Durban delight as England stumble

South Africa ended day two of the Second Test against England in a dominant position as England collapsed to a pitiful first-innings total of 139, Shaun Pollock and Makhaya Ntini sharing seven wickets before Steve Harmison struck twice to restrict the hosts' reply to 70-3.

Simon Jones recovered from a virus sufficiently to ensure England could field an unchanged side from the victorious first Test at Port Elizabeth, whilst South Africa rung the changes. Centurion Boeta Dippenaar, unable to recover from a leg injury in time, all-rounders Andrew Hall and Zander de Bruyn and wicketkeeper Thami Tsolekile were all omitted, in favour of local boy Hashim Amla, batsmen Martin van Jaarsveld and Herschelle Gibbs and spinner Nicky Boje.

Winning his second consecutive toss, Proteas skipper Graeme Smith chose to bowl, the pitch offering the prospect of early movement for the South African seamers, and AB de Villiers showed that he was no slouch with the gloves early on, diving to capture a thin edge from Marcus Trescothick. Mark Butcher's difficult run continued as he chopped Dale Steyn onto his own stumps to end a troubled 35-minute vigil.

With Michael Vaughan joining Port Elizabeth man-of-the-match Andrew Strauss, England crawled to 50 at a little over 2 runs per over, before the introduction of Nicky Boje into the attack first saw Michael Vaughan dropped by keeper de Villiers before Strauss mis-timed a drive to Makhaya Ntini at mid-off. After lunch, however, the floodgates opened.

Graham Thorpe made no more than a single before Shaun Pollock trapped him plumb in front of the stumps, and Andrew Flintoff followed, playing out eleven scoreless deliveries before skying a hook off the same bowler to Hashim Amla. Geraint Jones swung Pollock into the midwicket stands, but then Ntini trapped skipper Vaughan leg-before, and Jones fell in near-identical manner to Flintoff, hooking Ntini to Jacques Rudolph.

Ashley Giles and Matthew Hoggard provided enough dogged resistance to take England into three figures and past their previous lowest score in Durban, set over 75 years ago, but the sustained barrage of short balls to Giles took its toll as he perished as Flintoff and Jones before him, this time Rudolph taking the catch off Steyn. Simon Jones then provided a late spark for England as he struck a six and three fours in a breezy 21 until a Pollock slower ball broke through his defences.

Pollock then rounded the innings off, knocking back Steve Harmison's off stump to leave England all out for a total of 139 that only barely merited the description "insufficient". The only way back into the game was to take a minimum of three wickets before stumps, and England achieved this - just.

Graeme Smith followed up a four on the offside by chasing a wide one from Steve Harmison on its way to Andy Flintoff at second slip before Matthew Hoggard removed Herschelle Gibbs - ending the day's biggest partnership (31) as the opener shouldered arms to one that came back to him.

It wasn't until the final over of the day, however, that England recorded that vital third wicket as Jacques Rudolph - the day's top scorer with 32 - took evasive action from a Harmison bouncer but could only direct the ball to Graham Thorpe at short leg, South Africa closing the day on 70-3, 69 runs behind.

With the final strike at the death of the day, England have kept the game's door open and will retain hope of troubling the hosts' inexperienced middle order tomorrow to restrict their lead to below 50. Should England do so, and follow up with a patient, determined second innings - avoiding any further injudicious hooking - a fourth innings run chase of 200 will be a very taxing proposition.

It's advantage South Africa, but it's by no means all over yet.

England 139
AJ Strauss 25, GO Jones 24
SM Pollock 4-32, M Ntini 3-41
South Africa 70-3
JA Rudolph 32, HH Gibbs 15
SJ Harmison 2-20, MJ Hoggard 1-27Durban Delight as England stumble

Posted by Neil