South Africa took two late wickets to reduce England to 13 for 2 on day one of the four-day test at Beckenham.

The Proteas were dismissed for 295 in their first innings, with Leicestershire spinner Ali Farooq taking 3 for 40 and Durham’s James Minto 3 for 60. Muhammed Bulbulia was the top-scorer with 98 and he put on a partnership of 143 with Jason Rowles, who hit 66, before Vihan Pretorius hit 51.

Bayanda Majola then claimed 2 for 2 during an awkward half hour which saw England lose both openers, leaving them 282 in arrears at stumps.

South Africa chose to bat, but suffered an early blow when Minto had Nkosana Sibiya caught for 4 by Manny Lumsden, at backward point in the third over. Jorich van Schalkwyk made 20 before Lumsden had him caught behind, but Rowles was given a major let off when he edged Ralphie Albert to first slip while on nought. Rocky Flintoff put him down and he responded by hitting Albert for six over long-on in the next over.

South Africa had reached 91 for 2 at lunch, after which Bulbulia edged Bradley Sylvester for four to reach his fifty. Rowles reached the same landmark when he lofted England skipper Ralphie Albert for six.

Bulbulia was on 64 when he hooked Lumsden and was put down by Farooq at long leg, but Rowles rather gave his wicket away when he hit Albert to Sylvester with the final ball of the afternoon session, leaving the Proteas on 185 for 3 at tea.

The visitors had just reached 200 for 3 when Minto had Joshua van Biljon caught behind for six. Pretorius signalled his intentions when he pulled Minto for six over square leg, but Bulbulia was two runs shy of his ton when he tried to sweep Albert and was caught by Jacob Blades at short fine leg – his wicket came during a spell of 27 consecutive dot balls.

Paul James made just 3 before Farooq had him caught at first slip by Ben Dawkins, and although Michael Kruiskamp also hit Albert for a six back over his head, he went, for 17, to exactly the same combination.

The Farooq-Dawkins duo then claimed a third successive wicket when they got Ntando Soni for a duck, but after South Africa were reduced to 267 for 8, Pretorius began to hit out and reached his half-century before he was bowled by Sylvester.

The innings was wrapped up when Blades caught Bayanda Majola for a duck off Minto, but the visitors seized the momentum when Majola removed Dawkins, caught behind for 5, before bowling Blades for 4 with the final delivery of the day.