After a thoroughly frustrating opening afternoon in the second Test of the series in Durban, in which England failed to take a wicket in helpful bowling conditions, the bowlers struck back. Helped by the run out of Graeme Smith, they claimed three wickets for 10 runs to gain a narrow advantage.  | Graeme Swann again bowled rather more overs than he might have expected, but he found some spin and it was a surprise that Kallis, in particular, did not get after him |
As in the opening Test at Centurion, this was not a bad toss to lose. Christmas Day had been a damp affair here, the humidity was intense and the pitch had a tinge of green. Smith acknowledged at the time that his team might face an awkward morning, and in the 10th over South Africa had slipped to 10-2, with James Anderson finding the edge of Ashwell Prince's bat, and Hashim Amla - who is not at his best in these conditions - playing around a full delivery from Stuart Broad to fall lbw. England were right on top, leaving Smith and Jacques Kallis fighting for survival. But I thought they missed a trick against Smith who, like all left-handers, is vulnerable to the ball swinging into his pads, but was not tested at all. Every ball from Anderson was pushed across him and while he beat the bat on occasions, Smith clung on. The inswinger to the left hander opens up so many more options - bowled, lbw and caught at short leg - but Smith and Kallis proceeded carefully to put together the stand of 150 that dominated the afternoon. Graeme Swann again bowled rather more overs than he might have expected, but he found some spin and it was a surprise that Kallis, in particular, did not get after him as he had at Centurion to put more pressure on the quicker bowlers in what was intense heat. In the end, Swann went round the wicket and slid one across Kallis which took the edge and gave Paul Collingwood another catch at slip which, as always, he made look ridiculously easy. Kallis made 75 from 132 balls and three overs later, Smith badly misjudged a run when he pushed Graham Onions into the off side and, after a mix-up with AB deVilliers, was run out by Alistair Cook also for 75. | 606: DEBATE |
This was a real bonus for England and as the storm clouds rolled in from the west, JP Duminy was trapped on his crease, looking for the bouncer, and was lbw to Onions to a ball which nipped back off the seam. This is the weather pattern for the whole Test, so the batsmen from both sides can expect to be challenged and England will want to bowl South Africa out for no more than 260.
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