It was vital to South Africa that England made no inroads into their top order, a fact not lost on a player of Gary Kirsten's experience. After two sporty wickets at Edgbaston and Lord's this one required a different technical and mental approach. No undue bounce or sideways movement meant more comfort playing forward, but lack of pace can make it difficult to score at the necessary speed.

Yesterday was a prime example of a batsman not in tune with his game, sometimes palpably at odds with it, but still never losing sight of the team goal - to bat only once in this game.

Kirsten's job is to set the platform for the stroke-players and his captain will be delighted with his contribution. He has blunted the England attack and given South Africa the edge.

A harsh critic might say Kirsten's bat is not always straight and that he uses too much bottom hand, closing the face on impact, which affects his timing. But his mental toughness means a high success rate. He does not play extravagantly, realising it is not for him, and knows what shots he can and should play. He does not seek to dominate, leaving that to the stroke-players. He is perhaps a model for some of the England players on how to build an innings.

Talent is one thing, being able to harness it and bat for the team is quite another. Kirsten was a major player in nurturing Jacques Kallis to his hundred. Kirsten, aesthetically, lacks the elegance of more illustrious players, but an indication of a batsman's worth is who bowlers would rather not bowl to because they are tenacious and value their wicket.

This is Kirsten's domain. A little shuffle of the back leg gets him into line and more often than not anything wide is left alone, though when set he can play through point as well as anybody. He plays neatly off his pads and is very aware of rotating the strike, vital for a big partnership.

Kallis will be rightly lauded for a superb hundred but come Monday, if South Africa win, Hansie Cronje will know who the unsung hero is.