Flintoff livens up test match at Edgbaston

By Richard Sydenham

BIRMINGHAM (Reuters) - An inspired Andrew Flintoff became the 12th England player to take 200 test wickets as South Africa reached 256 for six at stumps on the second day of the third test at Edgbaston on Thursday.

Flintoff, trying to help England defend their below-par total of 231, produced one of his most hostile spells of bowling after tea that culminated with the wicket of Jacques Kallis.

South Africa, though, closed with a lead of 25 runs when bad light stopped play with the ever-reliable Ashwell Prince 37 not out and Mark Boucher on 11.

The new ball will be due in four overs when Flintoff is likely to add to his analysis of four for 68.

Flintoff trapped Neil McKenzie lbw for 72 to become the 10th player to claim 200 test wickets and score 3,000 test runs, following the likes of Ian Botham, Garfield Sobers, Kapil Dev and Imran Khan.

But his most prized wicket of the day, which stirred a sparse crowd that sat through the gloomy and damp weather, was that of Kallis, who made 64 for his first half-century of the series.

Kallis was fortunate to survive an lbw appeal when on 55 to a Flintoff yorker but Pakistani umpire Aleem Dar gave him not out, much to the bowler's bemusement.

KALLIS BOWLED