderson 18-7-63-1, Flintoff 18-5-55-2 (nb-3)

England (1st innings):
M.Trescothick c & b Kallis 59
M.Vaughan b Ntini 15
M.Butcher c Boucher b Kallis 77
N.Hussain not out 14
E.Smith not out 0

Extras: (b-2, lb-15, w-3, nb-12) 32

Total: (for three wickets, 47 overs) 197

Fall of wickets: 1-27 2-169 3-193

To bat: A.Stewart, A.Flintoff, M.Bicknell, K.Ali, J.Kirtley, J.Anderson

Bowling: Pretorius 9-0-58-0 (nb-6, w-1), Ntini 12-3-34-1 (nb-2), Hall 14-2-50-0, Zondeki 1.5-0-10-0 (nb-1), Kallis 10.1-1-28-2 (nb-1, w-2).