The tourists demonstrated enough determination and resolve to restrict England to 184 for three on a day reduced to 59 overs by rain and bad light.

Three wickets seemed scant reward for their efforts, particularly as they believe they had a justifiable appeal for lbw rejected against Mark Butcher, dropped the same player and narrowly missed running out both Trescothick and Robert Key.

Trescothick cracked his first half-century in 10 Test innings after a winter Ashes series when he averaged just 26 against the Aussies.

He was the dominant force behind a 44-run opening stand with Vaughan. Vaughan drove Heath Streak down the ground for four only to be bowled with the next delivery which was angled down the leg side but deflected off his thigh pad onto his stumps.

Butcher could have followed three overs later when seamer Doug Hondo was unfortunate to have a strong leg before appeal rejected by South African umpire Dave Orchard and was given another reprieve on 36 when he edged Streak to Sean Ervine at second slip only for the chance to go begging.

By then Trescothick's chance to mark his comeback to form in style had been missed after he had progressed without much trouble to 59 including nine fours only for his concentration to waver and failed to move his feet driving Andy Blignaut and was caught by Ervine in the same position.

Hussain scored only 19 runs in 81 minutes at the crease and looked less than convincing prior to a hasty attempted pull to Travis Friend's first delivery of the match, hoisting the ball from outside off stump straight to Hondo in the deep.

That ill-judged attempt followed several similar attempted shots to blast his way out of his struggles and Key almost followed immediately when he hesitated going for a quick single and would have been out had the direct throw hit the non-striker's end.

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