CRICKET FOURTH TEST:IT WAS all the eights yesterday. Good fortune in China, but not so bad for Kevin Pietersen either. His century at the Oval, only the third by an England captain in his first innings in charge, expunged any doubts there may have been concerning his capacity to bat to his potential and concentrate on leadership.

That he was out for precisely 100, just two balls after clipping Makhaya Ntini to the midwicket boundary and drinking in the adulation, was on the face of it, unfortunate. But given the considerable leeway allowed him by South African fallibility in the field to the tune of twice being dropped, it would be no surprise to find 100 is a lucky number too.

Pietersen's untimely downfall, the fourth of another five-wicket haul for Ntini, and that of Paul Collingwood for 61, one of three after tea for Jaques Kallis, meant England, a batsman light following the decision to play five front-line bowlers, failed to capitalise fully on the first-day dismissal of South Africa for 194. By the time Pietersen and Collingwood had completed their fourth-wicket partnership of 108, England already led by 25.

There were leaden skies all day, though, still good conditions in which to bowl, and the batting line-up has a fragility to it. Andrew Flintoff hit a six and then succumbed to Kallis. Tim Ambrose failed once more and may have just one more innings to prolong his Test career.

Thanks to a Steve Harmison batting cameo England still have the upper hand provided the ball continues to zip around, and to bounce for Harmison. Only the visitors know how deep they can dig, however, in order to drag something back from the game. At Edgbaston, Graeme Smith was immense in taking his side to a series victory, but this game, anti-climactic in those terms, has come too hard on the heels of that one and its aftermath. If they have been flat, they can be forgiven.

This should not detract from the performance of Pietersen, at the crease in the first over of the morning after Ian Bell, who had played so well the previous evening, had been stretched by Ntini, edging to first slip. Ntini whistled his first ball past the captain's edge. Thereafter he was superb, standing tall, his trigger movements taking him across the crease on to off-stump and beyond so that his awareness of what to leave was spot on and the leg side a vast area to be explored.

For a while, after he had twice flayed Ntini off the front foot, the South Africans bowled too short to him, Morne Morkel in particular, so that he was able to rock back and pull wickedly as well.

Pietersen lost Alastair Cook, frustratingly, to an inept jab with lunch imminent, but thereafter, with Collingwood also kicking on after his Edgbaston 100, he dominated.

Twice, though, he was given chances. When 52, he tried to pull a ball from Morkel that was a fraction too full for the shot, and top-edged it towards deep backward square leg where lurked Paul Harris. That Harris took no responsibility, leaving it to Ntini, was a ludicrous decision, and it was no surprise that the latter failed to get there.

Nine runs later he attempted a similar shot from Andre Nel, this time the ball skewing high over mid-on, where Ntini, once more, scooted back but failed to hold the catch as it fell over his shoulder.

Now there was the prospect of some theatre. Would Pietersen get to 94 and try his luck again? Would Smith recognise this and bring on Harris just as he had at Edgbaston?

Pietersen bombed his way to the 80s with a series of boundaries taken from Morkel and Nel, until on 95 (Morkel, missing the sense of drama, had spoiled things by misfielding to concede a single), Harris appeared. A single was all Pietersen took before clipping Ntini for glory.

Reassuring to see that even this most self-confident of cricketers has nerves. But there is also the feeling that for Pietersen, the hundred, and the plaudits that go with it, is the primary aim rather than a milestone on a longer journey.