For the second time in three Tests, Graham Onions - England's last man - had to bat out the final over of the Test to avoid defeat.  | The hammer blow was Bell's dismissal, for an outstanding 78, which ushered Onions to the crease with 17 balls remaining |
With the same measure of calm and ease he displayed at Centurion, he saw off Morne Morkel to ensure that England cannot lose this series. The backbone of the final day's resistance was the superbly focussed and disciplined batting by Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell, who batted together for 57 overs and denied an increasingly frustrated South Africa the victory they needed. Having to claim seven wickets on the final day, South Africa might have reckoned on winning two out of three games from that position, but Collingwood and Bell withstood everything that was thrown at them - including the main threat; the second new ball. As the overs counted down, the Barmy Army's chanting grew in confidence while, in the middle, Graeme Smith stood at slips with his hands planted on his hips. Dale Steyn bowled magnificently, and might have cleaned up England on another day. Fast outswingers repeatedly beat Collingwood's groping bat in particular, and there was a lovely moment when, acknowledging Steyn's skill, Collingwood hit him playfully on the arm. Steyn returned the gesture - even in the heat of battle, it is still possible to show respect to your opponent. It was the afternoon session that broke South Africa's hearts. Bell and Collingwood battled throughout the two-hour spell, adding only 51 runs but weathering the new ball, which Smith hoped would bring about England's destruction. Collingwood had promised that he was going to bore everyone today, and he altered his technique to reduce his backlift to virtually nothing and simply blocked even the longest half-volley. Bell looked fluent and assured - this should be the innings that proves he is capable of batting under pressure. | 606: DEBATE |
As the afternoon wore on, Smith was hampered by an injury to Friedel de Wet but he was strangely reluctant to turn to the off spinner JP Duminy until the final over before tea. Duminy made the ball turn and bounce - it was a mystery that he had not been brought on earlier. In the knowledge that England could not possibly win, Smith brought in more fielders around the bat to apply pressure. What he needed was one wicket to expose a new batsman and, with 14 overs left, Duminy slid an arm ball across Collingwood's defensive bat and Jacques Kallis took a good low slip catch to end Collingwood's four-and-a-half hour stay. So Matt Prior was surrounded by seven fielders and almost immediately presented AB de Villiers with a superb reflex catch at short leg. Stuart Broad arrived with 11 overs to go, was smothered by close fielders and gloved to short leg. The hammer blow was Bell's dismissal, for an outstanding 78, which ushered Onions to the crease with 17 balls remaining, and thousands chewing their fingernails. With Graeme Swann's assistance the draw was secured, albeit the hard way, leaving a deflated South Africa to pick themselves up from the floor for the last game of the series in Johannesburg next week.
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