Cricket: Pietersen's ton in vain as England lose again.

Byline: RICHARD GIBSON

KEVIN PIETERSEN last night conceded he would rather have been toasting an England win than his personal double award.

Another brilliant hundred from the 24-year-old - his third of the series - rescued an English innings going nowhere at the halfway stage and was enough for him to claim man-of- the match and man-of-the-series.

Ultimately, however, it was not sufficient to prevent South Africa securing a three-wicket victory for a 4-1 campaign success.

``We have got such a team spirit, just to see the smiles on the boys' faces when I have scored a hundred is fantastic, '' said South African-born Pietersen, who finished up with 454 runs in six innings against the hosts.

``It would be so much better to see those smiles, and drink a beer with all the boys, happy with a victory.

``I get a lot of personal satisfaction but I get more out of seeing people laughing, enjoying themselves. ''

If his maiden century in the tie at Bloemfontein was his most emotional contribution of the tour, this was the most superior, coming as it did from a position of crisis at 68-6.

It was the kind of innings, featuring mettle and muscle in equal measure, which should put him in line for a Test call this Ashes summer.

Everyone who witnessed it appreciated its merit, quite a contrast to the start of the seven match series when South Africans were intent on letting their ire at his defection be emphatically known.

Pietersen insisted: ``Today's knock was pretty special and it would rank up there as the best hundred I have ever scored.

``To turn the crowd around and have a standing ovation after the first walkout I had at the Wanderers was pretty special. ''

His power hitting delivered six sixes to take his tally to 15 in the campaign and his overall scoring rate was better than a run-a-ball, qualities which impressed captain Michael Vaughan, who believes there can be a place for the bats man in the Test team.

``You have to be a very good player to do what he has just done, '' said Vaughan. ``He has come in and set the world alight with innings of unbelievable tempo in pressure situations. ''

Pietersen might have been in South Africa's ranks but for his decision to quit the domestic scene as a 20-year-old to qualify for the country of his mother's birth.

Nevertheless, South Africa captain Graeme Smith seemed to have no regrets about their potential loss when he said: ``He has carried them through when they have been under pressure and that was impressive. But he's an Englishman. We have got enough good players here. ''

England were left chasing the game somewhat as lightning threatened to halt the pursuit in mid -innings, shaping the tactics of a side who led after one match, tied the next and lost in the final over of the third.

``We lost 4-1 but we pushed a really good South African team, on their home soil, all the way, '' said Vaughan. ``We had to gamble to try to wickets to get ahead of the Duckworth/Lewis this afternoon. But throughout the whole series there were a hell of a lot of positives. ''

England return home today having achieved their main goal, a Test series victory, but failed against a Proteas side who have now won four straight after a previous run of one in 14.

FOURTH UNDER 19 ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL Kolkata England Under 19 174-9 Innings Complete (J L Denly 80) v India Under 19 178-0 (K A Srikkanth 88 no, A Rawat 76 no) India U19 beat England U19 by 10 wkts TODAY. FIFTH UNDER 19 ONE DAY INTERNATIONAL (1 DAY) Siliguri: India Under 19 v England Under 19 (03. 15)South Africa v England Centurion Park South Africa beat England by 3 wkts England Innings M E Trescothick c Gibbs b Pollock . . . . . . .

0 G O Jones c Kemp b Nel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 M P Vaughan b Ntini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 A J Strauss c Boucher b Nel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 K P Pietersen b Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116 V S Solanki c Smith b Boje . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5 P D Collingwood run out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 A F Giles b Ntini . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41 Kabir Ali b Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 A G Wharf not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

3 S J Harmison b Hall . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

0 Extras w7 nb3 pens 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Total (49. 5 overs) 240 Fall: 1-0 2-1 3-32 4-36 5-54 6-68 7-172 8-225 9-240 Bowling: Pollock 10-1-36-1 Ntini 9-2-472 Nel 10-1-60-2 Hall 9. 5-1-52-3 Boje 10-034-1 Kallis 1-0-11-0 South Africa Innings G C Smith c Solanki b Giles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47 A J Hallc Harmison b Wharf . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 J H Kallis c Trescothick b Vaughan . . . . . . 36 H H Gibbs lbw b Harmison .

0 A G Prince not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62 M V Boucher run out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44 J M Kemp c Giles b Kabir Ali . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

4 S M Pollock c Collingwood b Wharf . . . . .

6 N Boje not out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

1 Extras lb2 w14 nb2 pens 0 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 Total 7 wkts (49 overs) 241 Fall: 1-46 2-106 3-107 4-148 5-218 6-228 7-236

CAPTION(S):

Kevin Pietersen salutes the crowd after hitting another century yesterday