England v South Africa: Matt Prior frustrates resurgent Proteas as Dale Steyn revives tourists on day two The visitors certainly began with more purpose, with Dale Steyn much more hostile than he had been on Thursday. A rocket from Allan Donald, their bowling coach, would have sharpened his and the other bowlers" focus while the conditions for moving the ball were better, the air beneath the chunky cloud being both more humid and still than it had been previously. Pitching up and swinging the ball is often the best policy in such conditions but batsmen tend to be more vulnerable to it when off balance, something best achieved by messing up their minds and footwork with judicious use of bouncers. Not that Steyn needed that particular combination to get rid of Alastair Cook. England's century-maker had added just a single run to his overnight score of 114 when he tried to drive a wide one from Steyn through the covers. As is his wont, when often starting afresh, the front foot was planted a tad early and that left enough of a gap when the bat came down for the ball to squeeze through off the inside-edge onto the stumps. It wasn't planned but it was celebrated, Steyn emitting a primal scream that seemed part catharsis and part war cry. An over later he'd struck again, Ravi Bopara lured into a hook shot that had no possible upside for the batsman once it had climbed above his head. Bopara knew it too and stopped his shot, but he left his bat probing the space above him and the ball flicked it on its way through to AB de Villiers. It was a nervy six-ball duck and another timid way to go against a side who will find plenty of ways to get you out without facilitating the process, something Ian Bell was also guilty of when he had his off bail trimmed shouldering arms to Kallis. The bowler should take some credit, moving several balls away from Bell before slipping him the inswinger. Yet it was always too close to leave unless the pitch was bouncing like the Waca, which it hasn't done here for years. With the ball seaming and swinging around, England became apprehensive and it looked like doing for them until Matt Prior weighed in with one of his bold, rustic knocks. A more agile man than Jacques Rudolph might have prevented his heroics by taking the low, sharp catch at gully Prior offered off Morne Morkel when he was on 17. Rudolph, though, has a bullet lodged near his spine following a hunting accident when he was 13, and wasn't able to get into position quickly enough when the chance came. England were 298-6 at the time and Prior, first with Tim Bresnan and then Stuart Broad, managed to add another 87 runs. He played with his customary panache, latching on to anything short or wide with glee yet able to defend stoutly those balls that needed respect. Steyn roughed up Broad with a barrage of bouncers that Vernon Philander profited from when Broad was bowled stuck firmly on the back foot. Soon after, Morkel pounced to remove Prior and James Anderson in the same over to complete a fight back that went a long way to restoring South Africa's formidable reputation.