England were on the verge of victory when bad light stopped play 13 minutes early on the fourth day of the first Castle Lager/MTN Test against South Africa at St George’s Park on Monday.
England, chasing the modest target of 142 for victory, were 93 for three at stumps.
But former South African captain Shaun Pollock insisted that while South Africa were down, they were definitely not out.
”They still have to make 49,” he said. ”It’s a funny old game, and anything can happen. We’ve fought hard, and we certainly haven’t given up yet. Forty-nine — seven wickets — it’s happened before.”
Inexperience and a lack of discipline by some of the bowlers in the first innings were among the main factors in the probable South African defeat.
The last two wickets of England’s first innings cost 67 runs, and South Africa also conceded a record 57 extras, including 35 no-balls.
South Africa started the day on 99 for two, with a narrow lead of 11 runs.
They lost the important wickets of Graeme Smith and Boeta Dippenaar before lunch. Smith lost his wicket due to a brilliant catch by Simon Jones at long leg.
This catch appeared to have given Jones extra confidence, because he ripped through the South African batting order after lunch, taking four wickets for 18 runs in a spell of seven overs and one ball, to have South Africa all out for 229.
”It was good to break up what looked to be a very worrying partnership,” he said of his catch. ”Smith and Kallis were both looking to be in very good nick, and we wanted to keep the runs down to a minimum. It was a very big wicket for us.”
He said the catch had probably boosted his confidence and helped him with his outstanding bowling performance in the afternoon.
”I felt really good.”
His first was the crucial wicket of Jacques Kallis, who was trapped lbw for 61. Pollock was unlucky to be given out, caught by Geraint Jones off the next ball, when television replays showed he probably didn’t touch the ball, but Andrew Hall survived the hat-trick ball. Jones bowled Thami Tsolekile (0), and Makhaya Ntini (four) was given out lbw.
The last wicket to fall was that of Andrew Hall (17), who was run out by Graham Thorpe as he set out on a suicidal second run in a vain effort to protect Dale Steyn.
South Africa started off brilliantly when Pollock dismissed Marcus Trescothick, caught by Tsolekile, with the first ball of England’s second innings, and Ntini struck two overs later to dismiss Mark Butcher, caught at slip by Smith, for a duck.
Debutant Dale Steyn bowled Michael Vaughan with the last ball of his first over, and England had lost three wickets for 50 runs.
But South African-born Andrew Strauss and Graham Thorpe kept the scoreboard ticking over, and when the umpires call play off, England needed just 49 runs with seven wickets in hand.
Pollock said he believes the two teams are very evenly matched, and predicted a very exciting series.
”It’s been good Test cricket, with some very exciting moments. We haven’t played anywhere like we would have wanted to, and yet we’ve still competed, so it’s nice that it’s a five-Test series.
”There should be some good entertainment.” — Sapa