England took the honours on the first day of the first Castle Lager/MTN cricket Test against South Africa at St George’s Park on Friday, largely as a result of some excellent bowling by Andrew Flintoff and Matthew Hoggard, on a hot blustery day. South Africa ended the day on 273 for seven.
South Africa got off to the worst possible start after winning the toss and deciding to bat. Graeme Smith was out to the second ball of the match, when he edged a ball from Matthew Hoggard to Andrew Strauss at third slip.
Jacques Rudolph and his Titans teammate AB de Villiers, playing in his first Test, began to pull things back for South Africa with a partnership of 63.
De Villiers started off nervously, but soon gained confidence and was going well when he was given out lbw to Andrew Flintoff for 28. He was a trifle unlucky, as the ball appeared to be going over the top of the stumps.
Jacques Kallis faced just seven balls before he was bowled by Steve Harmison for nought, and South Africa were reeling on 66 for three. Rudolph was joined by Boeta Dippenaar, and they took the score to 83 for three at lunch.
If the morning session belonged to England, the afternoon session was evenly poised. England went into defensive mode, and Ashley Giles brought the run rate down from four an over to less than three, bowling four consecutive maiden overs.
However, Rudolph and Dippenaar managed to hang on to their wickets, and went to tea on 164 for three.
Rudolph was out shortly after tea as he approached his fifth Test century.
Flintoff went on the attack, hitting Rudolph on the helmet with one delivery, and the next Rudolph top-edged the ball straight to wicketkeeper Geraint Jones. He was out for 93, and had hit 14 fours. He and Dippenaar shared a partnership of 112 runs.
After Zander de Bruyn had come and gone for six, Dippenaar and Shaun Pollock shared a partnership of 61 before Pollock, who had started off very aggressively, became the first victim of the new ball.
He was caught by Marcus Trescothick off Matthew Hoggard for 30, including five fours. Andrew Hall, the hero of the first Test in India, was bowled by Hoggard in his next over, for six.
Hoggard ended with figures of three for 41 and Flintoff took three for 62.
Steve Harmison, currently ranked number one in the world, was disappointing, with figures of one for 33.
Hoggard said afterwards that he thought England had been in control of the match throughout the day.
”It was nice to get an early wicket — it put us in the ascendancy for most of the day. Even when we weren’t getting wickets, South Africa couldn’t get away from us, so it was a great first day.”
Rudolph said South Africa had been hoping to make 400 in their first innings, but with the score on 273 for seven, would now be looking for about 350 runs.
”Anything more would be a bonus,” he said.
He said the wicket had been a bit slow, but expected it to quicken a little.
”With the wind drying it out, there will come a phase when it will take a little more turn.”
Rudolph had plenty of praise for De Villiers.
”It was quite an emotional moment,” he said. ”We went to the same school, and so it was a special occasion for both of us to bat together. He was a little nervous at the start, but as soon as he had a few boundaries, he was a bit more settled.
”I’ m sure he would like to have got more runs, but I think he played well.” — Sapa