OWN CORRESPONDENT, Centurion | Friday 6.45pm.
IT has been a hard day at the office for the South African batsmen, and after 45 overs of a rain-delayed first innings the home side is back in the dressing room on 155/6.
England skipper Nasser Hussain won the toss and sent the South Africans in to bat on wicket that was more than a little reminiscent of the first Test Wanderers pitch.
The pacy, uneven wicket provided an ideal hunting ground for England’s seamers and it was not long before Gary Kirsten was on his way back to the dressing room courtesy of Darren Gough.
Gough had Kirsten caught at second slip by Chris Adams for a duck, and the latter combined with Andy Caddick to have Herschelle Gibbs taking the long walk back for three runs. Gibs was surprised by a sharp, rising delivery which came off his glove.
Play was stopped briefly due to rain just as Jacques Kallis and Daryll Cullinan were hitting their stride, and Kallis was dismissed shortly after the restart by Caddick, who bowled him for 25 runs.
South Africa were in desperate trouble on 50/3 when skipper Hansie Cronje entered the fray. Cronje’s tenure at the crease was short-lived, however, as he was caught by Darren Maddy at short-leg for a duck off Gough’s bowling.
Pieter Strydom, who at 30 became a Test debutante, was the next man in, and he, together with Cullinan led a brief revival before he was dismissed for 30.
With the score on 102/5, Strydom was given out caught-behind by umpire Hair to a delivery that brushed his shirt as it passed. Chris Silverwood was credited with the dismissal.
Daryll Cullinan was in fine form, striking a number of boundaries before he skied a delivery to be caught and bowled Allan Mullally, four runs short of his half-ton.
The men who will continue the South African first-innings on Saturday are Shaun Pollock and Lance Klusener. Klusener is the senior partner on 22, while South Africa’s vice-captain is on nine.
The pick of the England bowlers were Goigh and Caddick with two wickets apiece, for 46 and 29 runs respectively.
South Africa 1st innings:
G Kirsten c Adams b Gough 0
HH Gibbs c Adams b Caddick 3
JH Kallis b Caddick 25
DJ Cullinan c & b Mullally 46
*WJ Cronje c Maddy b Gough 0
PC Strydom c Stewart b Silverwood 30
L Klusener not out 22
SM Pollock not out 9
Extras (b 2, lb 8, w 3, nb 7) 20
Total (6 wickets, 45 overs) 155