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Cape Town - England were 132/3 at stumps on the fourth day of the third Test against South Africa in Cape Town, leaving them one day to either survive or make it to 466.
They’ll need another 334 to win the match, while South Africa need seven wickets after three late strikes revived a flagging effort on the fourth afternoon.
Resuming for England on Thursday morning will be Jonathan Trott on six not out and night watchman James Anderson on zero.
Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss attacked the Proteas’ bowling immediately after tea when they resumed at 33/0. But South Africa managed to put the brakes on them – if only through some wide bowling – before they eventually reached their 100 in the 36th over, 20 after the interval.
Cook reached his second 50 of the match in the 34th over, but the pressure eventually told on him when he played a similar shot to that which got him out when he was well set in the first innings. He tried to paddle de Wet from outside his off stump and got a top edge that Mark Boucher simply had to stand and wait for. Cook was gone for 55 in the 37th over.
Suddenly South Africa sprang into life with an hour left to go in the day. Three overs later they got rid of Strauss, the other thorn in their side, for 45. It was the under-fire Harris who removed the England captain, who tried to turn the spinner into the on side, nudged it onto his pad and popped up a simple catch for Amla. He’d gotten away with a similar mistake in the 24th over when it escaped Amla’s reach, so perhaps it was a case of justice done.
That brought two new men to the wicket – Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen. South Africa had the wind in their sails once again as they looked to get rid of their former countrymen.
They thought they had Pietersen right away as de Wet had him given out LBW in the very next over, but the batsman’s TV review showed a big inside edge and he was able to hang around amid growing excitement that seemed a distant prospect just a few minutes earlier.
Things got even better for South Africa as Steyn then removed Pietersen cheaply for the second time in the match. He was LBW right in front – there was no need for a review this time as he walked when given out.
Anderson then came in as night watchman and had to face a barrage of short stuff from Morkel and Steyn, with attacking fields keeping close watch. But he knew his job and did it well, seeing off the last over from Morkel.
Earlier, South Africa came out in attacking mode after lunch, willing to sacrifice wickets if they needed to do so in pursuit of quick runs.
AB de Villiers got out quite soon after the break, trying his run-down-the-wicket tactic against James Anderson and miscuing his straight drive to Stuart Broad (whom he’d earlier charged with more success) at mid-off.
It was then up to JP Duminy to get on with the scoring, and he played a morale-boosting knock of 36, including hitting Anderson for the first six of the test match and several sparkling shots that reminded everyone of the JP Duminy we all know.
Mark Boucher came in when de Villiers left and also looked to get on with it, making a useful 15 off 10 balls including a six of his own. But he got out with a top edge off Graeme Swann as he tried to hurry things along, which brought Dale Steyn to the wicket.
Duminy’s shots got ever less conventional as South Africa’s lead went beyond 450 and the declaration loomed, and when he eventually gloved an attempted pull off Anderson to wicketkeeper Prior Smith decided enough was enough, calling the innings to a halt at 447/7, just 7.2 overs and 40 minutes after lunch.
England’s target was thus set at 466, which would shatter the current Newlands fourth-innings chase record of 334, set by Australia eight years ago.
South Africa had more than an hour to bowl at England before tea, but it turned into a disappointing session for the Proteas.
Morne Morkel and Steyn did not make Strauss and Cook play enough, and the England openers enjoyed a mostly untroubled run to the break. Both made a careful start, but Strauss did open up in the 10th over with three fours in as many balls – all beautiful drives through the off side – off the bowling of Steyn.
Strauss survived two big shouts in successive balls from Steyn, one for LBW and one for caught behind, but neither was reviewed and probably neither was out. He also edged Steyn to first slip in the second over, but it doesn’t carry to Smith.
Friedel de Wet and Paul Harris took over the bowling before tea, but neither could find success and the score was 38/0 at the break, the run-rate a modest 2.4 after 16 overs.
In the session prior to lunch, England did not get the early breakthroughs they’d hoped for with the new ball at the start of play. Smith and Jacques Kallis were not afraid to play their shots against the new ball, and managed to keep the scoreboard ticking thanks to the occasional loose delivery from England.
But after the addition of 34 runs since the start of play, Smith’s long innings finally came to an end in the 90th over. He had a hook off the bowling of Onions, and succeeded only in getting a top edge and watching the ball fly to Paul Collingwood at fine leg.
Smith was gone for a remarkable 183, which came in 391 minutes and took him 272 balls. That brought de Villiers to the wicket to join Kallis.
Next to go, ten overs later, was Kallis, who fell just short of his half-century for 46. He was out caught behind when he played an indifferent drive devoid of footwork to Anderson and got an edge to Prior.
All the while, though, de Villiers continued to play his shots in typical one-day style. He seemed to particularly enjoy using his feet to Stuart Broad, and played some unconventional shots, but given the match situation and the need for quick runs, he could be forgiven for it.
JP Duminy joined de Villiers when Kallis got out, desperately hoping to avoid a third straight first-ball duck in test cricket. This he did, and a couple of overs later he got his first four of 2010 as he pulled Anderson to the boundary.
The last scare before lunch was Duminy nearly getting run out as he ran from the non-striker’s end and de Villiers didn’t, but the shy from Strauss missed the timber and he was able to get to the break on five not out.
They’ll need another 334 to win the match, while South Africa need seven wickets after three late strikes revived a flagging effort on the fourth afternoon.
Resuming for England on Thursday morning will be Jonathan Trott on six not out and night watchman James Anderson on zero.
Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss attacked the Proteas’ bowling immediately after tea when they resumed at 33/0. But South Africa managed to put the brakes on them – if only through some wide bowling – before they eventually reached their 100 in the 36th over, 20 after the interval.
Cook reached his second 50 of the match in the 34th over, but the pressure eventually told on him when he played a similar shot to that which got him out when he was well set in the first innings. He tried to paddle de Wet from outside his off stump and got a top edge that Mark Boucher simply had to stand and wait for. Cook was gone for 55 in the 37th over.
Suddenly South Africa sprang into life with an hour left to go in the day. Three overs later they got rid of Strauss, the other thorn in their side, for 45. It was the under-fire Harris who removed the England captain, who tried to turn the spinner into the on side, nudged it onto his pad and popped up a simple catch for Amla. He’d gotten away with a similar mistake in the 24th over when it escaped Amla’s reach, so perhaps it was a case of justice done.
That brought two new men to the wicket – Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen. South Africa had the wind in their sails once again as they looked to get rid of their former countrymen.
They thought they had Pietersen right away as de Wet had him given out LBW in the very next over, but the batsman’s TV review showed a big inside edge and he was able to hang around amid growing excitement that seemed a distant prospect just a few minutes earlier.
Things got even better for South Africa as Steyn then removed Pietersen cheaply for the second time in the match. He was LBW right in front – there was no need for a review this time as he walked when given out.
Anderson then came in as night watchman and had to face a barrage of short stuff from Morkel and Steyn, with attacking fields keeping close watch. But he knew his job and did it well, seeing off the last over from Morkel.
Earlier, South Africa came out in attacking mode after lunch, willing to sacrifice wickets if they needed to do so in pursuit of quick runs.
AB de Villiers got out quite soon after the break, trying his run-down-the-wicket tactic against James Anderson and miscuing his straight drive to Stuart Broad (whom he’d earlier charged with more success) at mid-off.
It was then up to JP Duminy to get on with the scoring, and he played a morale-boosting knock of 36, including hitting Anderson for the first six of the test match and several sparkling shots that reminded everyone of the JP Duminy we all know.
Mark Boucher came in when de Villiers left and also looked to get on with it, making a useful 15 off 10 balls including a six of his own. But he got out with a top edge off Graeme Swann as he tried to hurry things along, which brought Dale Steyn to the wicket.
Duminy’s shots got ever less conventional as South Africa’s lead went beyond 450 and the declaration loomed, and when he eventually gloved an attempted pull off Anderson to wicketkeeper Prior Smith decided enough was enough, calling the innings to a halt at 447/7, just 7.2 overs and 40 minutes after lunch.
England’s target was thus set at 466, which would shatter the current Newlands fourth-innings chase record of 334, set by Australia eight years ago.
South Africa had more than an hour to bowl at England before tea, but it turned into a disappointing session for the Proteas.
Morne Morkel and Steyn did not make Strauss and Cook play enough, and the England openers enjoyed a mostly untroubled run to the break. Both made a careful start, but Strauss did open up in the 10th over with three fours in as many balls – all beautiful drives through the off side – off the bowling of Steyn.
Strauss survived two big shouts in successive balls from Steyn, one for LBW and one for caught behind, but neither was reviewed and probably neither was out. He also edged Steyn to first slip in the second over, but it doesn’t carry to Smith.
Friedel de Wet and Paul Harris took over the bowling before tea, but neither could find success and the score was 38/0 at the break, the run-rate a modest 2.4 after 16 overs.
In the session prior to lunch, England did not get the early breakthroughs they’d hoped for with the new ball at the start of play. Smith and Jacques Kallis were not afraid to play their shots against the new ball, and managed to keep the scoreboard ticking thanks to the occasional loose delivery from England.
But after the addition of 34 runs since the start of play, Smith’s long innings finally came to an end in the 90th over. He had a hook off the bowling of Onions, and succeeded only in getting a top edge and watching the ball fly to Paul Collingwood at fine leg.
Smith was gone for a remarkable 183, which came in 391 minutes and took him 272 balls. That brought de Villiers to the wicket to join Kallis.
Next to go, ten overs later, was Kallis, who fell just short of his half-century for 46. He was out caught behind when he played an indifferent drive devoid of footwork to Anderson and got an edge to Prior.
All the while, though, de Villiers continued to play his shots in typical one-day style. He seemed to particularly enjoy using his feet to Stuart Broad, and played some unconventional shots, but given the match situation and the need for quick runs, he could be forgiven for it.
JP Duminy joined de Villiers when Kallis got out, desperately hoping to avoid a third straight first-ball duck in test cricket. This he did, and a couple of overs later he got his first four of 2010 as he pulled Anderson to the boundary.
The last scare before lunch was Duminy nearly getting run out as he ran from the non-striker’s end and de Villiers didn’t, but the shy from Strauss missed the timber and he was able to get to the break on five not out.
