South Africa rally on day 4

I was in the Tavern Stand at Lord's yesterday for the third day of the first Test, watching England move into a position of such strength that it even appeared likely that they could win by an innings within four days. South Africa showed their true colours today, losing only one wicket as they fought to get back into the game.

It is almost possible - but surely unthinkable - that South Africa could score 250 runs quickly enough tomorrow to give themselves 40 overs of bowling at England with a target of 150. That won't happen, of course, not least because South Africa will be glad just to save this game; they won't want to risk making a declaration and looking stupid this early in the series. Honours even and on to Headingley.

Funny how easily one can be made to look stupid. In the Times Online podcast before this Test, I gave the opinion that South Africa's pace trio would cause us problems, that the South Africa batsmen were if anything more dangerous and that Ashwell Prince, who had scored 118 runs in his previous eight innings, was their only weak link in the top six. Naturally, the bowlers looked toothless and Prince was the only batsman to flourish.

I was delighted to see Prince get his hundred, especially the way in which he celebrated. It has become traditional for batsmen to leap into the air as they trot the historic single that brings up three figures, but I think that Prince, from a lower starting point, outleapt even Kevin Pietersen. Yet Saturday belonged strongly to England thanks to some controlled bowling and some brilliant fielding.

James Anderson's two catches off Monty Panesar were sublimely athletic, but Panesar perhaps made the most telling contribution himself when he bowled Neil McKenzie behind his legs. It was just after lunch and I was watching the first overs from the Nursery bar on TV. As the ball reached the batsman, it was so wide of leg stump that I feared we would concede byes. But it turned beautifully and just clipped the leg stump. Panesar has become that rarity: an England spinner who really can spin.

Even more rare is to have two England spinners sharing the new ball, but that was essential if they were to get in any overs in the twilight last night. Pietersen had dismissed Dale Steyn to close the South Africa innings and he almost had another scalp today when Graeme Smith edged a ball from Pietersen when he was on 106 and Tim Ambrose, with floppy gloves, made a hash of catching the ball. If he hadn't bothered, Paul Collingwood would probably have snaffled it but instead Ambrose did a good job of impersonating a goalkeeper turning the ball round the post.

How Pietersen would have loved to have added Smith to his list of wickets (Kamran Akmal, MS Dhoni and Ross Taylor being the other scalps). That he caught Smith one run later off the bowling of Anderson was probably a small compensation.

So what will happen on day 5? Much depends on whether South Africa continue to demonstrate that gritty determination to avoid getting out that they showed today. Across their two innings, South Africa have scored at barely two and a half runs per over. They are in no hurry and England will have to find ways of shunting them tomorrow. I fear that we could be heading for a repeat of the Lord's Test against Sri Lanka two years ago, when England were 360 runs ahead on first innings and failed to win.

In fact, on the past three occasions England have made more than 550 at Lord's (v Sri Lanka, West Indies and Pakistan) they have not won a single game. A sign of how Lord's flattens out as the game goes on, or a sign of England being unable to turn the screw of games they are winning?

[pics: Getty]

Comments

[Mr A Nel]

Yes Kidd.

Funny how one can be made to look stupid.

Since it's hardly a novel sensation for your good self, perhaps forming a support group with South African selectors would ease the embarrassment?