Pietersen shows winning touch

Kevin Pietersen shows his delight at removing AB de Villiers in his first over

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A partnership of 158 between Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen ensured the new captain's reign continued to flourish as England beat South Africa by 20 runs in the opening game of the NatWest Series at Headingley Carnegie.

The pair upped the ante in the final hour of the England innings to take them to a total 275 for four after boundaries had initially been hard to come by.

Pietersen, who made an unbeaten 90, took 52 balls to record his first boundary, after which he let loose with two perfectly straight fours down towards the rugby stand off Vernon Philander.

Flintoff was no less impressive. It was he who broke the shackles with only the second boundary for England in the space of 169 deliveries, hitting Steyn through the covers, and three balls later he inflicted the same treatment on Ntini.

His half-century came up in 52 balls, with a flick off his legs for four - one of nine boundaries in his innings of 78 - which also brought up the 100 partnership between him and Pietersen.

He was eventually bowled by Dale Steyn with four balls of the innings remaining, but by that time the damage had been done.

In response, South Africa could only manage 255 all out, with Jacques Kallis' half-century the highlight.

The visitors came out all guns blazing, but were unable to keep up with the rate as wickets tumbled.

Pietersen and Flintoff were again to the fore, picking up two wickets each after their exploits with the bat.

Andrew Flintoff and Kevin Pietersen put on 158 together

But it was Steve Harmison, on his return to the one-day international side after coming out of retirement, who made the first breakthrough for England.

James Anderson struggled to find his line initially, bowling three wides in an over before being replaced by Harmison - and it took just four balls for him to make an impression, having captain Graeme Smith caught behind for 21.

Herschelle Gibbs took a four off Anderson's first over and launched a six in Stuart Broad's fourth, while Flintoff too came in for a battering as Gibbs hit his fourth ball back over his head and Kallis took three fours off his second offering.

It took a decrease in pace, and the spin of Samit Patel, to rid England of Gibbs when he bowled him with his fourth ball as he continued his dream start to international cricket.

Pietersen brought himself on and became the third England bowler to take a wicket in his first over when AB de Villiers chipped him to Ian Bell at short extra-cover.

Pietersen and Bell then accounted for the run-out of Kallis for 52, and Mark Boucher followed for 16 when he was stumped by his opposite number Matt Prior, again off the bowling of Pietersen.

Prior was back in action again, taking a catch off Harmison to dismiss JP Duminy and South Africa needed 57 more runs off 35 balls when substitute fielder Tim Bresnan took a good catch on the square-leg boundary to get rid of Johan Botha off Broad for 26.

The writing was on the wall for South Africa when Broad ran-out Philander in the penultimate over and Andre Nel was bowled by Flintoff with the first ball of the last.

It took Flintoff two more deliveries to wrap up the innings and the match, bowling Makhaya Ntini with the score on 255.

Flintoff wraps up the South Africa innings and the match by ripping out Makhaya Ntini's leg stump

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Prior and Bell had got England's innings off to the perfect start at the top of the order before both fell to Kallis in quick succession.

Prior was lucky when he edged between first and second slip in Steyn's opening over, and he made the most of his chance with two cracking drives for four, one particularly impressive on the up off Steyn.

He was dropped on 23 by Philander when he scooped a simple catch to mid-off which went straight through the fielder's fingers.

Thumping shots combined with excellent running between the wickets, but Kallis struck to remove Bell, whose innings of 35 did not contain a single boundary, caught at backward point by de Villiers.

Prior, however, took a liking to the bowling of Kallis and launched him for a high six over long-on before being caught by de Villiers to his next ball for 42.

With the arrival of Pietersen, Smith turned to the spin of Botha from the Kirkstall Lane End.

But it was with Owais Shah that Botha made the breakthrough, having him caught by a juggling Philander at fine-leg for 12 as he attempted to slog-sweep.

Botha's next over saw Pietersen cover-drive him to the boundary to bring up his fifty, and then advance down the wicket to slap him into the leg-side for another four, as Smith's tactic backfired.

Steyn was also given some harsh treatment by Pietersen, who hit him for a four and six to long-off and ensured England posted a total they were able to defend with some style.