Early England Wickets After Boucher Built Proteas Lead
The early dismissals of Alastair Cook, Jonathan Trott and Andrew Strauss left England reeling at the Bullring after Mark Boucher’s 95 led South Africa to declare 243 runs ahead.
England 2nd innings 48/3 (Strauss 22 Pietersen 9*, Parnell 1/5)
South Africa 1st innings 423/7 declared (Smith 105 Boucher 95, Broad 3/83)
England 1st innings 180 all out (Collingwood 47, Steyn 5/51 Morkel 3/39)
With six and a half sessions in the Test possible after the declaration, South Africa would have hoped for early scalps with thunder storms threatening to interrupt the Proteas chances of levelling the series.
And Morne Morkel provided just that when he found Cook’s outside edge on one, caught by Graeme Smith at slip, and Steyn had Trott pouched by AB de Villiers for eight inside the first seven overs, before bad light interrupted play.
Strauss and Kevin Pietersen returned after an improvement in visibility in Johannesburg, only for Wayne Parnell to remove Strauss leg before. To rub salt in the wound, the England captain wasted a review.
Boucher had shared 120 runs with de Villiers, then a 64-run stand with debutant Ryan McLaren, as he became just the second wicketkeeper to pass 5,000 Test runs after Adam Gilchrist.
A top-edged sweep cruelly denied the veteran his century but the pace with which he scored his runs allowed the incisions made soon after the declaration by Morkel and Steyn.
Stuart Broad and Ryan Sidebottom started the day in similar fashion, removing Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis after the Proteas added just two to their overnight score, sparking an incident-filled morning.
Broad induced Amla to nick off to Matt Prior on 75, taking a diving catch in front of first slip Andrew Strauss, before Anderson scooped a spectacular one-handed catch at gully, after Sidebottom hurried Kallis into a miscued pull.
And Graeme Swann struck a third blow when he had his series bunny JP Duminy caught for seven by Paul Collingwood at slip, leaving South Africa 235/5.
The incoming de Villiers was then given out caught by Anderson at leg slip off Swann before review saw Daryl Harper overturn the decision.
Umpire Scrutiny
Harper, who received an overnight endorsement of his capabilities by the ICC, refrained from slowing the replays to scrutinise whether contact had been made with de Villiers glove or bat. In so doing he may attract further unwanted attention as the ball appeared to brush glove then bat, in slow motion.
And de Villiers had a further reprieve against Swann when he was given out padding up. Harper correctly overturned Tony Hill’s leg before decision on height.
In a desperate bid to dislodge Boucher and de Villiers, England took the new ball with Sidebottom and Anderson but the Proteas pair upped the ante with quick running.
As Boucher and de Villiers passed personal milestones, and their 50 and 100-run partnership, Swann’s second spell saw a repeat of his earlier bad luck.
Prior first seemed to advise not to refer a leg before appeal against Boucher, which appeared to be hitting leg stump, then England referred a second lbw against the keeper, only to lose a review with Boucher hit outside off stump.
The returning Broad removed de Villiers as his short-arm pull went straight to Collingwood at wide mid-on but McLaren, after a slow start, grew in confidence – one cover drive on the up for four epitomised the Proteas confidence: even the debutant belittling England’s toil.
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