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Trott, Pietersen dig in for England

December 21, 2009 00:00:00


Kevin Pietersen injected England's innings with some much-needed confidence following the early dismissal of both overnight batsmen, James Anderson and Alastair Cook, as South Africa's bowlers were held up in their pursuit of further breakthroughs by a third-wicket stand of 50 with a becalmed Jonathan Trott that spanned 15.4 valuable overs, according to website cricinfo.
By lunch, England had crawled along to 77 for 3 in their second innings, and while their hopes of chasing their target of 364 were non-existent, their prospects of a draw were looking up, as the shine went off the new ball, and the menace went out of South Africa's attack. By lunch, Trott, who did not reach double-figures until he clipped a four from his 63rd delivery, had seven men camped around his bat as he concentrated on crease-bound survival, but with Pietersen regaining his strut and getting fully forward to spin and pace alike, the pair reached the break unscathed.
England had resumed on 11 for 1 overnight, and suffered an early setback when the nightwatchman, Anderson, flicked at a leg-side delivery from Friedel de Wet in the third over of the morning, and gloved a simple chance through to Mark Boucher behind the stumps. That brought Trott to the middle, and de Wet instantly shoved him into his shell with three consecutive bouncers, before reverting to a fuller stump-directed length.
Pietersen, however, refused to be cowed. He was bowled in the first innings while sizing up the drive, but that didn't prevent him from taking on the shot again, and by cover-driving Makhaya Ntini from his sixth delivery, he pushed a few men back to the rope to release the pressure of the close-catchers.
Lunch England 356 (Swann 81, Harris 5-123) and 77 for 3 (Pietersen 29*, Trott 18*) need another 287 runs to beat South Africa 418 (Kallis 120, Swann 5-110) and 301 for 6 dec (Amla 100)

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