South African summer 2009-10 : SA vs England

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Centurian Test : England tumble in disarray but save their skin with Onions After five days of skirmishing, South Africa on top, England clinging on like terriers to the postman's trousers, the outcome of the match depended on one final delivery from the veteran Makhaya Ntini, in his 100th Test match, to England's last-ditch rabbit batsman Graham Onions. More... England tumble in disarray but save their skin with Onions South Africa 418 & 301-7dec, England 356 & 228-9 Match drawn Mike Selvey at Centurion guardian.co.uk, Sunday 20 December 2009 20.39 GMT It is one of Test cricket's unique features that the highest drama the game has to offer can come from what is effectively a stalemate. In the fullness of time the record books will show that the first Test ended in a draw but few matches have ended in such nail-biting circumstances as were witnessed here yesterday. After five days of skirmishing, South Africa on top, England clinging on like terriers to the postman's trousers, the outcome of the match depended on one final delivery from the veteran Makhaya Ntini, in his 100th Test match, to England's last-ditch rabbit batsman Graham Onions. England were nine wickets down after a dramatic collapse of a kind that they ought long ago to have trademarked. Fail to survive, then, and South Africa would win a match that, until the advent of the brilliantly exploited second new ball, had been heading for a routine draw. One ball for glory. Was it sentiment that made Graeme Smith, a brilliant captain in this match, turn to Ntini? Did he feel that a romantic outcome was written in the stars? But yesterday Ntini was out-bowled by the debutant Friedel de Wet. With Dale Steyn sure to return for the second Test in Durban on Boxing Day, it will be hard to drop him. The ball to Onions, perhaps Smith suspected, could be the last of Ntini's illustrious career. Once more for South Africa. But Onions, who had faced the final over of the match in its entirety, had found no demons. Ntini's pace was down. The single shooter in the over, from one of the cracks in the pitch, was slow enough for Onions to jab down on. The final ball was on a length and outside off stump. Onions shuffled in behind, played it down to the ground and made his way down the pitch to embrace Paul Collingwood, who had batted for the last two and half hours of the day for 26 and not turned a hair. Thus ended an enthralling Test. "We are," said the man of the match Graeme Swann afterwards, "single-handedly keeping Test cricket alive." It was a quip but he is right. Those who would have Test cricket wither away should have been at Centurion. Now, though, as in the aftermath of the great escape at Cardiff last summer and the disasters of Headingley and Sabina Park, the two Andrews, Strauss and Flower, have the task of lifting the team performance for the second Test. After Cardiff the team drew considerable strength from their escape but this was different. At Cardiff they were expected to lose and did not; at Centurion they ought not to have lost at all and almost did. There is frailty, not strength there. The drama began with the second new ball. Smith's declaration on Saturday night was a clever one, designed not only to get among the England batting (resulting in the wicket of Strauss) but to ensure that, should they need it at the end of the final day, he would have 16 overs of the second new ball. All has depended on the new ball in this match for, once it has lost its hardness, batting, while never a sinecure, has been considerably easier. England were in a good position to save the game, if not actually think about winning it, when the ball was unwrapped and thrown to Ntini. The early wickets of the nightwatchman, James Anderson, and Alastair Cook had been countered by a solid, if ironic, partnership of 145 between England's two South African expatriates, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott. Pietersen, finding the timing that eluded him in the first innings, played superbly, surviving an lbw when 39 only because De Wet had overstepped. But he had made 81 when, shortly after the tea interval, he pushed De Wet towards short extra-cover and sprinted off. Trott, gobsmacked, remained rooted at the non-striker's end as Pietersen roared past him. It was totally unnecessary and will lead to blame heaped on the batsman. But it is harsh judgment when he has top-scored. Nor was Pietersen's dismissal the catalyst for the mayhem in the last hour. England should have survived comfortably. Trott had begun his innings intent on occupying the crease rather than scoring, surrounded by his chattering chums as the mesmerising spinner Paul Harris floated ball after ball at him. There is strong temperament there, though, and, with Pietersen gone, he found the ally in Collingwood. The pair had taken the score to 205 for four, with Trott, after five and a quarter hours, on 69 when things began to go pear-shaped. The damage came from De Wet who in quick succession found a brute of a ball that caught Trott's thumb and deflected down to be wonderfully caught at third slip by AB de Villiers, another excellent delivery to see off the hapless Ian Bell, who showed his old tendency to hang just inside the line, edging and well caught by Mark Boucher, and then getting one to climb at Matt Prior for Boucher once more to take the catch. By the time Stuart Broad was caught behind off Harris – more fine instinctive captaincy by Smith to bring the left-armer on for this one wicket – four had fallen for four runs in seven overs and survival seemed out of the question. When Swann was lbw to Morne Morkel, Collingwood and Onions were left with 19 deliveries to survive and the game about up. Onions, to his great credit, took a dozen of them and created his own niche in history along with Anderson and Monty Panesar.

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Pietersen: Not in front of the kids Kevin Pietersen has twice had to ask foul-mouthed spectators to stop swearing in front of children during England's tour of South Africa. More...

[achilles]

South African fans :whack: :listen_dawg:

[PotterManiac]

:omg:

[99.94]

South African fans have always been some of the worst..

[Nova]

Yeah that certainly leaves a poor impression. Imagine this...you are signing autographs for kids and some idiots are swearing at you. What the heck.

[CricketGirl]

hmmm i have to agree! i wouldnt want jumior to here all that crap either!

[cowboysfan]

i would swear too if a fellow countryman is playing against my own team.

[Nova]

i would swear too if a fellow countryman is playing against my own team.

Very nice.

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Decision on Steyn on Friday Proteas coach Mickey Arthur has said that a final decision on whether or not fast bowler Dale Steyn will play in the second Test will be taken on Christmas Day. More...

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Strauss expecting 'special' from KP Andrew Strauss senses some vintage Kevin Pietersen may be on the way for England in time for the Boxing Day Test against South Africa. More...

[Master Blaster]

i would swear too if a fellow countryman is playing against my own team.

Classy.

[Celeste]

i would swear too if a fellow countryman is playing against my own team.

swear at the racist selection policies :winky:

[OriginalCopy]

Some countries have no discrimination, and some have no dopecrimination :winky:

[achilles]

http://wisdencricketer.com/blogs/blog/2009/11/16/jrod-captain-cooks-voyage-of-discovery/

Wisden cricket posts sensible yet witty blogs. And interesting to see Duncan Fletcher spying and all - http://www.indiancricketfans.com/showpost.php?p=862685&postcount=45

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Centurion Cook pays tribute to mentor Gooch Centurion Alastair Cook paid tribute on Monday to the services of batting coach Graham Gooch after his 118 put England in control of the second Test against South Africa at Kingsmead. More...

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Down and out? SA bowlers under the cosh South Africa's bowling may have improved on the third day of the second Test, but England were still largely untroubled. More...

[achilles]

Overworked is the right term to describe them I believe

[urbestfriend]

Time for Ntini to retire, Parnell or De vet is an ideal replacement for Ntini

[achilles]

^ Parnell is a bit young and still needs a couple of yrs of practice