SA square the series in style
Monday, 18 January 2010
Morne Morkel routed England's lower-order in a spell of 3 for 0 in six deliveries, before JP Duminy extracted the battling Paul Collingwood for a brave but futile 71, as South Africa levelled the series - and retained the Basil D'Oliveira Trophy - with a crushing innings-and-74-run victory at the Wanderers. The victory was delivered on the stroke of the lunch-break when Ryan Sidebottom missed a slog-sweep to give Duminy his second wicket in an 11-ball spell.
England had resumed the fourth day in deep trouble on 48 for 3, still trailing by 195 with two full days remaining in the contest. The situation demanded runs as well as crease occupation, and Collingwood responded with a gutsy and well-judged 71 from 88 balls, as he shed the outright obduracy that had carried England to safety at Centurion and Cape Town, and climbed into his cross-batted repertoire whenever South Africa strayed in line or length.
But he alone located the correct balance between watchfulness and aggression, as he picked 12 fours and a six in total, comprising an even mixture of cuts, pulls, drives and genuine edges. But all too few of his colleagues were capable of emulating his efforts. His overnight partner, Kevin Pietersen, hung around for 10 overs in the first hour and seemed to be finding his range once again as he contributed an improbably meagre three runs to a fourth-wicket stand of 36.
South Africa 423 for 7 (Smith 105, Boucher 95) beat England 180 (Steyn 5-51) and 169 (Collingwood 71) by an innings and 74 runs.
England had resumed the fourth day in deep trouble on 48 for 3, still trailing by 195 with two full days remaining in the contest. The situation demanded runs as well as crease occupation, and Collingwood responded with a gutsy and well-judged 71 from 88 balls, as he shed the outright obduracy that had carried England to safety at Centurion and Cape Town, and climbed into his cross-batted repertoire whenever South Africa strayed in line or length.
But he alone located the correct balance between watchfulness and aggression, as he picked 12 fours and a six in total, comprising an even mixture of cuts, pulls, drives and genuine edges. But all too few of his colleagues were capable of emulating his efforts. His overnight partner, Kevin Pietersen, hung around for 10 overs in the first hour and seemed to be finding his range once again as he contributed an improbably meagre three runs to a fourth-wicket stand of 36.
South Africa 423 for 7 (Smith 105, Boucher 95) beat England 180 (Steyn 5-51) and 169 (Collingwood 71) by an innings and 74 runs.