I don’t particularly like this. It’s the bad old days all over again. The South African juggernaut has its boot on our throat and refuses to let up. We’re still alive … but only just. Unless Joe Root turns out to be a miracle worker, or Ben Stokes does something utterly ridiculous, we’re going to lose. Sad face.
During the first hour today, it briefly looked like things might turn out differently. Maybe, just maybe, something special was afoot. Jimmy Anderson made the ball talk for the first time this series. It was hooping around like a duke ball at the Riverside in May – until bloody JP Duminy hit the ball into the stands and it landed in what looked like a jacuzzi. Obviously the wet ball was changed and it did sod all thereafter.
I guess the miracle was never going to happen anyway. Kookaburra’s rarely offer the bowlers much swing for long. Slowly, and a little inevitably, Hashim Amla extended the Cricket Bok’s lead. Once it reached 300 the game was out of England’s reach. The only consolation was that AB de Villiers, who Anderson dismissed for a duck (ha ha!), waited far too long to make his declaration.
After a brief rain break, that could’ve done with being at least two hours longer if I’m being honest, South Africa eventually declared. This left our batsmen was a tricky session to survive until stumps. Over to you Alex Hales …
Unfortunately, the early wickets we all feared materialised. Hales was a little unlucky this time, caught lbw to a ball that nipped back and kept a tad low, and Cook tamely pushed a checked drive (if one can call it that) straight back to Morkel who made a good one handed reflex catch. Game over.
The situation got worse when Nick Compton, who is now batting as insecurely as he did during his first stint in international cricket, played an appalling flat footed drive at a wide(ish) full delivery and was caught behind. His decision to review the dismissal smacked of desperation. Compton looked very good at Durban but has regressed back to his mean. Is he any better than he was three years ago?
Fortunately Root and James Taylor managed to battle to the end of play. Another wicket would have been fatal. However one senses that the game is up anyway. Scoring 330 runs in three sessions on a pitch that’s beginning to misbehave a little – as one would expect on day five of a test match – is a huge ask.
However, there is a little hope courtesy of the ‘bureau of meteorology’ (as Richie Benaud liked to call them). There’s a 40% chance of rain in Centurion tomorrow. Perhaps we should summon the bloke above to perform a little rain dance?
A washed out final day would be rather harsh on South Africa though. They’ve played the best cricket in this game and deserve a consolation win. Even if I say so through gritted teeth.
James Morgan
“AB de Villiers, who Anderson dismissed for a duck (ha ha!), waited far too long to make his declaration”.
Got to disagree with you there, James. ABDV couldn’t declare earlier because with the way the weather was, if England had been batting and a new ball pinging around the batsmen’s heads, they’d have been off sooner than they were. As it is, he’s set a RPO of not much over three with one seamer injured, two seamers with some question marks against them (Morkel is in the ‘red zone’ he’s bowled so much and Rabada is still not 21 and bowled a lot of first innings’ overs) and three spinners of dubious provenance (on a ground that is the second worst for spinners in the world in recent years). As regards the weather forecast, I’ve seen weather forecasts for Pretoria tomorrow that give lower shower risks and should captains take that much notice of them anyway?
I’m generally in favour of attacking declarations (I always liked Richie Benaud’s distinction between a declaration and a closure) but I think you’re unfair in this instance. For the record, I wasn’t someone who criticised Cook’s declaration against SL at Lord’s in 2014 (for the same reason – they’d have been off for bad light if the other side had been batting).
That’s fair enough mate. It’s a game of opinions.
I have to say that it’s difficult to see Hales lasting much longer now. I was unsure of him before this series but it’s starting to look as though he won’t be able to translate his domestic and T20I game into longer formats. He’s largely struggled in ODI’s so far too, which for me is even more worrying than his test struggles.
I think if Compton’s in the team he needs to open the batting, with the job of simply blunting the new ball – he doesn’t have the all round game of no.3 at international level. Gary Ballance’s test record looks better and better the longer he’s out of the side, for all his obvious flaws.
England need to pray for rain, and I wouldn’t complain if it does, but a part of me feels that Rabada deserves to be on the winning side here. Phenomenal performance from a 20 year old, he’s the real deal.
Don’t know if you saw the stat on Cricinfo – Rabada is one of only two bowlers ever to take a Test and ODI six-for before his 21st birthday. The other was a certain Waqar Younis.
Impressive!
I also think the decleration was fine, I wasn’t watching (only following on cricinfo) and I agree on the weather point. It felt like rain was coming for ages and England would have been taken off if they were out there.
The only mild criticism I would have is slow RR, with wickets in hand they could have gone a bit quicker.
As for tomorrow. What have England really got to lose? Not many expect us to bat 98 overs, try not to close shop. Be positive and hopefully make the South Africans think a bit.
I think 300 would’ve been enough runs really, irrespective of time. With bad weather very possible (the forecast I saw mid afternoon was actually poorer than the forecast now) I expected AB to give his bowlers as many overs as possible. The highest 4th innings test score at Centurion is 228-9 in 2009. England made 251 in the infamous Cronje game in 2000, but inns were forfeit in that match (plus it was dodgy of course).
Don’t think this match will last too much longer. Taylor and Root already gone and Stokes looks like he might be trying to have a fun time rather than a long time at the crease.
OK, that was pitiful.
Given SA had only two fit bowlers who presented a real threat, the draw was a genuine possibility with a little application and a dose of luck.
As opposed to abject surrender.
Same old England, beat an SA who have been transitioning and learning about their new players. England fans who have no knowledge will celebrate like we’ve beaten a great SA side when actually, all we managed was to beat a poor SA side who were missing their two best bowlers. Sad but true.
Too many flashy players for test cricket and when it got tough, they go missing