PRETORIA, South Africa (AP) — Paul Collingwood and Graham Onions withstood South Africa’s attack for 19 balls in a last-wicket stand yesterday to save England following a middle-order collapse and ensure the first Test was drawn.

England lost five wickets for 13 runs in the last session of the match at SuperSport Park to leave the team on 219-9 chasing 364 to win. That left Collingwood and Onions to bat through 3.1 overs from fast bowlers Friedel de Wet, Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini.

Number 11 Onions faced the entire last over from Ntini, punching the air after the sixth ball to celebrate England heading to the second Test from Saturday in Durban still level in the four-match series.

England looked to be cruising to the draw at 205-4 with 15 overs left in the match, until the loss of Jonathan Trott, Ian Bell, Matt Prior, Stuart Broad and Graeme Swann within 11 overs.

De Wet bowled with accuracy and hostility with the second new ball to take 3-11 before finishing with 4-55 on his Test debut after coming in to replace injured pace spearhead Dale Steyn.

England finished on 228-9, still 135 short of South Africa after the hosts had declared their second innings closed on 301-7.

Collingwood batted for 2 1/2 hours yesterday to score 26 after it had looked like Kevin Pietersen and Trott had saved the Test for England.

The pair put on 145 in just over four hours after England was in trouble at 27-3. Pietersen made 81 and Trott 69 before the two South African-born batsmen had a mix-up and Pietersen was run out with both stranded at the non-striker’s end.

De Wet then brought the game alive with his first over with the second new ball. He hit Trott on the gloves and A.B. de Villiers took a great one-handed catch diving back and to his left at third slip to leave the hosts on 205-5 with 14 overs left.

Trott hit seven fours in 318 minutes with seven fours.

De Wet had more in store, though. Two overs and two runs later, he found the outside edge of out-of-form Ian Bell on two, and wicketkeeper Mark Boucher took an excellent diving one-handed catch to his right.

Prior was out for a duck with one added to the total in De Wet’s next over in a similar dismissal for the young paceman.

Five balls later, Broad on nought feathered an edge to Boucher off spinner Paul Harris and England were tottering at 209-8. Broad referred the decision to the TV umpire but the decision stood.

Scoreboard

South Africa 1st Innings 418

England 1st Innings 356

South Africa 2nd Innings 301-7 dec.

England 2nd Innings

(Overnight 11-1)

Andrew Strauss c Boucher b Morkel 1

Alastair Cook c Smith b Harris 12

James Anderson c Boucher b De Wet 10

Jonathan Trott c De Villiers b De Wet 69

Kevin Pietersen run out 81

Paul Collingwood not out 26

Ian Bell c Boucher b De Wet 2

Matt Prior c Boucher b De Wet 0

Stuart Broad c Boucher b Harris 0

Graeme Swann lbw b Morkel 2

Graham Onions not out 1

Extras: (10b, 3lb, 11nb) 24

TOTAL: (for nine wickets) 228

Overs: 96.

Fall of wickets: 1-5, 2-16, 3-27, 4-172, 5-205, 6-207, 7-208, 8-209, 9-218.

Bowling: Makhaya Ntini 18-7-41-0 (1nb), Morne Morkel 18-3-46-2 (7nb), Paul Harris 26-11-51-2, Friedel de Wet 23-8-55-4 (3nb), J.P. Duminy 8-2-17-0, Jacques Kallis 3-1-5-0.

Result: Match drawn.

Series: 0-0 with three matches to play.

Toss: England.

Umpires: Aleem Dar (PAK), Steve Davis (AUS).

TV Umpire: Amiesh Saheba (IND).

Match Referee: Roshan Mahanama (SL).