Join us again tomorrow to see if England can salvage this. For my money, batting a day on this wicket with Rabada, Morkel and Piedt bowling like they are will be nigh on impossible. Getting 330 will be an even taller order. But you never know … Thanks for all your emails and for reading - bye!
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21st over: England 52-3, target 382 (Root 19, Taylor 19) Morkel to bowl the final six deliveries of the day as the players’ shadows stretch elegantly across the pitch. In fact, Bavuma’s shadow at short leg is going right across the wicket, on a good length. Wonder if Root should ask him to move. Root plays at one outside off but is lucky the ball misses the edge, then ducks down to a short one which, again, fails to get up. But then Morkel drops wide and Root cannot resist flashing it through point for four. He does the same from the penultimate ball of the day, chopping a four through backwards point to bring up the England 50. Brave stuff from Root, potentially foolhardy too as he didn’t need to play at either. That said, he was in control of both shots and he blocks the final ball of the day. And that’s stumps and great day for South Africa.
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20th over: England 44-3, target 382 (Root 11, Taylor 19) Rabada’s first has the crowd (though not the South Africa players) thinking Taylor has been strangled down the leg side. Taylor then inside edges onto his pads and the ball flicks up to where a more authentic short leg might catch him. Bavuma is deep though, so cannot get near. Rabada drops one short and Taylor instinctively ducks, but the ball does not get up - instead carrying through at just over stump height for De Kock to wear. The final delivery is a belter, catching Taylor on his thigh pad and the batsman gives Rabada a thumbs up. One more over in the day.
19th over: England 44-3, target 382 (Root 11, Taylor 19) Four slips in, a deep short leg, and 10 minutes of play remaining, Morkel on 1-4. His first to Root is a sighter, his second full and straight, and his third wide and easily left outside off. His fourth has Root on his back foot defending, but his fifth is a snorting bouncer and the batsmen sways backwards beautifully. There’s no run from the sixth either. Rabada will come on from the other end.
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18th over: England 44-3, target 382 (Root 11, Taylor 19) Duminy comes into the attack and Taylor plays him off the back foot, leaping about the crease and working a single. Root thwacks one square for another single as the sun comes out so strongly that there are long shadows across the ground. Here comes Morkel.
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17th over: England 42-3, target 382 (Root 10, Taylor 18) Root, playing a sweep, was caught on the front pad. Ultra Edge shows that there’s no nick, but the ball is missing the leg stump by a fair distance. Not out.
SA think they have Root lbw to Piedt late on. They review, but Root survives, just! https://t.co/tGqCbRspFR #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/cpCWRP2pjF
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) January 25, 2016
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17th over: England 42-3, target 382 (Root 10, Taylor 18) De Villiers asks the umpires for another light reading, and is told that he needs to keep the spinners on. So Piedt continues. Root miscues a pull off the toe end and, had Bavuma not be taking evasive action at short leg, he might have had half an interest in it. Piedt gets one to turn and Root plays him off the back foot, despite the fact the ball virtually bounces on the crease. Root gets a bottom edge onto his pads and the fielders go up. Two balls later, Piedt catches Root firmly on the pad and they go up again. The umpire says no, South Africa review immediately …
16th over: England 42-3, target 382 (Root 10, Taylor 18) Elgar tosses one up to Taylor, and he flays him through the covers. Next ball he clumps him against the spin to the midwicket boundary. The danger is, of course, that he’ll get carried away.
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15th over: England 34-3, target 382 (Root 10, Taylor 10) Piedt continues, though the commentators reckon it’s brightened enough to put a seamer back on. Taylor awkwardly slaps a late bat down as Piedt threatens to turn one from outside off into his stumps. The spinner is getting real turn here.
“This is going to go down as one of England’s most memorable Test victories; I’m already cancelling my meetings for tomorrow and working on my sore throat voice for when I ‘phone my boss in the morning. Bring it,” reckons Jonathan McCauley-Oliver, whi is unaware that Paul Collingwood is not in the side.
14th over: England 33-3, target 382 (Root 10, Taylor 9) The umpires have decided the light is not good enough for the quicks and so Elgar will have a couple of overs from the other end. The Centurion DJ plays Under Pressure over the ground’s PA, just to ram home a point to the England men. Elgar appeals optimistically after striking Taylor on the pad, but the batsmen run a leg bye safe in the knowledge that he’s basically out of his mind. He has another shout at Root when he does the same, the ball going about a foot down the leg side.
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13th over: England 32-3, target 382 (Root 10, Taylor 9) Piedt turns one from foot and a half outside off back just past the off stump. Root had it covered, but it shows quite how much turn he is finding in comparison to Moeen. Root runs two, then carves through the off for a couple more after a misfield from Amla (he ball strick his injured hand). But then Root gets a beauty and is lucky to survive - he comes down the pitch to play Piedt, the ball clips his pad, and De Kock drops it and fails to stump him. That was a stone cold chance.
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12th over: England 28-3, target 382 (Root 6, Taylor 9) There are a few drops of rain falling, and England will be hoping the heavens open. Root defends Rabada through backwards point with soft hands and gets himself down the other end as fast as he can. Taylor leaps about the crease, as is his wont, and keeps Rabada relatively quiet for the rest of the over. The fourth umpire is trotting on with a light metre …
“There we go, we got our England back,” chuckles Adam Hirst.
11th over: England 27-3, target 382 (Root 5, Taylor 9) Piedt continues, and Taylor is happy to use his feet to come down the wicket to play him. He edges him for two through point, fails to get to the pitch of the next and chips back to the bowler on the next, then reaches for one so far that De Kock considers a stumping. Phew, this is difficult batting.
“Regarding Cook’s opening partners, the earlier comment about others feeling under pressure to go for shots resonates with me. The experience of Carberry in the Ashes debacle of 13/14 is one which may not have been analysed as much as it might, in the post-series desire to flay Pietersen and exonerate Cook. The latter’s batting in that series was awful, leaving Carberry, much the junior, to decide on his own whether to stick or twist. He did relatively well in the circumstances.
“Poor Carbs is ‘too old’ now, of course (Rogers, S. Cook?), so we seem stuck with a converted No5 biffer in Hales, for whom a T20 innings is like a decent bus service: there’ll be another along in a minute.
“Not sure I get this business about 2 ‘shot-makers’ in the top 3, especially after another failure by Hales. Is the management really saying that, in Test cricket, laying a solid foundation at the top of the order is unnecessary? Are we to sacrifice one of the great joys of Tests - batters really having to battle through adversity - because of the nano-second attention span of the modern spectator? Harrumph ...” Iain McKane has been waiting a while to get that off his chest.
10th over: England 25-3, target 382 (Root 5, Taylor 7) Rabada drifts onto Taylor’s pads and he’s able to get off the mark with a clip through the leg side for four. He does the same the next ball, but uppishly and the ball whistles in the air past Bavuma at short leg. The fielder had no chance but given some of the short leg catching this series, it still felt like a heart-in-mouth moment. Still struggling to comprehend why Compton reviewed that nick. He must have known he hit it. Rabada nearly didn’t bother appealing, it was just so obviously out.
WICKET! Compton c De Kock b Rabada 6 (England 18-3)
What on earth was Compton thinking. He basically hit that off the middle and De Kock took it very comfortably. What a Test Rabada is having.
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REVIEW! Compton c De Kock b Rabada 6
Rabada throws the ball up there, and Compton appears to nick it with half the bat. But he reviews it anyway. No way he’s going to get away with that.
Summary
9th over: England 18-2, target 382 (Compton 6, Root 5) Well, this is odd. Piedt has replaced Morkel, who was firing on all cylinders. Perhaps De Villiers is aware that South Africa are carrying Abbott so wants to keep Morkel and Rabada as fresh as possible. Perhaps he thinks Root has a weakness. Piedt is getting good turn, and Root is leaping about as he plays him. Ignore what I said about Abbott appearing in reasonable comfort - he’s about to be replaced by Rabada by the looks of things.
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8th over: England 18-2, target 382 (Compton 6, Root 5) Well, here’s Kyle Abbott. Let’s see what happens here. Makes sense to get him on early and allow Rabada a breather. Compton plays him with an open blade past the slips for four before working him off his feet. Abbott’s pace is reasonable - around 82-83mph - and he doesn’t appear to be in too much discomfort.
An idea of what Hales had to deal with from Rabada
Bounce in metres: 3.1 Rabada to Hales: 0.68 3.2 Rabada to Hales: 1.05 3.3 Rabada to Hales: 1.90 3.4 Rabada to Hales: 0.61 (W) #SAvEng
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) January 25, 2016
7th over: England 12-2, target 382 (Compton 1, Root 4) It was a wonderful catch from Morkel, steaming straight up the pitch with his right paw out. He’s bowling at 88mph, his dander well and truly up. Root, though, is a cool customer and gets off the mark with a classy clip for four off the back foot through backwards point.
Compton, Root, Taylor, Stokes, Bairstow, Woakes, Anderson (and Finn) all dropped and returned stronger Time might be right for Hales @tombry
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) January 25, 2016
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WICKET! Cook c+b Morkel 5 (England 8-2)
What a catch that is. Morkel bowled full and straight, the ball bouncing a smidgeon more than Cook was expecting. He was hoping to drill a drive back past the bowler, but the extra bounce simply lifts the ball into Morkel’s hands for an excellent reflex take.
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6th over: England 8-1, target 382 (Cook 6, Compton 1) This is dicey stuff from England. Rabada finds good bounce outside the off stump, the ball lifting from just short of a length and holding its line. Compton wafts his edge at he ball and is lucky not to connect. Second delivery, Compton prods to point and runs wildly down the other end. Cook hasn’t a hope of getting in, gives up running halfway down the pitch, and simply hopes Piedt’s throw will miss. Fortunately for him, it does. Cook takes it out on the next delivery with a firmly struck swivelled pull for four. The uneven bounce (and Rabada’s skill) is making this highly treacherous.
5th over: England 2-1, target 382 (Cook 1, Compton 0) Morkel sends a very wide one down, but it does not bounce in the slightest - which must plant some doubt in Cook’s mind, even though there was no way he could get out to it. Next, Morkel gets the ball to swing in, then seam away from Cook with good carry and bounce too. Can’t be much fun to be batting here. Morkel decides to come over the wicket and loses his run-up for the umpteenth time in the match, before sending a good couple of deliveries down full outside off.
@tombry Need to be taking a leaf out of Gooch's playbook, Headingley '91--he took guard well outside the crease to negate the uneven bounce
— Job Senior (@Ilkleyrocks) January 25, 2016
4th over: England 2-1, target 382 (Cook 1, Compton 0) Compton will have a few nerves, having got out to one that kept low in the first innings and just having seen Hales get similar treatment. He deals with the first delivery, then gets caught in about five minds with his second - forward or back, cut or not, chicken or beef for tea? - and does none of them to oohs and aahs. Great over from Rabada.
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WICKET! Hales lbw Rabada 1 (England 2-1)
Full and straight, Hales is caught plumb in front by a ball that keeps low and jagged back into him. That’s eight for Rabada now and is that the last we see of Hales as a Test opener?
WICKET! England lose Hales early, out lbw to one that keeps low from Rabada. Eng 2-1 https://t.co/hACmblZntg #SAvENG pic.twitter.com/nRDF3lK0MH
— Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) January 25, 2016
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4th over: England 2-0, target 382 (Cook 1, Hales 1) Rabada is bowling full and just outside the off stump to Hales, encouraging him to unfurl his calamitous drive and so …
3rd over: England 2-0, target 382 (Cook 1, Hales 1) Pleasingly, there are clouds all around Centurion but the ground itself is shrouded in sunshine meaning we should get a decent session. Morkel steams in, around the wicket to Cook, and has a leg slip and that deep short leg in. He gets his final delivery of the over to spit and bite from outside off, jagging back into Cook. Another maiden.
2nd over: England 2-0 (Cook 1, Hales 1) Rabada opens up at the other end, and drifts onto Hales pads to allow him to get off the mark with a leg glance. Rabada stays over the wicket to Cook, looking to send the ball across him as three slips wait. The England captain gets off the mark with a back foot prod through into the covers.
“Re: Ed Taylor. While it is a very good point and well argued, doesn’t the theory fall down when you look at how well Strauss and Cook played together?” asks Chris in Durham
1st over: England 0-0 (Cook 0, Hales 0) Morkel, who has a weird aversion to the new ball, will take the new ball. It must be a genuinely terrifying sight to have someone that huge throwing a hard ball at you at 85mph. He clunks Cook on the thigh pad with his third delivery, and De Kock takes a good diving catch down the leg side which gives the crowd (and Cook, no doubt) a slight jolt. His final delivery of the over jags into the splice of Cook’s bat and has Bavuma briefly interested at deep short leg.
Play can go on until 4.30pm GMT, but suspect bad light and weather might have a say in that. Kyle Abbott has been bowling out in the middle, so South Africa may be able to get a spell out of him tonight, allow him to recover overnight, then get another couple of spells out of him tomorrow. At least that’s what they’ll be hoping. Piedt, Elgar and Duminy are likely to get through their fair share of overs too.
Meanwhile, Alastair Cook needs another 41 to make 10,000 runs in Test cricket.
Play set to start at 10 past the hour, South Africa having declared with a lead of 381. So there you go.
Ed Taylor writes: “Following your reply to Kevin Wilson at 2.29pm, about considering dropping Alex Hales after four Tests, it got me thinking about how many batsmen have failed to make the ‘other’ opening slot their own, and the common link. I’m not saying this to be deliberately controversial, but is Alistair Cook in some way part of the reason why England can’t seem to get it right with an opening partnership?
“Cook is, when on form, a truly fine batsman and a successful captain. However, he has a ‘dig in’ style of batting, which, when working, exudes calmness and patience. This should be an example for the less experienced opener, be it Hales or whoever, but I wonder if on some level Cook’s style subconsciously makes his opening partner want to take the initiative, and as such take risks in the name of scoring runs, the downside of which sees them get themselves out cheaply.
“I’m not in any way suggesting Cook should not be in the team, just putting forth a theory as to why England haven’t managed to find a second consistently good opening batsman in recent times.”
I agree on some levels, but Trevor Bayliss has said he would like two strokeplayers in the top three and, if Cook and Compton are in there, that means it’s likely the other batsmen has been told to swish the bat about a bit.
Also, I wonder if Cook would prefer to have a bit of a darter as his partner - whenever he has felt he is the partner expected to score, he suffers and starts to play the sorts of one day shots that had him in so much trouble a year or two ago. So I suspect he would prefer not to open with someone like Compton, and would rather have a Hales to score quick runs and so allow him to accumulate. Only a theory.
Opinions, everyone’s got them:
“Is it fair to say that Finn needed to emphasise his worth to the team, and that his performances (and now his absence) have done just that?” asks Neil Stainer.
Here’s Ian Sullivan: “Taking aside the fact we’ve won away, quite comfortably at the home of the No1 ranked team and the individuals who have enhanced or cemented their status in the England team – Stokes, Broad, Root – surely this series has shown that the rebuilding that England made after the Ashes whitewash has really taken hold and we’re now watching the nucleus of the next England team that will play together for years to come. Before it disintegrates quicker than an Alistair Cook partner.
“BUT looking from South Africa’s point of view and from my conversations with South African fans I don’t think unearthing two potential new players is much consolation from being beaten by England and the fact that this series feels to them like the end for their top ranked team as players begin to retire, give up, get injured or lose form. It feels to them like they’re starting their own transition ...
And most pleasingly, it was their captain who quit mid way through!”
It looks as though De Villiers might finally have declared.
SA bowlers warming up so obviously declared.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) January 25, 2016
The umpires are having a bit of a look at the pitch and the covers are starting to come off, so there may be a little more play today. Centurion drains pretty well so it could take 20 minutes or so assuming the umpires give it the go ahead.
skies have cleared and the sun is out at Centurion. Bet play will be able to start, at a guess at 5 o clock, or 5.15, or ...
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) January 25, 2016
It’s still raining.
“I think Kevin Wilson is being a extremely harsh,” harrumphs Stephen Connor. “‘No-one’s really going home with their reputations enhanced’? Stokes hit a world record quick 250. Plus averages over 6o with the bat and under 30 with the ball this series. Moeen was man of the match in the first innings. Root was contender for man of the match in the last Test. I think the only player that hasn’t cemented their place for the summer is Hales. Besides all of which - how many people predicted a series win away to the No1 ranked team?”
I think the point was that Root’s reputation was already so good, that it was hard to enhance it.
It somehow feels like Moeen has been the forgotten man this series - he didn’t really get given much a of a bat in the warm-ups so has had to play himself into form during the Tests (having moved from No1 to No8 after the UAE). No one seems quite sure whether he’s an attacking spinner or a defensive spinner either.
He’s such a good cricketer, so versatile and willing to do as he’s asked. But you fear that might work against him as he yo-yos around the order, never getting a chance to settle anywhere, never being given a firm steer as to what his role is in the longterm. Not that that was what either Kevin Wilson or Stephen Connor were talking about, I just wanted to get it off my chest.
This is a reasonable point from Kevin Wilson, though I’m not sure I entirely agree: “I know there’s still another innings to bat, but I wonder if despite the result, this tour has left more questions about England unanswered than answered.
“The victories largely came about through Finn and Broad’s great bowling. No-one’s really going home with their reputations enhanced. On the other hand, despite losing, South Africa have unearthed two guys who’ll be around for the next ten years.”
I agree on the South Africa front, but for England I think Stokes has certainly enhanced his reputation while Finn has gone from a player with potential to a must. I suspect we’ll see Bairstow behind the stumps for a while to come, despite his struggles. Meanwhile, would it be fair to drop Hales after four Tests? On the one hand he hasn’t convinced, but on the other more established players are frequently given more than four Tests while out of nick before getting the chop. Compton at three still feels a little uncertain (but perhaps more concrete than Hales as opener).
It is still raining and the news is not particularly concrete: it is basically that we may get more play today, and we may not. So that’s helpful.
@TomBry This rain, is this the 'magic spell' Moen Ali was hoping for?
— bobbrownsco (@bobbrownsco1) January 25, 2016
An interesting, and not entirely serious, email from Robin Hazlehurst: “I’d say South Africa’s tactics here are pretty blindingly obvious. ABdV doesn’t want to be captain either thank you very much. Look what it has done for his batting figures, and look what being relieved of it has done for Amla’s. Winning here would mean the captaincy staying dumped on his shoulders for a while yet. Drawing in a boring and fairly incompetent way is more likely to get it off him. Expect SA to bat slowly until mid afternoon tomorrow.”
Changing room watch: the South Africa players are all in their whites, suggesting De Villiers might have been about to press the ejector seat anyway. But the rain - which isn’t heavy, but is steady - has just taken that decision out of his hands. Sit tight, will keep you updated when we have news on when play will restart.
84th over: South Africa 248-5 (Bavuma 78, De Kock 9) A bowling change gives England the chance to waste a bit more time, Woakes going through a few warm-ups to eat into the clock a little. De Kock is attempting to run quick singles to get Bavuma on strike, suggesting the aim is to get him to his ton. But the rain, which is coming down more heavily now, may well have the final say on that front … and that’s that. The umpires give the groundsmen the signal, and the players head from the pitch.
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The full story on on that match-fixing news in South Africa.
83rd over: South Africa 246-5 (Bavuma 77, De Kock 8) Broad is (deliberately) chucking it about all over the place. keeping De Kock guessing as to where he might be bowling. The batsman’s having a mighty whoosh at everything, and possibly nicks one which doesn’t carry to Bairstow. He eventually runs a leg bye after mistiming a wallop. South Africa lead by 379.
“Is it just me, or are South Africa getting their tactics wrong here?” asks Alex, who is confused in London. “Surely the priority has to be trying to win the match, is giving themselves just four sessions (possibly less depending on the weather) to get 10 England wickets on what has been a pretty good batting pitch really the right approach? Don’t they want to give England a total they might be able to chase down to encourage them to play some shots, as opposed to one England can decide is too high/risky to chase? And I really don’t like the ‘strategy’ of allowing players to go for individual honours if it puts the team’s chances of winning at risk. If Amla wanted another hundred in the match he should have started hitting out earlier, as opposed to scoring at a Cook-like rate of 50.” Well, the pitch is probably less easy to bat on than it was - there’s some variable bounce at the very least and few cracks now. But yes, with the weather looking ominous, it does seem odd.
82nd over: South Africa 245-5 (Bavuma 77, De Kock 8) Bavuma and De Kock are both swinging like [insert your own Guardian-unfriendly gag here]. The latter carts one to deep cover for one, before Bavuma has an almighty swipe for nothing. Swish, swish, swipety, swipe goes much of the rest of the over. England aren’t in the least bothered and are spending several minutes between deliveries rearranging the field. Joe Root just trotted gently from fine leg to third man, which will give you some idea of what they’re up to. South Africa lead by 378.
“Re: futile efforts,” emails Nigel Green. “Day in and day out, I cast deep, apposite and insightful comments towards the OBO team, but do I ever see my name in honoured print? Alas, nay. Nevertheless, I shall continue in my quest, ever hopeful of momentary fame and glory.”
81st over: South Africa 240-5 (Bavuma 74, De Kock 6) The skies are bruised and ominous, while rain is beginning to splatter onto the camera lenses as their operators furiously cover them with tarpaulins. The flags that are dotted around Centurion are fluttering and flapping, but that’s of no concern to De Kock - he clonks a leg side half volley to the boundary for a four from his first ball. In the South Africa changing room, Rabada is padded up which suggests there will be no declaration for a while. Perhaps they want to get Bavuma to a century. He mistimes an attempted thrash to long off as Broad continues to hang the ball outside off. New ball hasn’t been taken - possible because they don’t want it to get wet.
80th over: South Africa 233-5 (Bavuma 73, De Kock 0) That innings from Amla has pretty much taken the game away from England. I’d assumed the only reason De Villiers hadn’t declared was to allow him to get his ton - and Amla was throwing the bat about as if he knew he didn’t have much time to do so. But apparently not, since there’s no sign from the dressing room. Anderson bowls to Bavuma and the batsman makes it pretty clear South Africa are coming out for a slog - he heaves a huge six into cow corner, then French cuts the ball to fine leg for another (streakier) boundary along the ground. New ball due.
“Is it just me or a quite a lot of Test matches reaching this stage these days?” asks Phill Russell. “Four sessions to go and a side looking to time a declaration. I wonder if it would help England to see it as 120 (well 125 allowing for catch-up & change over) overs to save the game starting after tea, assuming South Africa don’t declare. That would mean every over we bowl would be one less we have to defend. With this mindset Cook & Hales could potentially go out into the middle at the start of the 4th innings thinking they had already survived for 20 overs or so, which is considerably longer than their usual effort.”
WICKET! Amla c Bairstow b Broad 96 (South Africa 223-5)
Amla throws the bat at another wide one outside off, and there’s a small nick as he attempts a cut. Bairstow makes no mistake. Amla goes four short of his ton.
Updated
79th over: South Africa 223-4 (Bavuma 63, Amla 96) Stuart Broad will open to Amla after tea, with seven fielder spread on the off side and no slips/gully in place. Amla somewhat ruins Broad’s off side attack plan by wandering out towards point and attempting to work the bowler from a mile outside off stump to leg. Broad has a wry smile at that, then hangs another one a mile-and-a-half outside off. Amla has a swipe and Bairstow and the bowler go up for a snick. No one else seems convinced but England review it anyway … and the replays show Amla missed it by quite some distance. There is almost no urgency in the field at all, with England attempting to absorb time and Billy the Trumpeter playing a selection of songs about the rain which has just started to fall. But then ...
Storms brewing at Centurion
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) January 25, 2016
Some breaking news
Cricket South Africa has banned former international Gulam Bodi for 20 years after he admitted charges of contriving or attempting to fix matches in the 2015 Ram Slam T20.
You can read a bit more on the buildup to this here:
Here:
And here:
Weather watch: the weather is beginning to turn a bit iffy, there are dark clouds over Centurion and the lights are coming on. There’s a possibility of thunderstorms tomorrow so, even though South Africa are down to two seamers, it feels that a declaration must be close.
Catching up on AOB: the name of the Barmy Army’s trumpeter is Billy Cooper, which is something I momentarily forget when I mentioned him earlier and was rightly reprimanded for by John Starbuck.
Updated
Hello again: Dan has gone for a lie down, and so you’ll have to put up with me for the rest of the day. It feels there’s a certain inescapable predictability about this - South Africa to bat the game out of sight (if it’s not already), and England to collapse to 140 all out before lunch on day five.
So with that in mind, feel free to email in your stories of grim inevitability, your tales of carrying on in the full knowledge that your efforts will be futile, your recollections of all those times that you just knew it was all going to come crashing down around your ears: tom.bryant@theguardian.com
David Hopkins writes, sensibly: “Thomas Jenkins (over 75) was doing so well until he brought in the Paul Collingwood comparison. Woakes will never put together an era defining, day long rearguard action. Nor will he beguile us with his understated manliness, easy going nature (but with a steely core). Or indeed his sandy coloured hair and deep, soft, lazy eyes.”
Tea South Africa 223-4 lead by 356
78th over: South Africa 223-4 (Bavuma 63, Amla 96) Moeen replaces Stokes, who presumably went off after his last over because he didn’t think we’d have time for two more. Again it’s round the wicket, pitching outside leg and thus there’s no risk at all for Bavuma on the sweep. He picks up two runs with just such a shot. That’s all for the over and indeed all for the session: 102 runs for the loss of no wickets for South Africa. They lead by 356.
Tom Bryant will be back with you for the evening session. Join him for rain/declaration/Amla100-watch. Cheers for reading, bye!
77th over: South Africa 221-4 (Bavuma 61, Amla 96) Amla nudges into... look you know how it works now. Bavuma sweeps past leg slip for a single and, as Root got through that one so quickly, I reckon we’ll get another over in.
76th over: South Africa 219-4 (Bavuma 60, Amla 95) Short and way down leg; Stokes is looking a bit weary now and Bavuma just helps it on its way to the fine leg fence with the faintest flick. Three balls later the exact same thing – seriously, I thought it was a replay – happens and the lead goes up to 352. Stokes, whose foot is bleeding, goes off for some treatment.
@DanLucas86 I'd rather Willey than Woakes. Which sounds like the punchline to a crude joke.
— Mike Jakeman (@mikejakeman) January 25, 2016
75th over: South Africa 211-4 (Bavuma 52, Amla 95) Two off the over.
Here’s an impassioned defence of Chris Woakes from Chris Woakes’ mum Thomas Jenkins:
“In reply to Mike Jakeman: batting average of 15.93. 7 wickets at 66.42. Thank the cricketing gods that Andrew Flintoff was dropped after ten Tests, never to return! This snide mob-mentality, particularly below the line, with regards Chris Woakes has surely gone too far. It’s not his fault that his career’s converged with the emergence of one of the best -Stokes - and another of the better - Moeen - all-rounders England’s ever produced. Were he ever to get the chance to get a run in the side at 6 or 7 we might be reminded that this is a batting all-rounder who’s excellent in the field and capable of bowling a tidy line consistently in the high 80s. Remember how much we all loved Colly? I don’t remember Colly - 17 career Test wickets at 60 - troubling 90mph on the speed-gun. Given a chance Woakes could be a luxury Colly for England for the next few years: great fielder, very solid bat, excellent change bowler who, should Stokes continue his development, would allow England to continue to select three out-and-out strike bowlers wherever the game’s being played. But whilst he’s stuck at nine, really, what chance does he have?”
Sorry I disagree entirely. His bowling is woefully predictable and regularly goes for four an over. He’s nowhere near one of the best dozen batsmen in the country so doesn’t get in the top six. He doesn’t have the capability to change a game like Stokes – their records aren’t that different but no one in their right mind would pick Woakes over Stokes as an all-rounder.
74th over: South Africa 209-4 (Bavuma 51, Amla 93) Bavuma picks up a single, then Amla brings up the 100 partnership with an effortless late dab down to the third man boundary for four. He gets a single via the inside edge, then Anderson saves four with a good diving stop at backward point. Clouds are getting heavier now and the commentators think we’ll have some rain this evening. Six runs from that over, all scored with no great effort.
73rd over: South Africa 203-4 (Bavuma 50, Amla 89) A change of bowling, with Root into the attack. He too is round the wicket and Amla works him very nicely through mid on for a couple, bringing up the South African 200 in the process. One more round the corner and we FINALLY get Root-Bavuma.
They go up for lbw when Bavuma misses out on a sweep and is hit dead in front, but the ball pitched about two feet outside leg. Root drops short two balls later and Bavuma pulls him round the corner for his second Test fifty.
72nd over: South Africa 199-4 (Bavuma 49, Amla 86) Woakes is hooked, replaced by Stokes. Amla, as has been customary since drinks, takes an early single. Bavuma then gets away with one, pulling a short delivery from outside off to just a foot or so short of Taylor at short midwicket. He looks a little eager to get to his 50.
And who says Test cricket is boring?!?
— Peter Miller (@TheCricketGeek) January 25, 2016
71st over: South Africa 198-4 (Bavuma 49, Amla 85) There’s a little bit of dark cloud in the distance and there is a bit of rain forecast for tomorrow – although it’s worth bearing in mind the forecasts have been useless this series – so South Africa might want to put the foot down a bit. One from the first four balls, then Bavuma hooks nicely behind square for four, keeping it nice and low. That was an attempted bouncer that the 5’3” Bavuma played from nipple height.
70th over: South Africa 193-4 (Bavuma 45, Amla 84) Really nice bit of fielding from Anderson at slip when Bavuma chops it down into the ground and Jimmy dives to his right to stop it one-handed on the bounce. A couple of singles casually worked into the off side are all that come from this over. Lead is 326.
69th over: South Africa 191-4 (Bavuma 44, Amla 83) Cook too leaves the field, leaving li’l Joe Root in charge. Amla drives his first ball with ordinary timing through extra cover for his single, then Woakes sends a pea roller off the outside edge and past off stump. A lovely – from the batsman’s perspective – floaty half volley then gets driven hard through the covers for four more. Almost stealthily, Bavuma moves into the 40s. He gets a single from the last.
68th over: South Africa 185-4 (Bavuma 39, Amla 82) A nurdled single to Amla brings Bavuma on strike and he’s greeted by a big juicy full toss that he drives straight through extra cover for four. I do like this guy a lot – he strikes me as a future No3 for South Africa.
Meanwhile, news from the former Guardian man Andy Wilson.
James Vince reaches his 5th List A century, and his 1st for England Lions, from 116 balls. Lions 220-3 in 41st
— Andy Wilson (@andywiz) January 25, 2016
67th over: South Africa 180--4 (Bavuma 35, Amla 81) After that, Moeen is going off the field. He doesn’t look in any great discomfort so maybe he needs a wee. Two singles, then Bairstow is unable to get more than a finger to a bouncer and they go through for a bye in addition to the wide. On Sky, the commentators are discussing Woakes and conclude that his action is so beautifully, perfectly orthodox that he’s easy for a batsman to read.
Selve disagrees with me on England’s performance here. What does he know?
Eng have done well to peg SA scoring rate. No great urgency either from batsmen.
— mike selvey (@selvecricket) January 25, 2016
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66th over: South Africa 176-4 (Bavuma 34, Amla 80) Round the wicket from Moeen to Bavuma and his line is a touch leg side. He’s lucky to get away with one that’s clipped firmly off the ankles to square leg, then gets swept for a single. Amla nudges the final ball for the same.
65th over: South Africa 174-4 (Bavuma 33, Amla 79) Amla nudges the first ball off his pads for one, instantly ruining Woakes’ chances of bowling his first maiden of the innings. Bavuma does likewise then Amla plays the shot of the day: as dismissive a drive as you’ll see, with no great footwork but absolutely smashed off the front foot through extra cover for four.
64th over: South Africa 168-4 (Bavuma 32, Amla 74) Moeen again after drinks and Bavuma heaves his first ball, too short that it is, through midwicket to take the lead to exactly 300. Amla turns one round the corner for one more.
Phil Russell has been watching too many children’s cartoons: “Hi Dan. Perhaps the Barmy Army think that if Broad is serenaded with Postman Pat he will deliver a wicket.
“On a related note does anyone else think Postman Pat’s so called ‘Special Delivery Service’ is a complete shambles, even amongst the stiff competition offered by other parcel companies? Goods are frequently lost, late, mis-delivered, opened without permission and the extra cost of the additional time and miles put into rectifying these faults must surely mean it is run at a substantial loss. Although perhaps I am missing the point and it is actually a searing post-modern critique of consumer culture and the expectation of instant gratification.”
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Hello again folks. Rubbish hour from Bryant, who never looked like taking a wicket and breaking this 60-run, match-killing partnership. The game is progressing at a glacial rate. South Africa should, probably will, win from here. But if they give England four sessions to save the match and the tourists manage it, this passage of slow batting – 2.63 for the innings – will be criticised.
@tombry Is this going to be Woakes' last Test? 8 wickets in 6 games is a measly return, even if his batting is useful.
— Mike Jakeman (@mikejakeman) January 25, 2016
63rd over: South Africa 166-4 (Bavuma 31, Amla 73) Moeen’s not really achieved a lot and so Cook brings out the big crooked walking stick and hoiks the bowler from the attack. It will be Woakes instead, which somehow feels appropriate for what has been a pretty bland mini session so far. A single from it. And with that, here’s Dan Lucas to guide you through to tea.
62nd over: South Africa 165-4 (Bavuma 30, Amla 73) Bavuma clips a beautifully controlled hook into the deep for a single, a shot that deserved more. Amla, on the other hand, does heave the ball away to square leg for a four. The Barmy Army’s trumpeter plays the theme song to Postman Pat as Broad puffs in, but though his pace is now into the low 80s (mph), the bowler looks a little tired (as well he might).
61st over: South Africa 160-4 (Bavuma 29, Amla 69) A brief flutter as Amla calls Bavuma through for a quick single his junior partner doesn’t much want to take. There’s a brief mid-track stutter, but each of them get safely home.
60th over: South Africa 158-4 (Bavuma 28, Amla 68) The cameras at the ground sweep past the open air press box, the Guardian’s Mike Selvey and Ali Martin sitting next to each other looking pensive. Stuart Broad replaces Anderson, which could rule out the rumour he’s carrying some sort of knock. Amla has a wild old swish across the line, attempting to pull Broad but the ball keeps low-ish and goes over (and wide of) the off stump. There is much shaking of heads from Cook and the bowler.
59th over: South Africa 157-4 (Bavuma 28, Amla 67) Amla drifts across his stumps and works Moeen from outside off to midwicket. Bavuma clips a lovely late cut for three, before Amla works another single. A dab sweep brings Bavuma two and brings up the 50 partnership. South Africa lead by 290.
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58th over: South Africa 150-4 (Bavuma 23, Amla 65) Anderson cuts Bavuma in two with a ball that jags in sharply and catches the batsman on the inside of his back thigh. He’s getting the ball to do things, just without having much luck. Meanwhile, the batsmen are happy enough to just stick around without much thought for scoring. South Africa lead by 283.
57th over: South Africa 150-4 (Bavuma 23, Amla 65) Anderson and Stokesgave the ball a long hard look between overs, and I think I caught Anderson telling Stokes to try shining the other side of the ball. Bavuma sweeps Moeen, a touch uncomfortably, fro outside off to the fine leg boundary. Somewhat more comfortably, a couple of balls later, he smashes a short ball from Moeen high over mid-wicket for four.
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56th over: South Africa 140-4 (Bavuma 14, Amla 64) Amla continues to play Anderson watchfully, safe in the knowledge that he doesn’t really need to score particularly quickly. He runs a single, before there is a muted lbw appeal against Bavuma. An inside edge onto the pads saves him, as England were well aware. South Africa lead by 273
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55th over: South Africa 139-4 (Bavuma 12, Amla 63) That’s it for Broad. Moeen Ali comes on, and it will be interesting to see what turn he finds with Dane Piedt set to be getting a lot of overs in the fourth innings. Not an awful lot, is the answer. Amla runs a single, before Bavuma pops onto his back foot to clip him for another couple. Moeen does get one to skid past Bavuma’s outside edge, with the batsman playing for non-existent turn - and Bairstow whips off the bails just to let Bavuma know he can.
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54th over: South Africa 136-4 (Bavuma 12, Amla 62) That will have Amla thinking. Anderson bowls wide of the off stump, and the ball more or less rolls through to Bairstow behind the stumps. Had that been straight, it would have been French Cricket time. Amla responds to the sense of dead calm, runs-wise, by beautifully clipping Anderson off the back foot for four then, less convincingly, edging to to the third man rope for another one. South Africa’s lead: 269.
53rd over: South Africa 127-4 (Bavuma 12, Amla 53) Will be interesting to see whether De Villiers instructs these two to start swinging the bat about a bit. He’ll probably want to put England in shortly after tea and would possibly rather his crocked bowling attack doesn’t have to bat either. Amla runs a single off Broad, and is lucky he’s not hit by a somewhat optimistic (and wild) attempt to throw down the stumps.
52nd over: South Africa 126-4 (Bavuma 12, Amla 52) A gentle breeze drifts across the ground, as Anderson continues to hit a perfect length - Bavuma is unsure whether to go back or frowards. He opts for the back foot, but the ball keeps low and he bottom edges it, on the bounce, through to Bairstow. Anderson has him guessing at the moment. He goes forward to the final delivery and it bounces, forcing him to jerk his hand off the bat handle. South Africa lead by 259.
51st over: South Africa 126-4 (Bavuma 12, Amla 52) Broad, his pace still down (according to the speed gun at least) at around 77/78mph, is getting the ball to move about however. Bavuma runs him down to third man for three.
50th over: South Africa 123-4 (Bavuma 9, Amla 52) Anderson sweeps in at the other end, and is immediately poked for a couple to third man by Amla. But Anderson finds a touch of extra bounce next ball, possibly just clipping Amla on his damaged hand. He whips it off the bat and shakes it. Next ball, he does the same - playing a difficult delivery with one hand. A fifth ball from Anderson keeps low, before the sixth does the same. Could be a good battle this. 123-4, which is always pleasing.
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49th over: South Africa 121-4 (Bavuma 9, Amla 50) There are a few questions over Stuart Broad, with one or two suggestions he’s carrying some sort of an injury. Perhaps a quick opening burst here and then a long graze. He finds a touch of in swing to Bavuma, who clips an immaculate drive straight back past the bowler but into the stumps to deny him a boundary. Broad responds by beating the outside edge, but his pace is down to 78/9mph as he continues to bowl gentle in swingers to the batsmen. A maiden.
“Sorry to hear about your downturn of a day,” writes Ian Copestake. “Mine took an upturn thanks to the responses earlier to my comic for kids query. If you can pass on my gratitude to my fellow OBOers for their suggestions the upward curve would continue.”
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Play is about to start after lunch. Stuart Broad is pacing out his run up, bowling a few to mid off and generally whirling his arms around a lot. Bavuma is taking strike.
If you’d like to see how Andy Murray is getting along in the Australian Open, Gregg Bakowski has the latest on his match against Bernard Tomic here. Incidentally, Gregg has just done a full sprint of the office in order to go to the loo during a change of ends.
Meanwhile, the continuing generosity of AB de Villiers: it really is an extraordinary motivational tool that he is offering young cricketers around the world. It’s a really touching gesture that a man of his talents has selflessly taken three ducks in a row to prove that it can happen to anyone.
Hello all. England will have mixed feelings about that. They woke up with the rage on, full of fire and brimstone. Trevor Bayliss had clearly got them keyed up for a big day and they were up for the fight. Things started well enough - Jimmy finally finding some form. And then circumstances, like a gloriously gutsy Hashim Amla toughing it out - got in the way. South Africa’s lead of 254 feels on the verge of being match-winning. What will England be happy to chase? Three hundred would make it interesting, with South Africa in the driving seat. Any more than that though …
In other news, I was up early, full of fire and brimstone in order to attack the OBO. Things started well enough - I found some clean clothes - then it all unravelled in the shape of an expensive train ticket, train delays and a somewhat apoplectic email to the office in which there were multiple uses of Big Words, some Minor Words, and then a few Adult Words. Basically, there have been parallels with a Jimmy Anderson spell that starts decently, then goes a bit pear shaped.
In isolation that’s a pretty even session. England, with the ball hooping around, gave themselves hope in the first half hour with Anderson taking two wickets in one over. After that though he took a rest, neither he nor Broad were seen again and – though Stokes bowled with good pace and a touch of danger to get rid of Duminy – South Africa and Hashim Amla ensured there was no Johannesburg-esque collapse and end the session in a position of strength.
Tom Bryant is in the office and will take you through the first hour after lunch. See you in a bit.
Lunch South Africa 121-4
48th over: South Africa 121-4 (Bavuma 9, Amla 50) Nope, it is Stokes once again with the final over of this extended session. Bavuma drives wide of mid on for a single, then Amla blocks the last ball. That’s lunch and South Africa lead by 254.
“Bavuma and Amla, ain’t no passing phase,” HONKS Christopher Dale.
47th over: South Africa 120-4 (Bavuma 8, Amla 50) Moeen comes back, replacing Woakes. He starts with a very nice line, much better than the mixed bag he bowled earlier, and drifts a straight one past the outside edge outside off. With a plethora of close catchers round the bat, Bavuma backs away and chops away against the spin, picking up the only run of the over in the process. Probably only time for one more before lunch.
46th over: South Africa 119-4 (Bavuma 7, Amla 50) This is a long old spell from Stokes – eight overs on the trot. Broad hasn’t been seen since about the fourth over of the day, so they might want to give him a crack before the break.
Amla bottom edges a pull straight into the ground, drawing mild “oohs”, then gets squared up by a right old snorter, snapping like a cobra off a decent length. He leaps, gets his hands down nicely and gloves it to long leg for the single that takes him to a well ground-out half-century before immediately seeking treatment to the top hand having been hit once again.
The lead is up to 252. The highest score ever made to win here is 251. Well, 251 and a career or two.
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45th over: South Africa 117-4 (Bavuma 6, Amla 49) And now we resume. Amla tries to turn one square and jogs through to applause, only for umpire Dharmasena to take away his half-century by signalling leg byes. Woakes goes too full and Bavuma leans into a perfect drive through extra cover, middling it all the way along the ground and away for four. That takes the lead to 250, 15 minutes before lunch.
It looks as though Bavuma was hit on the funny bone. His treatment/suffering at the hands of Phil Collins, continues.
44th over: South Africa 112-4 (Bavuma 2, Amla 49) Another shout for a catch when Bavuma pulls square and in the air. I was going to say it would have been a chance for a taller short leg than Taylor, but on replay that’s wholly unfair. They get a single anyhow, as does Amla three balls later. Stokes gets one to rise and nip back sharply and Bavuma wears that one on the thigh via the inside edge. Ooh and then a shout for lbw as Stokes finds even more swing. It’s given not out and stays not out on review, then Bavuma receives some treatment at the end of the over. Presumably he’s suffering like everyone in the stadium, where they’re playing Phil Collins.
Ben Hall writes: “If the 10-year old niece is showing some interest into the Marvel Universe then I’d say The Amazing Squirrel Girl is a pretty good place to start. Although disappointingly Nuts the squirrel from Notts CCC isn’t in any of the stories.
Also, did you really not get Jason Gill-espie as an apt entrant for the Underwater XI?”
D’oh!
Bavuma is not out
Short as Bavuma may be, this is surely too high. Yep, going clean over leg stump.
Review! Is Bavuma out?
Nips back and hits him on the back thigh pad. Given not out...
43rd over: South Africa 110-4 (Bavuma 1, Amla 48) Amla moves closer to his 50 with a thick outside edge going back; the ball rolling on its merry way down to deep backward point. Bavuma ends the over with a single to get off the mark, pushing out to cover.
In light of Robert Wilson’s email below, I am surprised that South Africa seem content to just coast along at under two an over, especially now the sun has come out and the ball isn’t moving around as much.
42nd over: South Africa 106-4 (Bavuma 0, Amla 45) The partnership is broken at 57. England needed the wicket, but in all honesty it’s probably too late with South Africa’s lead at 239. I know Kyle Abbott isn’t fully fit, but you would imagine they can get enough out of him to win this match. Wicket maiden.
The new man is Temba Bavuma, a quite lovely batsman who will, I reckon, open the batting eventually. His first ball is a nasty bugger, spitting viciously off a length and rising past his face. He drops his hands nicely and gets out the way.
“I’m an Amla admirer,” writes Robert Wilson. “I like almost everything about him. His attitude, his extremely zen take on ‘moxie’ and the Aristotlean perfection of his chin/head hair iconoclasm. But watching him bat always makes me a little sleepy. It’s not the shots – they’re lovely. It’s not the scoring-rate, which is not glacial. There’s just something somnolent about it all (I shouldn’t really admit that Sachin T occasionally feel like this too). Did I really miss Holding singing the Hokey Cokey?”
Wicket! Duminy c Bairstow b Stokes 29
Stokes gets it to move away from the left-hander a touch. Duminy chases it, bat away from the body with the ball a fraction too short to drive, and nicks off.
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41st over: South Africa 106-3 (Duminy 29, Amla 45) Was that a hint of movement from Woakes back into Duminy? I think I might have imagined that, but either way it takes a thick inside edge and dribbles out to mid on for one. That’s in addition to an earlier single from Amla. And a subsequent single from Amla. And another single worked into the on side. Four from the over and it wasn’t quite as eventful as it sounds.
. @DanLucas86 Woakes puts me in mind of a svelter, slightly more dapper Derek Pringle. I wish he wouldn’t.
— Robert Wolf Petersen (@robwolfpetersen) January 25, 2016
40th over: South Africa 102-3 (Duminy 27, Amla 43) Another sign of variable bounce as a slowish short one outside off from Stokes keeps low, goes under Amla’s pull and through to Bairstow on the bounce. The next ball is far more reliable and pulled for one, then there’s some lesser-spotted movement away from the left-hander from the last ball.
Some suggestions for comic books for Ian Copestake’s 10-year-old niece (never thought I’d write that today):
From Tom Paternoster-Howe: “As the dad of a similarly-aged girl who loves comics, I can strongly recommend Phoebe and Her Unicorn. It’s smart, sassy, funny, well written and illustrated. And my daughter likes it too. Also, there are Pippi Longstocking comic books available, which are aimed at slightly younger kids, but will appeal to all fans of the strongest girl in the world.”
And I don’t think Nick Lezard is being serious: “Tell Ian Copestake (24th over) that 2000AD is the one to give his niece. Nothing anti-German there; even Judge Dredd’s inflexible interpretation of the rulebook is, so to speak, international. I wonder what he’d be like as an umpire.”
I’m useless here. I don’t read comic books, because I’m not a massive nerd*.
*I know.
39th over: South Africa 101-3 (Duminy 27, Amla 42) Woakes sends one down the leg side, Amla chases it and there’s a noise. Bairstow goes up for it, but England decline to review and rightly so, as it took the thigh pad. The following ball Amla pulls square for a single. Duminy drives the final ball very nicely, dead straight and Woakes does well to get down and get a hand to it, saving four.
38th over: South Africa 100-3 (Duminy 27, Amla 41) Any speculation on when South Africa might declare? They’ll look to add another 120, accelerating after lunch, I would guess, and have a session and a half or so at England tonight. A maiden.
37th over: South Africa 100-3 (Duminy 27, Amla 41) Some technical issues – from Sky’s end rather than mine – mean that we’re only getting intermittent sound now. Amla moves into the 40s, brings up the team hundred and brings up the 50 partnership all in one, glorious drive on the up through cover point for four. Woakes responds with a bouncer that’s about as threatening as the bloke out of The Corrs.
Richard Mansell writes: “Anderson might have lost some pace, which is inevitable with age. (I know I cannot bowl at 90mph anymore). I’m reminded of Alan Donald; when he could no longer rely on pure pace he had to become a wilier, more controlled and arguably better bowler. The same could be true with Anderson (and many fast bowlers).”
I think you’re right, but I don’t think Anderson/Donald is the right comparison. Pace was never Anderson’s asset – I don’t think he’s ever been the quickest in the England team – but he has improved as a swing bowler as he’s got older.
36th over: South Africa 96-3 (Duminy 27, Amla 37) Stokes continues and is as annoyed as a man stranded on a platform outside London having paid a fortune for a cancelled train (Tom Bryant will be in after lunch) when Duminy’s defensive prod brings a quickly-run single. A couple of balls later the ball jags back into Amla off the pitch, but it’s early movement and well smothered. A thick inside edge out to midwicket brings a single.
35th over: South Africa 94-3 (Duminy 26, Amla 36) Chris Woakes comes into the attack, with Cook presumably hoping that Amla giggles himself to death before adding too many more runs. Woakes starts round the wicket with a grubber, albeit one well outside the batsman’s off stump. Short, wide and crap a couple of balls later though and Duminy cuts hard in front of point for four easy runs. Woakes follows that up by beating the outside edge with a ball as lovely as its predecessor was atrocious. The final ball is worked round the corner for one more.
34th over: South Africa 89-3 (Duminy 21, Amla 36) “Caaaaatch!” is the cry when Duminy top edges a hook from a short one, but there’s no fielder behind square on the leg side who can get close. They take a single. Another short one from Stokes has Amla rocking back, down on to his haunches and evading it nicely. The next ball is that similar I thought it was a replay. That’s drinks and South Africa lead by 222.
33rd over: South Africa 88-3 (Duminy 20, Amla 36) Four more for Duminy, who has swept very well this morning, keeping it low with a paddle from outside off to the long leg rope. He adds one more to the total with a nudge off the pads.
32nd over: South Africa 83-3 (Duminy 15, Amla 36) Amla nudges one off his hips for a single. After a shaky start to the morning, the former captain is looking very composed now and well poised to take this match beyond saving for England today. Stokes goes short to Duminy, who pulls hard; it bounces just in front of Taylor, who’s in a touch of pain after being hit on the wrist making the diving stop. At least he prevented the boundary. No such luck though from the final ball of the over, which Amla guides behind point and down to the fence.
31st over: South Africa 77-3 (Duminy 14, Amla 31) A push out to mid on brings Amla a run and takes the lead to 200. Make that 206, as Duminy steps down the wicket, gets to the pitch of the ball perfectly and deposits it with little fanfare over the midwicket rope, over the net and into the deep end of the swimming pool. That was magnificent. The batsmen exchange swept-behind-square singles and that makes 11 from a pretty duff over.
Meanwhile the microphones in the commentary box, which must be very sensitive as they’ve been picking up background chatter all day, capture the glorious sound of Michael Holding singing the Hokey Cokey.
30th over: South Africa 66-3 (Duminy 5, Amla 29) Ben Stokes comes on for Anderson, which will probably come as a relief to JP Duminy at least. As will be the fact that the sun is forcing its way through the clouds. That said, Stokes, with four for 86, was easily England’s best bowler in the first innings of the match. This over proves a stalemate between bowler and batsman.
29th over: South Africa 66-3 (Duminy 5, Amla 29) I wonder if Amla might look to go after Moeen here to try and knock the spinner’s confidence on a pitch that should suit him. He did, after all, bowl like a drain in the first innings. This is better though – a second maiden on the spin.
There’s a cry of “catch it” as the ball loops up off the pad, but at no point did it get anywhere near the bat.
28th over: South Africa 66-3 (Duminy 5, Amla 29) Again Anderson is getting it to tail in late to Amla, who turns the second ball off his ankles for a single. That brings Duminy on strike and Cook sticks in a fourth slip for him.
@DanLucas86 What was it that #ABdeV said about @jimmyanderson98 before this test…I forget. #SAvENG
— Andy Johnstone (@ajophoto) January 25, 2016
In fairness, Anderson’s pace isn’t what it used to be. He’s getting it to move appreciably though and, if you take De Villiers’ words out of context, they do make him look a touch silly. Apparently De Villiers is the first South African captain to get a pair since 1912. Overrated.
27th over: South Africa 65-3 (Duminy 5, Amla 28) Down the wicket to the spinner comes Duminy, driving nicely with the strike but straight to Anderson at mid off. A maiden.
26th over: South Africa 65-3 (Duminy 5, Amla 28) Shot from Amla. Anderson overpitches outside off and it’s laced dismissively through cover for four. England will be happy with the wickets and the swing they’re getting so far, but that’ll be naff all good if there are too many more of those.
25th over: South Africa 61-3 (Duminy 5, Amla 24) Broad is taken out of the attack early, replaced by Moeen and he has a shout for lbw straight away, although I reckon it’s too high and they scramble a scratchy leg bye. Amla, a far better player of spin, works one with the spin and wide of mid on for two, then repeats the trick for half the reward. Duminy paddle sweeps the next one very fine round the corner for his first boundary.
“Would you mind being a little more reticent about Primavera?” asks Glenn Hatrick It has two great selling points: Europe’s best festival line-up and very few Brits. Let’s keep it on the down-low, shall we?”
Apologies. I’m afraid a bunch of the Guardian sport desk do already have tickets.
24th over: South Africa 53-3 (Duminy 1, Amla 21) Round the wicket from Anderson to Duminy and the first ball leaps up sharply for Bairstow to take above his head. It’s too far outside off stump to trouble the batsman, but it shows that scoring runs isn’t going to be easy. As does the next ball, which hoops away from the outside edge as Duminy pushes at it. He gets out of the firing line with a nudge out to cover for one, then a full one from Anderson thuds into Amla’s pads – it’s swinging that much that it would have missed leg by a mile though and they run one.
Duminy backs out of a shot late – distracted by a low-flying bird – and is relieved to see Anderson’s delivery pass over the stumps. The final ball brings another leg bye.
A request from Ian Copestake: “While we await the hoped for batting collapse/blinding bowling spell, I wonder if I might ask for recommendations from those who can suggest a comic I can introduce my 10 year old niece to. She is German and as such my old copies of Victor just don’ cut it.”
23rd over: South Africa 50-3 (Duminy 0, Amla 21) A bouncer from Broad is called wide, thus bringing up the South African 50. Two balls later there’s a sharp intake of breath as he jags one back in, sharply and late, to Amla, who just jabs his bat down on it and gets the pad back out the way in time. England’s first half hour, that.
Robin Hazlehurst writes to point out that underwater cricket is already a thing.
22nd over: South Africa 49-3 (Duminy 0, Amla 21) Cook falls to the first ball of the over, bringing the South African captain to the crease on a pair... oh and he’s got one as well! Out second ball. Since taking the captaincy, De Villiers has made scores of 36, 0, 0, 0. In comes a fourth slip for JP Duminy. Ooh the final ball of the over is a peach, round the wicket to the left-hander and swinging very late, coming in from wide of off stump, missing it by six inches or so and Bairstow takes it down the leg side.
This is lovely bowling from Anderson – the one to AB especially swung back in a long long way at good pace.
Wicket! De Villiers lbw b Anderson 0
There’s no inside edge and this looks like it’s hitting leg stump to me... yes it is, halfway up!
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Review! De Villiers lbw b Anderson 0
Anderson hits him on the pad and it’s given! De Villiers reviews immediately...
Wicket! Cook c Bairstow b Anderson 25
Full and swinging ever so slightly away from the right-hander. Cook goes for a big booming cover drive and just nicks it through to the keeper. Game on!
21st over: South Africa 49-1 (Cook 25, Amla 21) Fuller from Broad to Amla; the bowler probably knows that it will be painful for the batsman to get forward and drive. Broad gets one to keep very low, but it’s well outside off stump. Then from the final ball Amla does bring out the drive – effortless and classy as ever – and sends it skimming through cover for the first four of the day.
20th over: South Africa 45-1 (Cook 25, Amla 17) Amla looks a tiny bit uncomfortable out there, instinctively dropping his bottom hand as Jimmy jars the bat from slightly back of a length. A dab wide of the slips gives him a single and a respite from the strike, and Anderson beats Cook first ball.
@DanLucas86 yet another new ball wasted by bowling short and wide. For all that is holy they're trolling us
— AndyinBrum (@AndyinBrum) January 25, 2016
Yep. They’ve been a bit straighter this morning, at least.
19th over: South Africa 44-1 (Cook 25, Amla 16) Broad from the other end. Cook leaves his fourth ball with an extremely elegant flourish of the bat – almost a no-shot version of Dhoni’s helicopter. A gentle push out through cover brings the first two runs of the morning, but the next ball has the opener fishing and getting nowt on it.
“Morning Dan,” begins Alex Easdale.
“Apropos of not much (fuelled by beer and jaegermeister) some and friends I keenly, and sometimes furiously, debated the likely outcome for test cricket in the year 3000 should Busted’s prediction that “not much has changed...but they live underwater” come to pass. Unable to resolve how this would affect future cricket (apart from making movement off the bream a core skill), we set our minds to a team of potential time-travellers to the start of the fourth millennium thrash this out once and for all.
Salmon Katich
Virender Seaweed
Jacques Kallis
Sashimi Tendulkar
VVS Loxman
Inzamam ul-Hake
Kelpler Wessels
Shaun Pollock
Jason Gillespie
Morne Snorkel
Steven Finn
12th man: Glenn Mackerel
Umpire: Cod Tucker
“Selection notes: our predominantly sub-continental batting lineup, plus all pace attack shows our expectation for low, slow drop-in pitches near the surface with little spin or indeed movement. Snorkel, however, is however likely to be found out of his depth in rockier ocean bottom conditions, with Mackerel expected to come in and shore up the batting.”
You’ve lost me on the Jason Gillespie one, I’m afraid. And I went to the SeaLife centre the other day for my 30th. Yes, really.
18th over: South Africa 42-1 (Cook 23, Amla 16) Jimmy Anderson is going to open things up with something of a point to prove after (a) AB de Villers’ comments about him losing his pace and (b) an ordinary series so far in which he has been down on pace.
There’s a wee bit of cloud cover but no thunderstorms it seems as Amla faces, with three slips behind him. The second ball spits up a touch and Amla, who was hit on the thumb by Stokes yesterday, drops his bottom hand sharply off the handle. There’s the tiniest soupçon of movement for Jimmy, but nowhere near enough to trouble a batsman this good and that’s a maiden.
We are about to begin. Or rather the players are.
You can probably ignore that top run chase, for obvious reasons. “Five grand and a leather jacket,” says Marcus Trescothick on Sky.
“You can’t say that!” gasps Gower.
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For what it’s worth:
Ian Copestake writes: “As I said in my note that I left in the kitchen, I didn’t drink your wine. I shared it among the others in the commune. I have to say that ever since you started writing actual news for that paper your energy has changed.”
I wasn’t even aware Ian Copestake had moved into my flat.
15 minutes to go until South Africa begin building their lead to 350 before bowling England out for 123. Here’s another Primavera-themed song for you in the meantime.
The first email of the day comes from Rob Wolf Petersen.
“Morning Dan. Sorry to hear you’re up so early. I’m in Bali. When England fall on their faces in dead rubbers like this, I tend to think of it as a tribute to all the dismal failures of the 90s in live rubbers. Like the band getting back together one more time to reprise a familiar tune. It doesn’t have the same gut-wrenching emotional impact, of course, but there’s a certain perverse nostalgia nonetheless. Hope you’re not too cold!”
Thanks Rob. The sympathy was palpable in the first line.
Weather watch: Storms are forecast for around 10am and 2pm local time.
Allegedly a few thunderstorms forecast today. Luckily we've got those extra, 26 minutes exactly this morning.
— Antoinette Muller (@mspr1nt) January 25, 2016
I mentioned earlier that England wasted the new ball yesterday. That’s an accusation we’ve heard levelled at them a hell of a lot over the last few years – certainly less than it’s been said about the opposition, given England’s struggles to find an opening partner for Alastair Cook.
Stuart Broad tends to cop the most flak for this, and it’s one of the reasons I’ve seen floating around that we can’t count him among England’s all-time greats (nonsense). The counter-argument is, of course, that Broad is more capable than anyone – bar perhaps Flintoff – in recent memory of bowling a great, match-winning spell*.
What’s interesting though, is that wasting the new ball isn’t necessarily a problem for international cricket’s King Joffrey. If we use Rob Smyth’s very handy examination of Broad’s five best bowling performances as a guide, plus the 6-17 in Johannesburg, we can see that of the 38 wickets he’s taken, less than half have been with the ball less than a dozen overs old.
5-37 V AUSTRALIA, 2009
Watson 22.6, Ponting 26.6, Hussey 28.3, North 35.3, Haddin 38.4
6-46 V INDIA, 2011
Tendulkar 43.6, Yuvraj 85.4, Dhoni 87.3, Harbhajan 87.4, Praveen 87.5, Sharma 91.1
7-44 V NEW ZEALAND, 2013
Fulton 1.3, Rutherford 5.1, Taylor 5.3, Williamson 9.4, McCullum 11.4, Southee 15.2, Martin 21.6
6-50 V AUSTRALIA, 2013
Clarke 48.1, Smith 50.3, Haddin 52.5, Harris 56.6, Lyon 60.4, Siddle 68.3
8-15 V AUSTRALIA, 2015
Rogers 0.3, Smith 0.6, Marsh 2.4, Voges 4.1, Clarke 6.1, Starc 12.4, Johnson 12.6, Lyon 18.3
6-17 V SOUTH AFRICA, 2016
Elgar 7.5, Van Zyl 11.6, De Villiers 13.5, Amla 15.3, Bavuma 17.5, Du Plessis 31.1
*Of his seven five-wicket spells, four have been in series-winning victories, too.
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While I do some stat digging, why not have a read of Ali Martin on the man who stole the show yesterday, South Africa’s thrilling 20-year-old Kagiso Rabada?
Kagiso Rabada began the series against England waiting in the wings but he will now end it as the most significant player to emerge for defeated South Africa. On a gloomy, overcast third day of the fourth Test, it was the 20-year-old fast bowler who shone brightest with figures of seven for 112 in 29 overs in only his third Test on home soil.
“I don’t think I’ve arrived yet,” said Rabada, who felt his maiden five-wicket Test haul at the Wanderers last week was superior. “It felt good but, honestly, I didn’t think I bowled that well, just OK in spells. I’ll take it though, I’m happy.”
Lithe in action, probing in line and seemingly mature beyond his years, Rabada would add to the overnight scalps of Alex Hales and Nick Compton by gutting England’s middle order with three wickets in the space of 12 balls before lunch.
Preamble
Morning, folks. England’s task this morning is simple: get Stuart Broad to do that thing he does where he takes six-to-eight wickets for fewer than 20 runs. As long as Alastair Cook gets his captaincy right and instructs Broad to do that, then England should cruise home.
What? Oh. The truth is, this game is probably beyond saving for the tourists, unless the weather gods deign to bail them out. The new ball has been pretty well wasted again, South Africa lead by 175 and have nine wickets in hand.
With bounce about as reliable as that flatmate who swears he didn’t drink your wine, cracks widening, Morne Morkel bowling and Kagiso Rabada turning out to be pretty bloody excellent, England will probably struggle to chase 220. Hell, they could well struggle to chase 175. A weather/Broad-induced miracle is pretty much their only hope now.
Cricket is ludicrous, so play begins at 8.04am GMT, or 10.04 local time on account of the bad light that curtailed play yesterday. Which means I’m in the office at 7am, having got up at 5. Just wanted to let you know the sacrifices I make for you guys.
Here is some music to celebrate the quite awesome lineup for the Primavera festival.
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