The event looks as if it might develop into an England v South Africa battle on the weekend the country's two rugby teams also fight it out. Ross Fisher, who won his first European Tour title in August, took over at the top by going to the turn in 32 at the Victoria Club yesterday.

Fellow Englishmen Steve Webster and Sam Walker were in the hunt and so was Charl Schwartzel, the 23year-old Spanish Open champion from Johannesburg.

Fisher stood 16 under par with nine holes of his third round to play, one ahead of Webster and Ryder Cup Swede Robert Karlsson, while Walker and Schwartzel were tied for fourth.

Overnight leader Daniel Vancsik saw his two-stroke halfway lead disappear when he could pick up only one shot in his first seven holes and then bogeyed the eighth.

Earlier, Justin Rose did his chances of winning the Order of Merit no harm with a 66 to climb to 11 under. The 27-yearold, who needs to finish first or second to go top of the money list with one more event to come, grabbed birdies on the first, fourth, seventh, 12th, 14th and 17th.