With bad light having curtailed play on day two, South Africa resume their first innings on 256-6 on day three - 25 runs ahead Ryan Sidebottom makes an early breakthrough for England when he induces an outside edge from Prince to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose A rain shower threatens to hold up play, but as the players leave the field, the rain suddenly stops before they reach the boundary Soon after the resumption, the Proteas lose their eighth wicket as Morne Morkel is trapped lbw by James Anderson for 18 Andre Nel follows in the next over, after his stumps are demolished by Sidebottom to leave the tourists on 298-9 Boucher is eventually superbly caught by Michael Vaughan for 40 as South Africa are bowled out for 314 - a first-innings lead of 83 After rain between innings forces the players to take an early lunch, the exuberant Nel takes the new ball with Morkel Batting for the second time, England soon lose Alastair Cook when he miscues a pull and Boucher has to run to take a diving catch Nel finally has something to celebrate after he removes skipper Vaughan, who is superbly caught by Hashim Amla for 17 Vaughan turns to check the replay screen, but his wretched run of form with the bat continues Play is briefly halted when umpire Aleem Dar's hat blows away, but it is retrieved by ballboy Matthew Blaylock But the wickets continue to tumble for England as Andrew Strauss edges Morkel to Jacques Kallis at second slip, leaving them 70-3 Ian Bell makes just 20 before succumbing to a top-edged pull, and is caught by Boucher in similar fashion to the way Cook was earlier But Kevin Pietersen marshals England well as they reach 126-4 by the delayed tea interval - 43 runs ahead Paul Collingwood, under severe pressure for his place, finds his rhythm after tea and works his way to a gritty half-century Pietersen even tries a few left-handed "switch-hits" as his partnership with Collingwood passes 100 But on 94, Pietersen holes out at mid-on going for a six - he slams his bat down in frustration, while the bowler Paul Harris is ecstatic Andrew Flintoff lasts just four balls before spooning a bat-pad catch, while his brief innings is interrupted by a male streaker (not pictured) But Collingwood succeeds where Pietersen failed, lofting Harris for six to complete a defiant century before the close Having added an unbroken stand of 76 with Tim Ambrose, England end day three on 297-6 - 214 runs ahead of South Africa
|
Bookmark with:
What are these?