Just two much

The South Africans, batting around Smith8217;s 259 8212; his second consecutive double hundred and highest score by an overseas player at Lord8217;s 8212; amassed a national record of 682 for six before declaring shortly after tea on a sun-drenched third day.

England, needing 509 runs to avoid an innings defeat, close don 129 for two, 380 behind.

New captain Michael Vaughan, who made a big century in the first match to save the hosts at Edgbaston, made 29 before giving away his wicket with a rash shot for the second time in the match.

While the touring team surf on a wave of confidence, prompted largely by Smith8217;s extraordinary exploits, England8217;s morale and focus appeared to have all but collapsed at a sunny, packed Lord8217;s.

They simply cannot handle Smith.

The tall 22-year-old left-hander batted for just over nine-and-a-half hours for his second consecutive double century, working most of his 34 boundaries to leg, before he fell during the afternoon, edging James Anderson back into his stumps.

Smith had been within sight of his own South Africa Test innings record of 277 8212; which he had made in the first Test 8212; before he departed to a standing ovation. Only the fourth man ever to make double hundreds in consecutive Test matches, he has now scored 621 runs in the series, at an average of 207. Reuters