Email Us Forum Mail Article Print Article

Fifth test day 1

Friday, September 5 2003

South Africa took control of the fifth test at The Oval, racking up 362-4 on a featherbed of a pitch.

After winning the toss, South Africa started positively, and even with the new ball England struggled to create chances. Graeme Smith survived an lbw appeal from James Anderson which looked to be going over the top, but otherwise it was steady prgress from the tourists.

However Smith was run out for 18 by a combination of Vaughan and Stewart after Herschelle Gibbs called him through for a tight single. Smith was on his heels at the non-strikers end and failing to back up. This made all the difference as he was stranded two feet short.

Gibbs went into his shell after being joined by Gary Kirsten, but soon cut loose to capitalise on some poor bowling. The boundaries flowed up until lunch, where South Africa had 111-1 and Gibbs had passed 50.

After lunch, both players scored freely and South Africa scored at nearly four runs per over, despite Michael Vaughan's best attempt to slow the scoring. The England captain rotated his bowlers, even bowling himself for five overs and Mark Butcher for three. He used Ashley Giles over the wicket into the rough outside Gibbs' leg stump and Steve Harmison bowled short and fast at Kirsten.

Gibbs completed his tenth test century and second of this series as nothing kept the two batsmen quiet for long and by tea it was 230-1. A familiar scoreline if we cast our memories back to the first two tests in this series.

After tea, it looked like England's best hope was to keep the runs down and hang in there for the new ball, but Giles bowled a decent spell and finally earned a breakthrough, Kirsten lbw for 90 with a full straigh delivery, though it may have hit his foot outside the line.

Still, a partnership of 227 in 54 overs had been broken and England finally had a new batsman to bowl at. Jacques Kallis edged one just past Graham Thorpe at slip off Giles, and then smashed him for four and six, although in both cases he was beaten in the flight.

Giles had bowled a good first over at the new batsman yet conceded fourteen runs in the over.

Gibbs meanwhile went on, plundering boundaries at will, although on 159 he was lucky - the thinnest of edges was not detected and an appeal behind off Andrew Flintoff turned down.

Gibbs passed his highest score against England - the 179 he made at Edgbaston in the first test - but perished shortly afterwards, trying one heave too many he was bowled by Giles, the ball just catching the off bail. In a quickfire 183 Gibbs smashed 35 fours and one six. He was fortunate though. First he survived an lbw appeal that looked plumb within the first hour - that was to Martin Bicknell. Later, a slash square of the wicket was just beyond the reach of Butcher, and finally there was the edge which wasn't given.

England took the new ball but one very close lbw shout from Harmison against McKenzie apart, they struggled to threaten the South African batsmen, just as they had all day and indeed for the majority of the series.

But with the penultimate ball of the day, McKenzie edged a routine ball from James Anderson to Alec Stewart ebhind the stumps, and England at least had a glimmer of hope for the second morning.

At lunch, Stewart was presented with a special comemmorative bat from Surrey CCC, and all five men to captain him in tests were present to be interviewed - Graham Gooch, Michael Atherton, Nasser Hussain, Mark Butcher and Vaughan.

Stewart, 40 and playing his 133rd and final test, must have hoped for a fairytale ending, but it appears unlikely. England would need something truly special to win this test match and draw the series now.

For a start, they cannot allow South Africa to bat beyond lunch tomorrow, which means restricting them to around 450 at the most, not to mention batting very well and bowling much better in the second innings.

The visitors on the other hand, will be looking to post a total of 500+, and the key for that to happen will be Kallis. The all-rounder has hit top form as evidenced by his career best 200 against Derbyshire last week, and although he didn't play as positively as Gibbs, he reached 32 not out by the close.

For England, Giles was probably the pick of the bowlers on day one and finished with 2-75 though probably deserved better. The home side could yet regret not picking two spinners though (Gareth Batty was released to play for Worcestershire after being in the initial squad of thirteen), the pitch is showing signs of turning and this could be the only assistance offered to bowlers in this game.

Earlier in the day, Thorpe returned from his 13 month exile in international cricket to be one of four Surrey men to play on their home ground. Stewart is playing his last test, and the same would appear to be true for Bicknell, yet Thorpe will be hoping to join Butcher on the winter tours.

Before that, he needs to score some runs in this test, though it is the bowling which is England's major concern. They have struggled to bowl out the deep South African order all series and often appear clueless when faced with a flat pitch offering little assistance for the seamers. Oh how they could do with a McGrath, though they might settle for a Caddick right now.

Posted by Barrie