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Tea England 133 for 4 (Cook 65*, Bell 24*) trail South Africa 291 (Kallis 108, Anderson 5-63) by 158 runs

Alastair Cook reproduced the calm obduracy of his Durban century to steady England with a vital unbeaten 65, and Ian Bell demonstrated a new-found resilience as he battled through 81 deliveries for an unbeaten 24, as South Africa were made to wait for further breakthroughs after a breathless start to the second day at Newlands. By tea, Cook and Bell were unbeaten in a stand of 60 for the fifth wicket, an invaluable alliance that spanned 25.3 overs of the afternoon session, and pulled England out of a tailspin at 73 for 4.

Cook and Bell had been England's most pressurised batsmen going into last week's Boxing Day Test, but having emerged from that contest with a hundred apiece, they were able to carry their confidence into a crazy scenario in Cape Town. Despite clear-blue skies that implied a perfect day for batting, no fewer than seven wickets fell in the morning session alone, including four in 17 balls to bring South Africa's innings to a swift and undignified end.

But, if England believed that they had stolen the momentum by dismissing their opponents for a meagre 291, the first-over dismissal of Andrew Strauss, courtesy of his nemesis, Morne Morkel, redressed the balance dramatically. Dale Steyn, operating as first-change after an unconvincing comeback match at Kingsmead, then announced his return to strike-bowler status with two wickets in three balls, including Kevin Pietersen for a second-ball duck, and when Morkel pinned Paul Collingwood lbw for 19 after lunch, England were in danger of conceding an insurmountable lead.

But all the while that the wickets were tumbling, Cook was bloodymindedness personified. Showing a clear awareness of the whereabouts of his off stump, he hung back in his crease and relied on the bowlers losing patience before he did, as he left outside off time and time again, and fed almost exclusively on tucks through the leg-side whenever they straightened their line of attack.

Only twice was Cook tempted to have a dart outside off, as Friedel de Wet and then Steyn offered hittable lengths coupled with just enough width, while his only serious attempt at a counterattack came when he greeted the spin of Paul Harris with two slog-swept fours and a clip through midwicket. It was JP Duminy who came closest to ending his vigil, on 64 and with five minutes to go before tea, when another attempted sweep looped off a top-edge and just out of the reach of Hashim Amla, back-pedalling from short leg.

Bell, meanwhile, took the alternative approach, seeking to get onto the front foot and put bat to ball as often as possible. His rate of scoring was funereal to start with, as he managed a solitary cover-driven four from his first 35 balls, but at no stage did he look flustered by his lack of penetration against a tight and disciplined bowling attack. He eventually doubled his score with a firm drill off Kallis, and moved into the twenties before tea with a brace of deft late cuts against de Wet.

After a dramatic first 15 minutes of the day's play, such attrition seemed a world away. South Africa had resumed on their overnight 279 for 6, with Kallis unbeaten on 108, his 33rd Test century, having added 63 vital and confident runs for the seventh wicket with Steyn. However, Graham Onions' second delivery of the morning was simply too good - bending in towards off, it pitched, seamed, and nicked Kallis's outside edge, to send him on his way without addition, and set in motion an extraordinary sequence of events.

Next to go was Steyn, who had batted well for his overnight 26, but now fell to James Anderson's first delivery of the morning - a fat edge to Jonathan Trott at third slip, who made good ground to accept the chance to his right. Three deliveries later, Morkel hung out his bat outside off for Graeme Swann at second slip to atone for his first-morning miss with a fine low catch, diving to his right, and one over later, Anderson completed his eighth five-wicket haul as Friedel de Wet was pinned on the front pad by a nip-backer, and sent on his way for a duck despite the futile use of a review.

South Africa's collapse exceeded England's most optimistic calculations, but the challenge for Strauss and Cook was to capitalise on the chaos. Instead, it was Morkel who struck the next blow, and arguably the biggest of the morning, when his steepling bounce from his awkward round-the-wicket line once again proved too much for England's captain. Cunningly handed the first over of the innings, Morkel forced Strauss deep into his crease with a series of lifters, before pitching his sixth ball up and finding the edge of an unbalanced drive.

Strauss swished his bat in anger as he left the crease with England tottering at 2 for 1, although that scoreline was soon massaged by Cook and Trott, who batted calmly to add 34 for the second wicket in 11.4 overs. Trott provided the aggressive intent, pulling de Wet in front of square before driving Morkel handsomely through the covers, while Cook hung back in his crease and waited for the bowlers to err in line and length. However, it was the belated introduction of Steyn that swung the balance firmly back in South Africa's favour.

After an exploratory start to his spell, Steyn exploded into life in his first over after the drinks break, as Trott paid the price for his aggressive intent and inside-edged a hard-handed drive onto his off stump. Two deliveries later, Pietersen had been and gone as well - the situation was one that he habitually relishes, and the extra bounce in the surface might have suited his attacking instincts. But Steyn drew him into a loose and airy drive, and reached out with his right hand to pluck a vital return catch.

At 36 for 3 after 13 overs, South Africa were swarming, and though Collingwood's cool accumulation allowed England to reach lunch without further loss, he was swiftly extracted after the break for 19, as Morkel found a devastating full length to trap him plumb lbw. At 73 for 4, Bell's new-found mettle was under the sort of scrutiny he had avoided at Durban. By tea, however, he he was living up to his heightened expectations.