Condemned to the field after Graeme Smith won another crucial toss, England served up a regular diet of wayward deliveries to allow the tourists to hit two sixes and 58 other boundaries as they reached 362 for four.

Gibbs hit a six and 28 other boundaries during his brilliant 183, although his selection of a quick single was less certain. He almost ran himself out on 21 but Ed Smith's throw from mid-on missed the stumps.

Having failed that time, he succeeded five overs later when he pushed Ashley Giles towards cover and set off for a quick single. Michael Vaughan ran in and threw under-hand to Alec Stewart to engineer the run-out of Smith.

Joined by the less flamboyant but prolific Gary Kirsten, the tourists scored runs at will for the next four hours. By tea South Africa had accumulated 38 fours and a six while Vaughan had used six different bowlers, including himself.

South Africa registered 244 runs just in boundaries - 67 per cent of all the day's runs. Kirsten hit 15 boundaries of his own before falling just 10 short of another century when Giles hit him full on the boot as he attempted to sweep.

England had an appeal for leg before against Gibbs when he was on 26 turned down and he could have fallen twice in successive balls shortly before tea.

Firstly, he top-edged an attempted pull off Anderson which fell out of Martin Bicknell's reach at mid-on and then pulled the fiercely through Mark Butcher's hands at point from the next delivery to claim yet another boundary when he had progressed to 112.

And Gibbs looked certain to claim a double century only for his adventurous style to halt his efforts when he was bowled by Giles attempting another pull.

Neil McKenzie fell in the seventh over of the new ball and the penultimate ball of the day when he edged James Anderson behind to Stewart.

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