Nicky Boje gets a hug from AB de Villiers after claiming a wicket

England succumbed to their first Test defeat since December 2003 as South Africa levelled the series in Cape Town 1-1 with two to play.

The tourists were bowled out for 304 in their second innings to lose by 196 runs with victory completed 40 minutes before tea on the final day.

Resuming at 151-5, all hope went when Graham Thorpe fell to Shaun Pollock.

Nicky Boje claimed figures of 4-71 but Steve Harmison gave England's fans plenty to cheer with a top score of 42.

Pollock was South Africa's other leading bowler on the day. He finished with 4-65 despite an unlikely pasting from Harmison at the death.

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In the fourth over of the day, captain Graeme Smith took the second new ball as soon as it became available.

Pollock took immediate advantage to angle a ball across Thorpe which moved a fraction off the seam as the batsman edged a catch to wicket-keeper AB de Villiers to fall for 26.

Geraint Jones and Ashley Giles battled valiantly early on in a resourceful partnership of 62.

And when both men began driving crisply through the off-side it looked like they might survive until lunch.

Alas it was not to be. The return of Boje heralded two wickets just before the interval.

The experienced Graham Thorpe fell early on the final morning

First Giles, after making 25, edged a defensive prod to be caught at slip by Jacques Kallis.

Then Jones, after driving the spinner down the ground for four to move to 38, went for another attacking shot through the covers only for Kallis to cling onto another slip catch.

This time the fielder had to dive full-length to his right to accept the chance and bring a reluctant Simon Jones out to the middle.

With Jones and Matthew Hoggard appearing in full protective gear after lunch it was only a matter of time for the final rites to be performed.

It took South Africa much longer than they would have liked to wrap things up, however.

Jones drove Boje for three boundaries before edging Pollock to second slip but Harmison then clubbed 15 runs off a single over from Pollock.

The Durham man also slogged Boje for six over cow corner, and remarkably became the highest scorer in the England innings before being caught in the gully off Makhaya Ntini.

South Africa: Graeme Smith (capt), Herschelle Gibbs, Jacques Kallis, Jacques Rudolph, Boeta Dippenaar, Hashim Amla, AB de Villiers (wkt), Shaun Pollock, Nicky Boje, Makhaya Ntini, Charl Langeveldt.

England: Marcus Trescothick, Andrew Strauss, Robert Key, Michael Vaughan (capt), Graham Thorpe, Andrew Flintoff, Geraint Jones (wkt), Ashley Giles, Simon Jones, Matthew Hoggard, Steve Harmison.

Umpires: S Bucknor (WI), D Harper (Aus)