Email Us Forum Mail Article Print Article

England VS SA, Day 3

Sunday, August 17 2003

England Vs South Africa, 3rd Test, Day 3

On a day when we thought batting wouldnt play a dominant part over a bowling attack, South Africa proved to be a resiliant force againt a positive Team England.

South Africa would have been looking to have a reasonably steady start to the day but it couldnt have been a more dramatic start for James Kirtley. Jacques Rudolph was facing the first over of the morning. After edging the ball through the slips for four, Rudolph (15) pushed out at a ball directed across him and gave Alec Stewart his first catch of the match. Very next ball Kirtley bowled as full and straight as possible, striking Dippenaar off-guard on the back foot and LBW, leaving South Africa at 88-4. Neil McKenzie came to the crease under much pressure and successfully survived the attempted hatrick ball from Kirtley.

The usually unflappable Jacques Kallis continued to look uncomfortable on a pitch which was playing increasingly up-and-down. Flinthoff, but more so Kirtley rapped Kallis some painfull blows on the gloves and the end of his first innings of the series came when he attempted to leave a James Anderson in-swinger and was bowled for hard fought 27 off 91 deliveries.

Wicket-keepr Mark Boucher joined McKenzie and the pair led a spirited fight back leaving England looking tired and under pressure. McKenzie looked to get on the front foot from ball one and played some delightful drives through the covers.He and Boucher batted throughout the afternoon session and they passed the follow-on target with ease as the England bowlers couldn't match their early morning intensity.

Boucher on the other hand was more than happy to just support an in-form McKenzie and rotate the strike at every available opportunity. The pair shared a stand of 129 which was a record against any England side and seemed to cool down Englands earlier high spirits and spark. Then in the 92 over McKenzie played an uncharacteristic loose cover drive to an Anderson away swinger, only managing to give Marcus Trescothick a simple catch at first slip.

Shaun Pollock then strode out to the crease in his usual gangly fashion and straight away looked to take the attack to a tired England bowling unit. Using his loose wrists to the best of his ability Pollock struck some lovely drives along the ground and in the air. England really required a break-through to slow South African advance and it came in the form of a questionable LBW decision. Andrew Flinthoff continued to pound in all day and eventually had some reward, getting the ball to nip back into Mark Boucher from out side off stump and strike him on the back pad. The appeal from all was immediate and intense and the Umpire responded in the positive and England were back on top. The replays do tell a different story though and shows that that ball was probably too high and would have gone over the top of the stumps. That didnt matter to England though.

The arrival of the bubbly Andrew Hall meant that England would have to be careful of a South African riposte and the pair briefly threatend, Hall bludgeoning three boundries and Pollock continuing in a slightly more elegant fashion. It was not to be for Hall who when trying to drive an Anderson leg-cutter managed to squeeze the ball in-between bat and pad and gently looped back onto the stumps, dislodging the bails. South Africa by now had past goal one of avoiding the follow-on but still would have liked a few more runs to feel properly back in the Test Match.

Paul Adams then hung around for a gutsy 13 and put on 28 with Pollock before playing inside the line of an Anderson away swinger and having his off-stump neatly dislodged (337/9). With the arrival of 11th man Ntini Pollock really looked to keep the strike and strike boundries. Ntini survived a very close LBW appeal against Ashley Giles early on put continued to provide support. Pollocks cameo eventually came to an end after he tried to pull an ball which rushed onto him and only succeded in spooning a simple catch up to Kirtley at mid-on. In the context of the match Pollocks innnings could be vital in determining how much time England have to bowl South Africa out in their 2nd innings.

It was also an important afternoon for James Anderson who has struggled for form and consistency in this series. His match figures of 27.5 over for 102 but more importantly 5 wickets shows he has heart and is up for the fight. I have been very interested to watch how Nasser Hussain seems to encourage Anderson constantly and is almost more animated and delighted with each wicket Anderson takes. He almost seems to be a fatherly figure to Anderson, who sometimes shows poor body language when things are going against him and will back him up in any situation. Michael vaughan almost seems to take a back seat in those instances.

England came out to face one single over at the end of the day with nothing to play for in terms of runs. You would struggle to find a sterner test than Pollock at the end of a long day in the field as you be sure that he will make you play every ball. No one could have scripted what would happen next as Pollock bowled a gentle inswinging delivery to Trescothick. Trescothick attempted to flick the ball of his hips and down to fine leg but misjudged it and saw it loop into the hands of Paul Adams at short leg. The entire South African team gave a huge appeal for a catch and after walking away from his position behind the stumps umpire Harper (Aus) raised his finger to the immediate jubilation of Pollock and the rest of the team. Michael Vaughans dissapointed face at the non-striker end showed the true nature of the dismissal as TV replays showed Trescothick had missed the ball and had been struck on the thigh-pad.

That ended a days play which South Africa could call theirs and will feel that if they can pick up the vital wickets of Butcher, Hussain and of course the England captain Vaughan within the first hour of play they can bowl England out for a low total and be chasing no more than 200 for an unlikely victory in their second innings.

Stumps on Day 3: England 445 and 0 for 1 lead South Africa 362 (McKenzie 90, Pollock 62, Anderson 27-5-102

Posted by Rupert