South Africa edge second day
It was a vital innings from Prior
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By James Christie
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Monday, 04, Jan 2010 04:02
By Will Haine.
England closed day two of the third Test against South Africa on 241-7 - 50 runs behind - after an enthralling day's play in Cape Town.
Alastair Cook (65) top-scored for the tourists and Matt Prior was not out at stumps for an uncharacteristically slow, but nevertheless valuably important, 52.
The hosts resumed on 279-6, but day one centurion, Jacques Kallis (108,) failed to add to his over-night score when he fell to Graham Onions (2-69), before the superb James Anderson (5-63) wrapped up the final three wickets as England took four scalps for 12 runs in just 17 balls.
It was an astonishing start to the morning as for England, with the opening bowlers on the money right away as Onions had Kallis caught behind from just the fourth delivery of the day.
It was an absolute beauty from Onions to remove Kallis after the batsman had played masterfully yesterday for his 33rd Test century. Dale Steyn (26) also failed to score this morning when he edged Anderson's first ball to Jonathan Trott at fourth slip, who took a nice catch. Morne Morkel fell in the same over for a duck when he too edged Anderson into the slip cordon, with Graeme Swann this time taking an excellent catch low to his left.
Anderson then completed his eighth five-wicket haul in Tests when he trapped Friedel de Wet in front in just his second over.
It was the perfect start to the morning for the the series leaders, but their joy was short-lived when captain Andrew Strauss fell in the first over of England's reply to South Africa's 291.
Trott (20) began to sow the the seeds of recovery with Cook, before he fell to Steyn, and Kevin Pietersen followed him in the same over to leave the tourists 36-3.
The England top-order were guilty of getting out to loose shots, as Strauss wafted at a wide ball, while Trott tried to cut a ball too close to his body and Pietersen played an uncertain prod.
Strauss snicked through to Mark Boucher off the bowling of Morne Morkel for just two runs. Trott then chopped a Steyn delivery onto his stumps before Pietersen lobbed a simple return catch to the same bowler as he went for a second ball duck.
The tourists took lunch on 64-3, but were soon wobbling again after the interval when Paul Collingwood (19) was trapped lbw by Morkel (3-50) with the score on 73.
Cook then reached a gritty half-century as he and Ian Bell knuckled down to get England to the tea interval. But the Essex batsman was out in the first over after the break when he turned Morkel to Ashwell Prince at midwicket after sharing 60 runs with Bell in the afternoon session.
Play became very slow after that as Bell and Prior struggled to hit the gaps, but they accumulated 41 before Bell drove uppishly to JP Duminy off the bowling of Kallis just two runs short of his half-century.
The Warwickshire batsman had been patience personified as he faced 121 balls for his 48, but showed a rare lapse in concentration as he found the point fielder.
England were in danger of being out for around 200, but Prior and Broad (25) took them past that landmark with some positve batting, but Broad was clean bowled by Steyn (3-59) just 20 minutes before the close - bringing Graeme Swann to the crease with the score 225-7.
But he and Prior successfully navigated the final overs to set-up a fascinating day three.