Look out, too, for South Africa have the ideal Test match No 6, which none of us could have known before yesterday. An impish and bold counter-attacker, whose natural ball-playing instinct allows him to make something of tricky batting surfaces and rampant opponents. Really, one could not praise Jonty Rhodes highly enough for his innings, most especially for the clever way in which he played mainly off the back foot and for his plan to upset the length of the English bowling by looking to play the pull stroke at every chance.

Look out, too, for the value of using selective attacking play as a method of defence. England led by a massive 171 when Rhodes edged Mark Ealham to second slip. The trouble was that second slip was fielding on the cover boundary because Rhodes had thrashed so many runs either side of point. England were confused by Rhodes and lost sight of the need to search for his wicket rather than wait for his mistake.

There had been another chance to say goodbye to Rhodes before the follow-on had been saved. Dominic Cork's second bouncer in three balls was faster and higher than the first one which Rhodes pulled easily to the boundary. This time the batsman tried to hook, and, finding himself in a tangle, top-edged to long leg, where the sprinting, falling substitute fielder, Ben Spendlove dropped a difficult catch. Spendlove did a splendid job in the field, catching a couple at short leg, and diving about enthusiastically, but he is a cricketer from Derbyshire's second XI. Time was when England's substitute fielders were experienced fellows, the Paul Parkers and Paul Terrys, who brightened county cricket with their fielding, and that time should come again.

Had Rhodes always played so well, South Africa might not have had to depend on their tail. In the 11 Test matches they played last winter against Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Australia, their first five wickets averaged 151 in 15 completed innings while their last five wickets averaged just short of 140 - 2,266 runs from the top order and 2,090 from the rest. Lance Klusener got in on the act yesterday, punching his heavy bat through the line of England's irregular bowling length.

The bowlers were tired. Why, even Angus Fraser erred! England leaned upon Fraser and Cork because of cruel injury to Darren Gough. There is only so much a man can do and these two did most of it. With Gough, the job of bowling out South Africa would have been done earlier.

It has been a fascinating four days, a proper Test match with an intriguing blend of fast and slow, science and flair, surprising changes of fortune and reputations enhanced. As the fourth evening continued in dreamy sunshine, so England caught the mood and style of counter-attack. On a pitch which yielded less than three per over for the first two innings, Alec Stewart scored 28 in 34 balls, Graham Thorpe played with his greatest Žlan, Atherton even played the reverse sweep and through their risk-taking, England found themselves covered with the riches of a declaration decision.

It has not been England's way in recent years to counter-attack or even that often to set the pace. Whatever they say about being one ball away in Bulawayo and Auckland, they were an hour late with their batting on comfortable enough pitches.

Here at Edgbaston they might have pushed on during Friday afternoon when Mark Ramprakash and Cork were at the crease. Adams bowled with long-on and long-off saving the single, and no one looked to use their feet or to hit him over the top - and though David Lloyd would not agree, for he insisted quite rightly that 462 was an enviable score on a very awkward pitch, just quietly the new captain might.

It's all about having the confidence to pin down the opposition and keep him pinned; about knowing your moment and making it count; about free-spirited play being allied to unwavering self-belief. Stewart's urgent and positive batting in both innings has been a message to his team, a message which reflects his personality. It has already been a match which will have taught him and England a great deal. Winning it, as they can, will be some achievement.