Nailbiting Fifth Day Awaits
England go into the last day requiring 352 runs with 9 wickets in hand after Strauss was caught behind off Morne Morkel in the second over of England’s second innings.
Despite having a 62-run first innings lead, the South African boat looked to be in awful danger of sinking at 46 for four, early on the fourth day. Harris, Smith and Kallis were all out well before lunch and England would have fancied their chances of bowling the home side out cheaply and chasing up a target of under 250 runs for victory.
But then AB de Viliers (64, 101b, 136 minutes, six fours and one six) joined a resolute Hashim Alma (100, 213b, 315 minutes, 10 fours) at the crease to carefully construct a 119-run partnership to all but take the game away from the visitors.
The two middle order batsmen batted patiently in a dogged partnership that sapped all energy from the English bowling attack under the fiercely hot December sun. At times the spectators found it painfully slow to watch the duo progress at under three runs per over but they took the decision that the team required them to make sure they can’t lose the match before they concerned themselves with trying to win it.
Each of de Villiers and Amla survived LBW decisions that were referred to the third umpire. In both cases the replay showed the ball hitting the stumps but, in each case, it was hitting only the outer part of the stumps and the on-field umpire’s original decision stood.
Amla’s seventh century could well have been as valuable as his 104 not out over a full two days to save the Lord’s Test last summer. Today’s freakish delivery from Anderson that took his off stump didn’t bounce more than two inches above the ground.
Boucher added a quick-fire 63 runs from 72 balls to give Smith the opportunity to declare. The captain confirmed his reputation as risk averse when it comes to declarations, only declaring 6 overs left in the day whereby he set England a required run-rate of 3.8 an over.
South Africa certainly have had the rub of the greens with the new referral system in this series so far. But that will no doubt change from Test to Test.
The forecast thundershowers did not arrive at Centurion and the pitch that had shown increasingly variable bounce played pretty well throughout the day. Swann struggled for turn and only a few balls kept low. The wicket’s good grass cover has kept it together and prevented it from deteriorating under the baking sun.
If the rain stays away tomorrow evening then South Africa will have an hour with the second new ball in the evening session. The draw is probably slight favourite, but the Proteas will fancy their chances!
