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Jonathan Agnew column

Third Test, Cape Town: South Africa v England
Venue: Newlands Dates: 3-7 January Start time: 0830 GMT
Coverage: Listen to Test Match Special on BBC Radio Four Longwave, Radio 5 live sports extra, the Red Button and BBC Sport website; text commentary online and on mobile phones. Also live on Sky Sports

Jonathan Agnew
By Jonathan Agnew
BBC cricket correspondent

A typically well organised and unflustered hundred by Jacques Kallis frustrated England, who failed to find the knockout blow in favourable bowling conditions on the opening day at Newlands.

Jacques Kallis reaches his century
With the weather closing in...Kallis was put under no pressure whatsoever in reaching his hundred

Andrew Strauss would not have been reckoning on bowling first during nets the day before the Test when the temperature exceeded 30 degrees.

But a sudden change overnight brought low cloud and drizzle which delayed the start of play for half an hour, and after winning a good toss, he stuck South Africa in.

Ashwell Prince appears to have talked himself out of confidence by revealing that he does not like opening the batting, and he was out to only the fourth ball of the match when he edged James Anderson to Matt Prior for a duck.

Three balls later, Graeme Smith edged Graham Onions straight to second slip. It was a catch that Paul Collingwood would have taken 10 times out of 10 - but he was at fine leg, nursing his dislocated finger.

Instead, Graeme Swann completely muffed it, and Smith escaped until edging his first ball after lunch to Prior for 30. Hashim Amla had already fallen lbw to a straight delivery from Onions for 14, so South Africa were 51-3 at that stage.

But the heavy skies lifted, the sun came out and a strong southerly blew straight down the ground. Batting became easier and Jacques Kallis and AB de Villiers set about rescuing the situation as England's quick bowlers dropped too short.

It took a lapse in concentration by de Villiers, who clipped Swann straight to Strauss at short mid-wicket to end the partnership of 76 and, next ball, JP Duminy edged Swann to Prior to register his second golden duck on the trot.

Again, as at Durban, it was a weak, indeterminate stroke which restored the balance England's way.

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Despite the bounce becoming more obviously variable, Kallis and Mark Boucher dug in to add 89 before Broad claimed Boucher lbw for 51.

With the weather closing in, and the floodlights on, Strauss then gambled in bowling Swann and Pietersen to get to the second new ball as quickly as possible.

His thinking was reasonable, but the result was that too many soft runs were given away and Kallis was put under no pressure whatsoever in reaching his hundred.

After 80 overs, South Africa were 265-8 with Kallis on 104, and the partnership with Dale Steyn worth 49.

They added a further 14 before a particularly dim piece of thinking by Onions - who bowled a bouncer to Steyn in poor light - heralded the close of play.



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see also
Kallis century holds up England
03 Jan 10 |  England
England wrap up emphatic Test win
30 Dec 09 |  England
Michael Vaughan Q&A
31 Dec 09 |  Cricket
South Africa v England photos
29 Dec 09 |  England
Live cricket on the BBC
26 Oct 11 |  Cricket
England in South Africa 2009-10
17 Jan 10 |  England


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