Kirtley took six wickets on debut Day five photos England reaction South Africa reaction

England have squared the series with South Africa at 1-1 after clinching a tense 70-run victory on the final day at Trent Bridge.

Debutant James Kirtley took 6-34 as the tourists, resuming the day 63-5, were bowled out for 131 on a difficult pitch that was offering almost no bounce by day five.

But England were made to fight all the way, as a 45-run partnership for the ninth wicket raised South Africa's hopes.

Mark Boucher, resolute in defence early on, began to play his shots as the situation became desperate, gaining a battling half-century.

And he was ably supported by Paul Adams, dropped by second slip Mark Butcher when he had made just one.

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Kirtley was barely able to contain his emotion, kissing the England badge on his shirt as he took a return catch to dismiss Adams for a 51-ball 15.

And he finished the job with the wicket of Boucher, edging behind for 52.

Flintoff dismissed Pollock despite seeming to over-step

Michael Vaughan's side had the worse of a drawn first Test and were drubbed by an innings at Lord's a fortnight ago.

But they have now regained the initiative, and with the fourth match of the series beginning at Headingley on Thursday, the tourists have precious little time to regroup.

England appeared to have broken the back of the South African innings when Kirtley's shooter moved back a little to bowl Neil McKenzie in the sixth over of the day.

The number six batsman's 90 minute vigil - most of it on the fourth evening - brought 11 runs off 73 deliveries.

With England's tails up, new batsmen Shaun Pollock and Andrew Hall fell in successive overs.

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Pollock saw his off-stump uprooted by another delivery that kept low from Flintoff - although replays showed the delivery was a no-ball - and Hall edged his first delivery to slip with a waft at Kirtley.

Despite a battling display from Steve Harmison, in obvious pain with a calf injury, it took the return of Kirtley at the Pavilion End to finish the job.

England: MP Vaughan (capt), ME Trescothick, MA Butcher, N Hussain, ET Smith, AJ Stewart (wkt), A Flintoff, AF Giles, SJ Harmison, JM Anderson, RJ Kirtley.

South Africa: GC Smith (capt), HH Gibbs, JA Rudolph, JH Kallis, HH Dippenaar, N McKenzie, MV Boucher, SM Pollock, AJ Hall, PR Adams, M Ntini.