Collingwood in fine fettle

Paul Collingwood marked his record-breaking 171st one-day international cap with two pieces of typically telling brilliance in the field as England struck early blows against South Africa.

Collingwood - going past Alec Stewart's all-time England benchmark for ODI appearances - was at his best in his gully/backward-point home to help restrict the opposition to 66 for two after 15 overs of this second fixture in a five-match series.

After Andrew Strauss chose to bowl first in sunny conditions but on a Centurion pitch under cover for much of the past week because of unseasonal rain, both Jimmy Anderson and Tim Bresnan used the new ball sensibly.

The upshot was that neither of dangermen Graeme Smith and AB de Villiers was able to get a start.

Whether Collingwood's first piece of the action was indirectly responsible for a wicket is perhaps conjecture.

But his diving stop from a fierce square-cut by Smith at Bresnan definitely saved four and might conceivably have contributed to the home captain's nibble on the back foot next ball - edged to slip, where Strauss took the regulation catch.

That was 27 for one, and there could be no argument that Collingwood pretty much single-handedly saw off number three De Villiers.

His supremely athletic dive to his left intercepted what looked another certain four off Anderson, and more importantly gave England a second big wicket.

Smith's opening partner Hashim Amla - replacing the injured Jacques Kallis at the top of the order - continued to profit, though, from a mixture of fine timing and some handily directed edges.

He was joined by JP Duminy - and as Sajid Mahmood took over from Anderson at the Hennops River end, the third-wicket pair began to find the boundary with increasing ease.