South Africa’s Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn each claimed four wickets as England were dismissed for 203 at tea on the first day of the second Test at Headingley on Friday.
Morkel claimed 4-52 and his fellow paceman Steyn 4-76 to vindicate their captain’s decision to bowl first in favourable dull and humid conditions.
England’s 200 was raised with four wides from Morkel in an extended session because of their being nine men down.
Resuming on 70-3 after lunch, England failed to build on promising partnerships as all of the top eight batsmen reached double figures — with the exception of captain Michael Vaughan — only to then fail to go on to a substantial score. Kevin Pietersen top scored with 45 from 46 balls.
The most interesting sequence of the afternoon session came with the arrival of Andrew Flintoff, appearing in his first Test in 18 months after injuries.
The former skipper came to the crease at number seven with the score on 123-5, but was unable to stop the slide.
Flintoff registered his initial runs from his second ball with a back foot drive for four.
His second scoring stroke was more authoritative as Morkel’s short and wide delivery was cut away. Flintoff then struck another boundary off the back foot, through backward point.
His fourth boundary, which took him to 16, was again played through gully but was hit firmly over head height off Morkel’s bowling. His risky stroke-play finally caught up with him when he edged Steyn to wicketkeeper Mark Boucher.
Under pressure and out of form wicketkeeper-batsman Tim Ambrose, promoted to number six ahead of Flintoff, could not take his opportunity and nicked a Makhaya Ntini ball to Boucher for just 12 when the bowler came around the wicket.
Pietersen threatened the tourists with some majestic stroke-play, especially the drive through extra cover for four off the back foot from Steyn the ball before he was dismissed.
But he attempted one boundary too many when he edged the ball to Graeme Smith at first slip.
Ian Bell, who plundered 199 at Lord’s, was England’s other batsman who looked impressive, but he played on to a wide out-swinger from Jacques Kallis for 31.
Earlier, Darren Pattinson was awarded a debut and became England’s 640th Test player after Ryan Sidebottom failed a fitness test and all-rounder Flintoff came in as Paul Collingwood was dropped.
South Africa named an unchanged team after opener Neil McKenzie passed a test on his groin strain. — Reuters