Hoggard seven-for seals victory

England won the Fourth Test on a dramatic final day at Johannesburg as Matthew Hoggard took seven final day wickets to cripple South Africa's chase of 325 to win, following Marcus Trescothick's brilliant 180 that guided England to 332-9.

As England resumed overnight at Wanderers on 197-5, just 189 ahead, all four results were well within the realms of possibility. Marcus Trescothick, unbeaten on 101, held the key to England's attempt to reach a defendable total, whilst with the tail ready to be exposed the South African pace attack was fired up in anticipation of a run-chase.

Both Trescothick and Geraint Jones started in a positive manner, each recording a brace of fours early on before the wicket-keeper pulled Shaun Pollock to the scrambling AB de Villiers on the mid-wicket boundary on 13. The change of personnel at the wicket made no difference to the English approach, however, as Ashley Giles continued in a positive vein - taking four boundaries and a hooked six off the home attack before cutting Jacques Kallis to Herschelle Gibbs at point.

Matthew Hoggard followed in Kallis' next over, edging to 'keeper Mark Boucher, and there was still light for the Proteas with the lead only 266. The next eight overs were to put paid to the home side's hopes of victory, however, as Trescothick and Steve Harmison added 58 for the ninth wicket before the Somerset opener, on 180, edged Ntini behind to herald the English declaration.

Set 325 to win in sixty-eight overs and a little over two sessions, South Africa survived two overs possible before the lunch break, yet this was just a precursor to a captivating final evening's Test cricket. Hoggard, who took five wickets in the first innings, wasted little time in adding to his account second time around, as de Villiers - replacing the concussed Smith as opener - suffered the fate that his captain hade made his trademark this series, being trapped in front by the Yorkshireman.

Jacques Rudolph followed soon after, playing outside the line - as he has so often recently - and making no contact at all as the ball swung back into him and uprooted middle and leg stump. Rudolph's namesake Kallis followed the very next ball, Hoggard gaining revenge for his second-innings dismissal, as the world-ranked number one batsman could only help an outswinger to Trescothick's hands at first slip.

Herschelle Gibbs, much like Trescothick hours earlier, remained undisturbed as his positive attitude and shotmaking kept the wolves from his door. The opener consistently scored two-thirds of his side's runs as he and Boeta Dippenaar led a mini-recovery before the return of Hoggard stunted the hosts' momentum once more. The seamer's third ball was cut
by Dippenaar, but only as far as Giles at gully, and the match was once more in the balance. Mark Boucher did little to arrest the English charge, edging the same bowler to Geraint Jones, who - for once, this match - hung on.

At tea, South Africa were five down and suddenly safety was far from assured. Nicky Boje, promoted to seven, was dropped by Michael Vaughan off Steve Harmison, but Hoggard ensured England had little time to dwell on this blow as he took a regulation return catch. Graeme Smith could leave it no longer to enter the fray, and he and familiar partner Gibbs guided the home team along for a further ten overs before Ashley Giles struck to remove Gibbs, just two runs shy of his second century of the match - given LBW by Aleem Dar despite being a considerable distance down the pitch.

Even at number nine, South Africa could call upon the batting strength of former captain Shaun Pollock, but today he could only resist for thirteen minutes as - despite becoming another beneficiary of Vaughan's teflon hands - he could only deflect Andrew Flintoff behind to Geraint Jones who once again did the necessary. Makhaya Ntini isn't the batsman a team would want to call upon in a match-saving situation, but a trio of bludgeoned boundaries increased English heart-rates as he stayed with his captain for seven overs until umpire Dar again incensed the home fans. A Flintoff delivery moved back in to Ntini, and seemed to be sliding down leg-side, but the Pakistani umpire didn't think so. The finger was raised, and Dale Steyn had fifteen overs to become a South African hero.

Graeme Smith completed a resolute and determined half-century, despite yesterday being advised not to bat, and then Steyn edged Flintoff over the slips for four as the New Wanderers stadium held its collective breath, before James Anderson grassed a brutally hit Smith square drive at point. Anderson's blushes were spared, however, as Hoggard - recording Test-best figures of 7-61 - completed the job soon after. Steyn could only manage a thin edge through to Geraint Jones, and with 51 balls remaining, England had sealed an unlikely and sensational victory that ensures they at least share the series.
England 411-8
AJ Strauss 147, RWT Key 83
M Ntini 4-111, DW Steyn 2-75
South Africa 419
HH Gibbs 161, MV Boucher 64
MJ Hoggard 5-144, JM Anderson 2-117
England 332-9
ME Trescothick 180, MP Vaughan 54
M Ntini 3-62, SM Pollock 3-74
South Africa 247
HH Gibbs 98, GC Smith 67*
MJ Hoggard 7-61, A Flintoff 2-59

England won by 77 runs

CricketWeb Player of the Match
Matthew Hoggard - 5-144 and 7-61

Posted by Neil