'We're not too unhappy that it's raining'

Andrew Strauss overcame the embarrassment of running out his opening partner, Marcus Trescothick, and rode out England's subsequent top-order wobble, to top-score yet again for England on a truncated third day's play at Centurion. By the time an apocalyptic storm blew over the ground, England were 114 for 4 in reply to South Africa's first-innings 247, and with two days of the match remaining, they were well placed to force the draw that would seal the series.

"To be honest, we're not too unhappy that it's raining now," said Strauss, whose 44 took his series tally to 656 runs and was, for the moment at least, the seventh time in nine innings that he had registered England's highest score. "As a batsman, there's nothing worse than when you can seeing the clouds coming, and you know it's about to p**s it down."

Strauss failed to weather the storm, literally, as he fell to Andre Nel, one over before the rains returned. "It was a topsy-turvy day," he admitted. "I would have liked a not-out, but to add 70 or 80 runs from a position of 29 for 3 was pretty handy."

As for the run-out, Strauss admitted it had been his fault. "It was a push down the ground and I half-thought a run was on," he said. "It was one of those occasions you just have to say sorry and move on. But it was important that I dug in afterwards, and moments like that help you concentrate."

England's fourth-wicket pairing of Strauss and Graham Thorpe ensured that their early setbacks did not turn into a catastrophe, and Strauss admitted that it had not been easy going. "We had to be prepared to graft," he said. "It was tough work out there, because the ball wasn't coming onto the bat. But the wickets that have fallen have been a strangle here and a strangle there," he added. "You just have to wait for the bad ball."

With two days remaining a draw is the most likely result, which would ensure England's 2-1 series win. And though Strauss was secretly hoping for two more days of bad weather, he was keeping his mind firmly focussed on the job. "It's a bit dangerous to start praying for rain," he said. "We mustn't get ourselves into a negative mindset."