England captain Michael Vaughan had no complaints about the umpires' decision to offer South Africa's batsmen the light in the drawn second Test on Thursday.

South Africa, who were set a target of 378, were 290 for eight in their second innings when bad light stopped play with 15 overs left in the match.

The floodlights were on when umpires Darrell Hair and Simon Taufel offered AB de Villiers and Makhaya Ntini the light at 1520 GMT under a provision in the series playing conditions that play cannot continue when artificial light supersedes natural light.

The captains shook hands on the draw 30 minutes later to end England's record run of eight consecutive Test wins.

"It was pretty dark out there," Vaughan told a news conference. "I could have put (left-arm spinner) Ashley Giles and myself on (to bowl off spin) but the umpires did not offer me that choice.

"But that's not a real complaint. When it's dark the lights don't make much difference with the red ball."

Vaughan was surprised when the clouds rolled in.

"We were very confident, we thought we were going to knock them over," he said. "We didn't expect the clouds to come over and take away the last 15 overs. The clouds seemed to come from nowhere after tea."

England will take a 1-0 lead into the third Test in Cape Town on Sunday after winning the first Test in Port Elizabeth by seven wickets and Vaughan believes they have proved themselves the better side in Durban.

OUT OF JAIL

"I'd say South Africa got out of jail," Vaughan said.

"The team that has ended up on top is England, we just need to make sure that carries on in Cape Town. I'd prefer to be in my shoes than (South African captain) Graeme Smith's."

England are unbeaten in all 13 Tests they played in 2004, winning 11 and drawing two.

"We've got to make sure that 2004 wasn't a lucky year and that we crack on in 2005," Vaughan said.

Smith said his team had been fortunate but that several positives could be taken out of the match.

"We got a bit lucky, but our dressing room is a lot more confident with 1-0 down than if we had lost," he said. "We had opportunities to win this Test and we've got to go back and look at that," he said.

"We've had a lot of 60s and 70s instead of hundreds and 150s. Perhaps that's one of the areas in which we're going wrong."

England fast bowler Steve Harmison hit all rounder Shaun Pollock on both hands while batting and Smith did not know if the strike bowler would be fit for the third Test.

"His fingers are in big blocks of ice at the moment, but it's too early to tell," Smith said.

The United Cricket Board of South Africa said money would be raised during the third Test to add to the relief fund for tsunami victims in Asia.