England took a series of giant strides towards gaining the first victory in the series, with the dismissals of the entire South African top order betraying some real tension and nervousness within their camp. England's mammoth 575-9 declared gave them a lead of 232 runs - and the hosts' second innings could hardly have got off to a worse start. Ashwell Prince prodded at Graeme Swann's second ball as if it was about to explode in his face, and the inside edge into his pad was brilliantly caught low down at silly point by Ian Bell.  | It was potentially the killer blow and it was most unusual to see Kallis play so tentatively and with such uncertainty |
It was the third delivery Swann had bowled to Prince in the series, and the second time he had dismissed him. Two overs later, and the last before tea, Hashim Amla drove loosely at Swann and the ball screwed out to mid-wicket. It should have been a warning to the stylish number three that you can only aim a drive at the off spinner if you are absolutely to the pitch of the ball. But, unbelievably, he did the same to the next ball, only for it to spin between bat and pad and bowl him for six. Immediately after tea, the vastly experienced Jacques Kallis offered no shot to a ball from Stuart Broad that came back slightly to strike the off stump. It was potentially the killer blow and it was most unusual to see Kallis play so tentatively and with such uncertainty, so it beggared belief when AB deVilliers did exactly the same thing four overs later and was out lbw for two. Next ball, JP Duminy also tried to remove his bat, but did so too late and the ball cannoned into his stumps. Graeme Smith, at the non striker's end, sunk to his knees. Three overs later he perished lbw to Swann for 22 and the Barmy Army erupted into song. With England on such a roll it was a shame that the light deteriorated to the point at which the floodlights were not enough to keep the players on the field, but England will return on the final morning knowing that victory is now within their grasp. They played the third day absolutely perfectly with Bell and Matt Prior batting fluently in the first hour until Prior tried to attack Duminy and chopped the ball into his stumps for 60 from 81 balls. | 606: DEBATE |
The need to ensure that England established a truly commanding lead meant that Bell and Broad batted more circumspectly until lunch. But Bell was able to reach his first hundred in 19 Test innings with an authoritative four down the ground off Paul Harris. His was a genuinely lovely innings, played at just the right pace. It is also true that every hundred he has scored for England has come when runs are already on the board and another batsman has also scored a century. We can only hope that this innings will restore his confidence and encourage him to produce the goods when England are 80-4, rather than 300-4.
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