Gibbs and Boucher back in form

South Africa v England - Third Test, Day Three : Johannesburg

England started their day with high hopes of pushing home their domination gained from two days of hard work at Johannesburg, but they ended it battered, bruised and despondant after Herschelle Gibbs and Mark Boucher returned to favour with South African cricket in some style.

The England declaration was made under grey skies at 411/8, and as their luck would have it, brilliant sunshine greeted Herschelle Gibbs and Graeme Smith.

Smith's almost comical dismissal was an even more painful reminder at how badly the South African captain's technique is lacking against the swinging ball, as he, yet again fell to Hoggard for 29. Quite literally fell, as he stumbled clumsily over an inswinger and was trapped LBW.

The wars started for England's cricketers after Ashley Giles dislocated his thumb taking a catch of Jacques Rudolph. Later, Harmison went for a scan on a calf strain, and although England made inroads to the middle order, Vaughan was soon left with a tired attack which was not helped by James Anderson completely losing his radar.

Matthew Hoggard and Andrew Flintoff battled heartily on a hot Highveld afternoon, and as the storm clouds built, the Wanderers was beginning to look like the aftermath of a battleground, with fast bowlers hobbling about everywhere.

The partnership of the day came from two of the most popular men in South African Cricket. After Dippenaar fell for 0 and De Villiers was caught hooking for 19, Herschelle Gibbs battled on for a fluent yet extremely responsible century, much to the relief of a loud and partisan crowd.

Mark Boucher at the other end played a gem of an innings under immense pressure, and demonstrated that his dropping for the near club standard Tsoleklile was one of the worst pieces of international selection in living memory.

Boucher was caught at point after a series of comical wides from Anderson, and a wide from Flintoff caught Geraint Jones nastily on the thumb, which may have contributed to him dropping Gibbs the very next ball.

Despite still having a deficit of just over 100, South Africa know that they have had a good, if slightly fortunate day, with batting to come, against what are now a battered and bruised England bowling attack.

England 411/8
AJ Strauss 147, RWT Key 83, M Ntini 4/111
South Africa 306/6
HH Gibbs 136*, MV Boucher 64, M Hoggard 4/101





Posted by RichardHi