Graeme Swann’s Fifth Stops Proteas Tail Wagging

Graeme Swann’s five-wicket haul finally curtailed South Africa’s prolonged lower-order resistance at Centurion on Thursday.

England: 88/1 (23 overs Strauss 44* Trott 18*)

South Africa: 418 all out (153.2 overs Kallis 120 Duminy 56; Swann 5/110)

The Nottinghamshire spinner (pictured being mobbed by team mates) picked up JP Duminy, Mark Boucher and Friedel de Wet to add to his first-day scalps, offering control throughout in 45.2 overs of toil.

When James Anderson and Swann removed Kallis and Duminy early, both caught by Paul Collingwood, England had a chance to atone for wasting the new ball on the first morning.

The Proteas however became only the second team to score more than 400 in the first innings at SuperSport Park.

Graham Onions opened up an end for England to attack the lower order when Morkel gifted Matt Prior a catch on 13. The slowness of the pitch however allowed Paul Harris to hang around in partnership with Boucher.

Swann eventually had the prized wicketkeeper caught by Alastair Cook at short leg on 49 but the unorthodox Harris and debutant de Wet continued to frustrate.

After a bout of cramp in the thumb of his left hand, spinner Harris got to within 12 of a maiden Test 50 before chopping on off Onions but it was debutant de Wet’s composed 67-ball stay for 20 that epitomised the docile nature of the wicket with an old ball. Swann trapped the number ten LBW with a quicker ball to end the innings.

The ovation reserved for not out batsman Makhaya Ntini in his 100th Test evidently fired up the veteran pace merchant turned line bowler, who reverted to type when Andrew Strauss faced the new ball.

Sponsors’ Surprise

The sponsors had promised a beer to every spectator over-18 should Ntini take a wicket with his first ball. Rebutting rumours his pace had dropped with age, Ntini cranked up to a median 87mph as his son watched his landmark appearance.

While Strauss left well outside offstump, Cook nearly cost the sponsors dear as Ntini’s fifth gear induced him to edge to de Villiers from the opener’s first delivery faced. De Villiers was similarly surprised by the speed however and failed to pouch the chance.

That early reprieve gave the travelling support their first viewing of a new-look Alastair Cook. Three months of work with Essex mentor Graham Gooch have produced a higher, straighter backlift and an earlier trigger movement.

Cook’s troubles outside offstump continued though as his feather through to Boucher from de Wet, on 15, ensured the Barmy Army’s first glance of this re-worked technique was fleeting.

Strauss and new number three Jonathan Trott negotiated the rest of the evening session without alarm.

The captain chose to take the initiative by using his feet to Harris, mimicking the aggression shown by Kallis yesterday to the supposed weak link of spin in a four-man attack. Trott was more circumspect in keeping legside against his former Newlands colleague.

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