England make inroads as Kallis falls
Friday, 18 December 2009
James Anderson extracted the key wicket of Jacques Kallis for 120, and Graeme Swann struck in the first over of his spell for the second day running to remove JP Duminy for 56, as England kept South Africa's ambitions in check during a cat-and-mouse second morning at Centurion, according to website cricinfo.
By lunch, Mark Boucher was still there to maintain his team's hopes of a 400-plus total, having reached 29 not out in a 10-over partnership with Morne Morkel, who successfully challenged an lbw appeal from Swann in the very last over before the break.
That late intervention was another UDRS frustration for England, who wasted their two reviews on the first afternoon, having already had one lbw appeal against Ashwell Prince overturned, and Swann - who has bowled superbly - was also denied the wicket of Boucher when replays showed that a catch at slip by Paul Collingwood had been under-edged into the turf before deflecting into his hands.
Boucher, who went into his shell after a confident start, was also dropped on the boundary's edge by Graham Onions, who compounded the error by deflecting the ball over the ropes for four.
Nevertheless, it was a morning that England could look back on with some satisfaction, not least because they brought Kallis's ominous innings to an end inside the first half-hour of play. He resumed on 112 not out, and when he launched his day's work with a lacerating cut for four through point, he looked like a man dead-set on correcting one of the game's more unlikely statistics, and pushing on towards his maiden Test double-century.
But England's seamers were a chastised unit after losing their lengths on a wayward first day's work, and Anderson responded with a tight line on and around off stump that eventually reaped its rewards. Kallis propped forward to a delivery that climbed a fraction and nipped imperceptibly off the seam, and Collingwood was on hand to scoop his fourth catch of the innings - a record for an England outfielder that he now shares with Marcus Trescothick.
Kallis's departure left South Africa's fortunes in the hands of Duminy, whose second stroke of the day had whistled through the covers off Anderson to signal that his eye was still in from his previous evening's efforts. He repeated the dose four overs later with an even better drive to bring up his half-century, and the only slight chink in his armour was a perceived weakness to the short-pitched ball, which was used sparingly and more wisely this time, particularly by the ever-aggressive Broad.
South Africa 1st innings:
GC Smith 0, AG Prince 45, HM Amla 19, JH Kallis 120, Villiers 32, JP Duminy, 56, Boucher 49, M Morkel 13, Harris 31, F de Wet 9.
Extras (b 1, lb 15, w 5) 21
Total: (8 wickets; 140 overs) 395
By lunch, Mark Boucher was still there to maintain his team's hopes of a 400-plus total, having reached 29 not out in a 10-over partnership with Morne Morkel, who successfully challenged an lbw appeal from Swann in the very last over before the break.
That late intervention was another UDRS frustration for England, who wasted their two reviews on the first afternoon, having already had one lbw appeal against Ashwell Prince overturned, and Swann - who has bowled superbly - was also denied the wicket of Boucher when replays showed that a catch at slip by Paul Collingwood had been under-edged into the turf before deflecting into his hands.
Boucher, who went into his shell after a confident start, was also dropped on the boundary's edge by Graham Onions, who compounded the error by deflecting the ball over the ropes for four.
Nevertheless, it was a morning that England could look back on with some satisfaction, not least because they brought Kallis's ominous innings to an end inside the first half-hour of play. He resumed on 112 not out, and when he launched his day's work with a lacerating cut for four through point, he looked like a man dead-set on correcting one of the game's more unlikely statistics, and pushing on towards his maiden Test double-century.
But England's seamers were a chastised unit after losing their lengths on a wayward first day's work, and Anderson responded with a tight line on and around off stump that eventually reaped its rewards. Kallis propped forward to a delivery that climbed a fraction and nipped imperceptibly off the seam, and Collingwood was on hand to scoop his fourth catch of the innings - a record for an England outfielder that he now shares with Marcus Trescothick.
Kallis's departure left South Africa's fortunes in the hands of Duminy, whose second stroke of the day had whistled through the covers off Anderson to signal that his eye was still in from his previous evening's efforts. He repeated the dose four overs later with an even better drive to bring up his half-century, and the only slight chink in his armour was a perceived weakness to the short-pitched ball, which was used sparingly and more wisely this time, particularly by the ever-aggressive Broad.
South Africa 1st innings:
GC Smith 0, AG Prince 45, HM Amla 19, JH Kallis 120, Villiers 32, JP Duminy, 56, Boucher 49, M Morkel 13, Harris 31, F de Wet 9.
Extras (b 1, lb 15, w 5) 21
Total: (8 wickets; 140 overs) 395