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Comment: Rob Houwing, Sport24 chief writer
Cape Town – It has taken a while, but the Proteas finally look as though they possess something resembling a genuine strike force again.
It would probably be unfair to link it at this stage to the sidelining of veteran Makhaya Ntini, because his immediate replacement, the wicketless Friedel de Wet, was steady on day two of the gripping third Test against England at Newlands here, far more than he was spectacular.
But as a unit, for the first time in the series, South Africa’s seamers began to offer evidence that they were, indeed, bowling to a plan and adhering to tight disciplines.
It was a badly-needed transformation, too, after any plans the hosts may have had to achieve a first innings total in the region of 350 were blown out of the water dramatically early in the first session.
With hugely impressive James Anderson to the fore, England trod painfully on the Proteas’ tail to the extent that they added only 12 runs for the remaining four wickets to look a little under-done – especially considering their perilous 0-1 situation in the series -- at 291 all out.
But with batting conditions nevertheless way better than they had been in Sunday’s protracted spells of dampness and gloom, the risk existed that the tourists might prosper greatly in their reply in radiant sunshine.
They haven’t managed that – not yet, anyway -- thanks primarily to the diligence and, sometimes, welcome hostility of South Africa’s four-man pace battery.
As things stand, with England exactly 50 runs in arrears with three wickets in hand, the Test is on a tightrope, South Africa in a marginally better position because they may even force a first-knock lead and the visitors will bat last on a pitch that should begin to misbehave a little, aided by the effects of a predicted 32 deg Celsius scorcher on Tuesday.
Still, there have been some tail-end heroics before in this series and the Proteas, buoyed by the presence of a new ball, must ensure that Matt Prior’s defiance doesn’t continue for much longer: the Johannesburg-born wicketkeeper has 52 not out after surviving some loose early swishes, while overnight partner Graeme Swann has a burgeoning reputation as one of the spunkier No 9s on the international circuit right now.
But South Africa will at least sleep relatively peacefully for a second-day job mostly very well done in the field.
Their fightback coincided with a stirring renaissance in fitness terms by Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis, two essential elements of their bowling plans who had been mostly clawing their way back from respective injuries in the surrendered Durban encounter.
Here the pair were all fire and brimstone again, Steyn finding his rhythm and thrust beautifully at times and sharing six wickets with Morne Morkel, who continues to blossom this summer on the discipline front – read: fewer no-balls, infinitely less wastage down the leg-side and the probing of some great “business areas” at high pace.
For whatever reason, Steyn has not boasted the best of records against England (bowling average over 40 in a career one of around 23) but he seemed determined to start setting that right at Newlands.
He accounted in rapid succession for the two most talked-about South African-born players currently in the England side, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, and much nearer to the end of the day rattled Stuart Broad’s timber with a delivery timed at almost 147km/h.
Kallis playing a much fuller and more menacing role certainly helped as well: he may only have grabbed one wicket – a bit of a gift offered by previously gritty Ian Bell – but he had already unsettled that very player in one particular over from around the wicket, where he targeted his rib cage with almost every ball and rapped him on a hand in the process.
Seeing the 34-year-old crank one or two balls into the 140s again was an inspiring sight for his team and Proteas supporters, especially coming after he had already contributed a priceless century and some old soldiers might have been inclined to beef about soreness.
But now it is essential that South Africa not undo their positive endeavour by allowing Prior and company to thump bonus runs and nose England into ascendancy.
Who might be the Proteas’ own “Anderson” soon after the start of Tuesday’s play?
Cape Town – It has taken a while, but the Proteas finally look as though they possess something resembling a genuine strike force again.
It would probably be unfair to link it at this stage to the sidelining of veteran Makhaya Ntini, because his immediate replacement, the wicketless Friedel de Wet, was steady on day two of the gripping third Test against England at Newlands here, far more than he was spectacular.
But as a unit, for the first time in the series, South Africa’s seamers began to offer evidence that they were, indeed, bowling to a plan and adhering to tight disciplines.
It was a badly-needed transformation, too, after any plans the hosts may have had to achieve a first innings total in the region of 350 were blown out of the water dramatically early in the first session.
With hugely impressive James Anderson to the fore, England trod painfully on the Proteas’ tail to the extent that they added only 12 runs for the remaining four wickets to look a little under-done – especially considering their perilous 0-1 situation in the series -- at 291 all out.
But with batting conditions nevertheless way better than they had been in Sunday’s protracted spells of dampness and gloom, the risk existed that the tourists might prosper greatly in their reply in radiant sunshine.
They haven’t managed that – not yet, anyway -- thanks primarily to the diligence and, sometimes, welcome hostility of South Africa’s four-man pace battery.
As things stand, with England exactly 50 runs in arrears with three wickets in hand, the Test is on a tightrope, South Africa in a marginally better position because they may even force a first-knock lead and the visitors will bat last on a pitch that should begin to misbehave a little, aided by the effects of a predicted 32 deg Celsius scorcher on Tuesday.
Still, there have been some tail-end heroics before in this series and the Proteas, buoyed by the presence of a new ball, must ensure that Matt Prior’s defiance doesn’t continue for much longer: the Johannesburg-born wicketkeeper has 52 not out after surviving some loose early swishes, while overnight partner Graeme Swann has a burgeoning reputation as one of the spunkier No 9s on the international circuit right now.
But South Africa will at least sleep relatively peacefully for a second-day job mostly very well done in the field.
Their fightback coincided with a stirring renaissance in fitness terms by Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis, two essential elements of their bowling plans who had been mostly clawing their way back from respective injuries in the surrendered Durban encounter.
Here the pair were all fire and brimstone again, Steyn finding his rhythm and thrust beautifully at times and sharing six wickets with Morne Morkel, who continues to blossom this summer on the discipline front – read: fewer no-balls, infinitely less wastage down the leg-side and the probing of some great “business areas” at high pace.
For whatever reason, Steyn has not boasted the best of records against England (bowling average over 40 in a career one of around 23) but he seemed determined to start setting that right at Newlands.
He accounted in rapid succession for the two most talked-about South African-born players currently in the England side, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, and much nearer to the end of the day rattled Stuart Broad’s timber with a delivery timed at almost 147km/h.
Kallis playing a much fuller and more menacing role certainly helped as well: he may only have grabbed one wicket – a bit of a gift offered by previously gritty Ian Bell – but he had already unsettled that very player in one particular over from around the wicket, where he targeted his rib cage with almost every ball and rapped him on a hand in the process.
Seeing the 34-year-old crank one or two balls into the 140s again was an inspiring sight for his team and Proteas supporters, especially coming after he had already contributed a priceless century and some old soldiers might have been inclined to beef about soreness.
But now it is essential that South Africa not undo their positive endeavour by allowing Prior and company to thump bonus runs and nose England into ascendancy.
Who might be the Proteas’ own “Anderson” soon after the start of Tuesday’s play?
