England slump to ten-wicket defeat
Monday, 21 Jul 2008 23:51
England suffer humiliating defeat to South Africa at Headingley
England suffered a humiliating defeat to South Africa after the tourists bowled out their hosts for 327 on the fourth day of the second Test at Headingley.
Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel took three wickets each, with Jacques Kallis and Makhaya Ntini chipping in with two apiece as the much vaunted South African pace attack did the damage.
A brave innings from James Anderson (34) for his highest Test score in the morning and a solid 60 from Alastair Cook could not hide the incompetence of the home side's batting in the afternoon as the tourists took a 1-0 series lead.
Peter Moores' men began the day on 50-2, facing an uphill task to save the match as they still trailed by 269 runs.
Cook and nightwatchman Anderson put up a brave defence until some hostile bowling unsettled the latter, especially when he was painfully struck in successive balls on the approach to the lunch interval.
That episode, including a five-minute stoppage so Anderson could receive medical assistance for a blow to the helmet grill, clearly took its toll and he was trapped lbw by Steyn soon after.
Kevin Pietersen looked to play some shots and raced to 13 off just five balls, with three boundaries early on.
However, he nicked a straighter delivery behind to Mark Boucher to send the South Africans into raptures on the stroke of the lunch break.
Bell occupied the crease for 28 deliveries in the afternoon, but scored only four runs until he went to a brilliant catch at gully from AB de Villiers and England were on the ropes.
Ambrose came in and looked more settled than he has done in previous innings opposite Cook.
But when the opener was eventually dismissed off the bowling of all-rounder Jacques Kallis, Ambrose's confidence appeared to erode and again it was a poor stroke that saw his downfall as he was caught behind off dangerman Steyn.
Flintoff flashed a few good strokes late on in the afternoon to reach a respectable 38, and Stuart Broad underlined his emergence as a genuine contender for Freddie's all-rounder spot as he held together the tail with an excellent unbeaten 67 from 60 balls.
When Flintoff swiped at a wide delivery and was caught at second slip, it virtually spelled the end of England's resistance and condemned them to a morale-sapping defeat, despite the late but ultimately futile heroics of Broad and 11th-man debutant Darren Pattinson (13).
The result means South Africa go into the third match of the four-Test series 1-0 up and with a psychological edge over their hosts.