South Australia v England

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Matthew Elliot scores 55 for South Australia.

England's pace bowlers had some valuable practice but spinners Monty Panesar and Kevin Pietersen were the only wicket-takers as South Australia reached 164-2 in their second innings in the drawn three-day match at Adelaide Oval.

Play was called off an hour early with SA still four runs short of their first-innings deficit of 168.

Matthew Elliott and Daniel Harris shared an opening partnership of 94 until left-hander Elliott clipped left-armer Panesar to mid-wicket where James Anderson leapt to pluck a brilliant right-handed catch above his head.

Elliott, who hit eight boundaries in his form-finding 55, was dropped by Pietersen low at backward point off Anderson when on nine in the eighth over.

Cameron Borgas belted five fours on his way to 27 then swept off-spinner Pietersen high and straight to substitute fieldsman Ashley Giles at deep mid-wicket.

Harris, 26, a doctor of medicine, finished with an unbeaten 71 - 11 short of his highest score in 13 first-class matches. Geraint Jones missed a difficult stumping chance off Pietersen when Harris was 68.

In humid, overcast conditions, the low bounce of the placid pitch did not offer any encouragement for the quick bowlers, and three of them - Anderson, Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff - retreated to the dressing room for brief spells and massages before returning. So did Ian Bell, yesterday's century-maker.

This allowed Giles, Ed Joyce, the tour replacement for Marcus Trescothick, Liam Plunkett and, significantly, Steve Harmison to do some fielding duty. Harmison had left no doubt about his recovery from a strained left side by getting involved in England's lengthy fielding session before play started and bowling in the nets later - as he did yesterday.

England were all out for 415 - a first-innings lead of 168 - just before lunch, with Flintoff scoring a surprisingly cautious 47 but virtually being upstaged by tailender Sajid Mahmood.

Swinging vigorously, Mahmood contributed 36 to an eighth-wicket stand of 53 in 12 overs before Flintoff missed a hefty swipe off leg-spinner Cullen Bailey and was bowled.

Mahmood made a 46-ball 41, with two sixes and four fours. He was stumped after missing a lusty down-the-pitch swing at one of Darren Lehmann's slow, left-arm teasers.

Flintoff, 17 overnight, also had combined with Jones in a seventh-wicket liaison of 66 in 24 overs.

The England captain clearly was intent on having batting practice as he spent two-and-a-half hours over his 108-ball 47 (five fours). He scored only one against the Prime Minister's XI in Canberra and 62 against New South Wales in Sydney in his only other innings this tour.

England resumed at 303-6, and Jones added 19 to his overnight score of 14 before moving down the pitch to a well-flighted off-break from Dan Cullen and edging a catch, via his front pad, to Mark Cosgrove at forward short leg.

Jones scored 13 not out in Canberra and 13 in Sydney, so he could have done with a longer stint at the crease today.

England's innings ended when Anderson sweep off Bailey ricocheted off his right boot, enabling wicketkeeper Shane Deitz to take a smart, low catch.

SA spearhead Shaun Tait, named in Australia's squad of 13 for the first Test, could not bowl in the first 30 minutes because of the time he spent off the field late yesterday after cramping in his right thigh and calf.

When he resumed bowling 45 minutes into the first session, Tait bowled quickly, as always, but his direction was more astray than usual. Importantly, though, he proved his fitness and scuttled suggestions he had a calf strain.