The British and Irish Lions captured their third straight victory in South Africa but were left clinging to a 26-24 victory after a fearsome Cheetahs fightback.

The Lions showed both the mesmeric form that saw Ian McGeechan's side romp to a 74-10 victory over the Golden Lions last Wednesday but the individual errors that plagued their lacklustre opening victory against the Royal XV crept back in.

A misplaced past from Wales winger, and 2008 IRB International Player of the Year, Shane Williams with just eight minutes on the clock gave Corne Uys the chance to run 90m to touch down under the posts and bring the scores to 26-24.

The hosts, roared on by the partisan support, piled on the pressure and threw everything at the Lions in stoppage time, but an infringement at the ruck handed the visitors a penalty and spared their blushes.

The Lions had picked up from where they left off on Wednesday and raced into a 10-0 lead, courtesy of a James Hook penalty and a superb try from Ireland back-row Stephen Ferris.

His countryman Keith Earls, who enjoyed such a torrid time of things last weekend, then got his name on the scoresheet with a scintillating solo effort, before Hook added another penalty as the Lions again threatened to run riot.

But the Cheetahs refused to roll over and a powerful scrum set up left wing Danwell Dumas in the corner to make it 20-7 on 25 minutes, after fly-half Jacques-Louis Potgeiger added the extras.

The hosts were buoyant and grabbed another try on 33 minutes through prop Wian du Preez and while Hook notched his third penalty, there was plenty of work to do in the second half.

Potgeiger and Hook exchanged penalties after the break to keep the deficit at nine but when Uys streaked over the Lions were left with their backs to the wall before the final whistle came to the rescue.