Prince stops the slide

ALREADY A RECORD: England batsman Ian Bell (back to camera) receives a standing ovation as he steps up to the dressing room at Lord's in London on Friday. Bell was out on 199, becoming the first Englishman to be dismissed with this score.Photo: AFP

Ashwell Prince marked his first Test innings against England with a fifty as the Proteas staunched the flow of wickets at Lord's here on Saturday.
South Africa, at tea on the third day of the first Test, were far from out of trouble at 156 for four, a deficit of 437 and needing a further 238 runs to avoid the follow-on target of 394.
But given 31-year-old left-hander Prince had come in at 47 for three, this position represented something of a recovery.
Prince, whose patient fifty came in two hours and 22 minutes off 82 balls with eight fours, was 52 not out with AB de Villiers, who'd so far helped him add 73 for the fifth wicket, unbeaten on 38.
South Africa, who'd lost three of their top order all in single figures, resumed after lunch on 78 for three.
Neil McKenzie hadn't added to his interval score of 35 not out when he edged fast bowler Stuart Broad between Andrew Strauss and Paul Collingwood, at first and second slip respectively. But his reprieve didn't last long.
England captain Michael Vaughan, in what is now customary practice for Test teams with a spinner, had given Monty Panesar a couple of overs before lunch.
However, he then kept him going after the break rather than reverting straight away to an all-seam attack.
Vaughan was rewarded for his boldness when left-armer Panesar's first ball after lunch, the seventh in all, turned sharply and bowled right-hander McKenzie round his pads with the ball clipping the leg stump.
A stunned McKenzie was out for 40 and South Africa were 83 for four.
Prince, 20 not out at lunch, carried on going for his shots when given a chance and expertly steered Broad to the point boundary.
South Africa started Saturday on seven without loss in reply to England's daunting first innings 593 for eight declared, a total built around Ian Bell's Test-best 199 and 152 from Kevin Pietersen in his first Test innings against the land of his birth.
The pressure was on the Proteas batsmen, notably captain Graeme Smith who had chosen to field after winning the toss.
He resumed on two not out, with McKenzie unbeaten on five.
Five years ago, Smith made 259 at Lord's -- the highest score by an overseas batsman in a Test at the 'home of cricket'.
But off Saturday's twelfth ball, a sharp James Anderson delivery squared up the left-hander and took the shoulder of the bat before lobbing gently to Bell, running round from gully.
Smith was out for eight and South Africa were 13 for one.
Hashim Amla had come into this Test on the back of scores of over 160 in warm-up matches against Somerset and Middlesex.
But having seen his helmet come off and nearly hit his wicket when he was on one, he played at a delivery from fast bowler Broad he could have left and was caught behind for six.
The collective accuracy of England's quicks was in marked contrast to the waywardness of their South African counterparts.
Left-armer Ryan Sidebottom got in on the act when he angled a delivery across the experienced Jacques Kallis, on seven, which took the outside edge and was brilliantly caught low down by diving first slip Strauss.