Saffas thwart hosts
20 Dec 2009
Despite a late onslaught from Friedel de Wet, Kevin Pietersen and Jonathan Trott provided enough earlier resistance as England forced a draw at Centurion.
The South African-born and -schooled pair came together during the first hour at 27-3, but then looked to have taken the sting out of the hosts’ attack. They batted for over a session and a half after South Africa had got the ideal start as Alastair Cook and night watchman James Anderson were dismissed early.
During the middle session, the South African attack looked largely harmless, but Pietersen committed batting suicide as he took a run straight to the fielder and was left stranded on 81. That sparked a period where six wickets fell in the final session and five with the new ball.
De Wet sent a late flurry in the England changing room with his wickets of Trott, Ian Bell and Matt Prior, aided by brilliant catching from AB de Villiers and Mark Boucher, but ultimately it was too little too late. Morne Morkel trapped Graeme Swann LBW, and the hosts had 19 balls to claim the final wicket.
Captain Graeme Smith then allowed emotion to get in the way as he handed centurion Makhaya Ntini the final over the day, when De Wet had taken three wickets in his seven over spell. Graham Onions had little trouble seeing off Ntini, who was wicketless throughout the innings.
It could have been so different for the South Africans as they missed two earlier chances in the middle session. De Wet had Pietersen plum LBW but was no-balled for over-stepping the mark, and JP Duminy fumbled the ball when Trott was stranded after another crazy Pietersen single.
South Africa will be happy that they could possibly have Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis – who bowled three overs throughout the match – to return to bolster their attack, but will realise this was an opportunity missed.
The South African selectors will also have a big decision to make in deciding what role Ntini has to play in the next Test after De Wet’s success.
South Africa – 1st innings – 418
Jacques Kallis 120, JP Duminy 56, Mark Boucher 49, Graeme Swann 5-110.
England – 1st innings – 356
Graeme Swann 85, Paul Collingwood 50, Andrew Strauss 46, Paul Harris 5-123.
South Africa – 2nd innings – 301-7 declared
Hashim Amla 100, AB de Villiers 64, Mark Boucher 63*, James Anderson 4-73
England – 2nd innings – 228-9
Jonathan Trott 69, Kevin Pietersen 81, Friedel de Wet 4-55
The match was drawn
Click here for full scorecard.
137 Comments
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20 Dec 2009, 20:23 pm
Bouch needs to really step up with the bat in this series….he’s made a good start though. I notice that Heino Kuhn scored a big hundred this weekend.
Morne Morkel is like a toothless pit bull….looks mean and dangerous but when it really matters most he doesn’t always deliver.
Hard luck about the result…..makes the Durbs test all the more interesting.
20 Dec 2009, 20:39 pm
To give a has been Ntini the last over is just pure political.
On the rare occasions when you have 4 quicks like Parnell, Morkel, Steyn and de Wet, you have to use them to be as dominant as the West Indies and Australia have been over the last 20 years. The problem is that there are far too many Afrikaans names for the politicians to stomach. The batsmen like Pietersen and Trott (whom we desperately need) were quite right in seeking their fortunes elsewhere
20 Dec 2009, 20:43 pm
@posts: Pietersen yes.
Trott wouldn’t get near this SA team.
20 Dec 2009, 21:29 pm
Trott is doing a lot better than most of our batsmen. Smith and Prince seem to spend most of the time trying to avoid a double.
AB and Duminy are disappointing, Amla inspires sleep which just leaves Kallis and Boucher as a full stop
20 Dec 2009, 22:02 pm
Giving the last over to Ntini was dof.
You cant expect the poor oke to come bowl a good over after he been fielding getting cold for about an hour.
Stupid captaincy
20 Dec 2009, 22:40 pm
55 wp I agree. It. Was insane not to give De Wet the last over.I felt like throwing a shoe at the tv when I saw Ntini warming up!
21 Dec 2009, 00:32 am
Freidel deserved the last over. Wow, but he bowled well today.
Will be tough selecting the bowlers for the Durban Test if Steyn is fit…
21 Dec 2009, 05:45 am
@ 52 posts
If that cr@p u spewing out makes sense to u then are an idiot. If you understand the game of cricket then you would realise Ntini has not only in the past but in the present been a vital cog in that machine. I myself would like to see dean elger open the batting with smith. But that would mean mark boucher loses his spot and that should not happen.
It annoys me greatly how some here complain about players when they seem to not understand the game and team dynamics. The only player who is under pressure is morkel. Not ntini. He has 390 wickets in a ton of tests you idiot.
ps trott and kp left because they could not cut it. Nothing to do with what kp claims. He was a kak spiner who batted at 8 end of.
21 Dec 2009, 08:23 am
@skunk:
You’ve got to admit, Skunk, that giving Ntini the last over was rich in sentiment, barren in tactical nous.
De Wet was the man to bowl the final over. Any half-decent captain would have arrived at that simple conclusion.
While I agree that Ntini has been a great servant of SA cricket, we need to look at the present – and, sadly, his form is way off where it should be. His problem/challenge is that he’s getting older…and as any ageing cricketer will tell you, holding you place in the face of indifferent form becomes increasingly difficult with each passing year.
What’s tolerated as a blimp at 25 won’t enjoy the same leniency at 34. That’s life.
Boucher, despite a decent (all too infrequent, in my opinion) outing in Pretoria, needs to perform with bat and golves throughout this series to retain his spot. Nothing more, nothing less, the end of the highway of favouritism he has travelled along, in near-untouchable comfort, for the past three or so years.
Perform or piss off. Simple.
21 Dec 2009, 09:14 am
@Joe Maher: Hahahahaha….Ray Jennings is that you?
Too true…..I can’t argue with that.
21 Dec 2009, 09:20 am
i am not a real authority on he cricket….but 2 points….Boucher….to me….is a real star…a street fighter….seems to me some want him dropped??
And our attack lacks bight…..D Steyn and Parnell should play…..and sometimes 2 spinners with J Botha in the mix….perhaps when Kallis can bowl?
21 Dec 2009, 09:58 am
@grant10: He’s not a star but he is a fighter.
In the past Bouch could hide behind Polly’s contributions with the bat but now that Polly is no longer around Bouch needs to step up to the plate and contribute more consistently with the bat.
His glove work is still excellent but his batting is too incosistent.
We’ve got a youngster Heino Kuhn, who is scoring hundreds in the domestic competition and he should be groomed for the role seeing Bouch is not getting younger either.
Like you always say G10 no sentiment, it’s simply a decision in the best interests of the team.
21 Dec 2009, 10:17 am
Really daft to have given that last over to Ntini to bowl. Why?
I know this was his 100th test but we should always put sentimental stuff aside, in a time as crucial as that. Should have been De Wet to bowl that last over. We just may have got that last wicket.
Ntini was never going to take a wicket. De Wet was bowling superb at the time. So very stupid not to have given him the last over to bowl.
21 Dec 2009, 10:36 am
I am absolutely gutted with this result…it actually feels like a loss to me
for a team aiming to regain the number one spot in Test cricket to not bowl out an average England team ranked 7th in the world is ridiculous.
And this typifies the SA mentality when the SA captain comes out and says it is a positive result for them. How the hell can you not take 9 wickets (incl. a nightwatchman) on day 5 on a pitch with that much demons in it…FFS I was half expecting a Catholic priest on the pitch to do an exorcism!!!!
Some of the bowling changes and field placings were poor to say the least…Compare us to the Aussie team and see the difference in attitude. The WI were so close to winning, but the Aussies dug deep and closed out the game. What did we do? We managed to snatch a draw from the jaws of victory!!!
PATHETIC.
21 Dec 2009, 11:32 am
thwart is a funny word
21 Dec 2009, 14:17 pm
Ntini could well be in trouble for the next test. He didnt bowl badly but he was flat. Most of the time he didnt even look like taking a wicket.
Morkel also wasnt great but looked far more dangerous at times and he offers something different to Ntini – more height and bounce which is a great asset
I wouldnt like to be a selector. But I’d say it’ll be very harsh to leave out de Wet after he nearly won the game for us.
Bouch often contributes, the criticsm levelled at him is unfounded. It’s time to just accept that he’ll be in the side until the 2011 world cup at least. After which we can start looking at Kuhn and Smit and the like to take over.
Bouch, just like Kallis, will only be appreciated by some when he leaves.
He is a true legend of our cricket and he is a star. Most other international sides, except maybe India, would die to have a player like him to keep wicket.
Appreciate, and respect, the man for who he is and what he’s done for our cricket, while he’s still playing.
21 Dec 2009, 14:25 pm
@WP_: WP, Mate well said about Bouch. How some people think he is not up to it is just plain rubbish. He is and always has been a fighter in our side. Saved our butts many times too. He is there to keep first and foremost. Then to bat a bit.
Why did Ntini bowl that last over? CRAZY. Jeepers they should have had De Wet bowl that over.
Think maybe cause it was Ntini’s 100th Test. Look he as served SA very, very well for sure. He has slowed down now and not really taking the wickets.
How is D. Steyn? Hope he is ready for the test in Durban. De Wet deserves another chance. Then if Steyn is fit who plays? I would have both and sorry to say this drop Ntini.
Also Parnell would be great for Durbs. Very different pitch there to Centurion and think it would suit Parnell.
21 Dec 2009, 14:31 pm
Those claiming Boucher should go should watch that catch he took to dismiss Matt Prior.
Absolute blinder.
21 Dec 2009, 14:40 pm
Puma
Yeah mate, Steyn should be fit I gather, which is fantastic.
Cant believe Smith brought Makhaya on for the last one. Was a poor decision on all counts.
He says de Wet was tired after bowling 7 overs in a row but hell, he could have definately squeezed another out. Especially if it’s the last over of the match!
Ya, Well I’d say, with Kallis fit to bowl again, that my bowling attack would be Steyn and de Wet, Kallis, Harris and then it’s a toss up between Ntini and Morne. Like I said I thought Morne looked more likely to take wickets in Pretoria. So I’d probably go with him.
Makhaya has been a terrific asset to our bowling line up for about 10 years. But he looked a tired bowler maybe past his best at Centurion.
Hopefully he can prove wrong and get back to his best. Not that he was bad in the first test, not at all, he just was the old Makhaya. He looked like he lacked bite and consistency.
Interesting calls to be made.
Parnell would be a good option in Durban as it usually aides swing down there. But he wont play as he’s been dropped from the squad for the last two tests for some reason
21 Dec 2009, 14:46 pm
“Bouch needs to really step up with the bat in this series”
“He is a true legend of our cricket and he is a star. Most other international sides, except maybe India, would die to have a player like him to keep wicket.”
LOL..fighter, star, maggot, puffed up sh*t house!
Get in Kuhn, he’s much younger and a superior batsmen!
21 Dec 2009, 14:49 pm
@WP_: 69 – WP, Wonder why Parnell has been dropped? He was bowling superb. The Durban test would suit his bowling for sure.
Ntini has served SA very well. Just think he has slowed down now and not taking as many wickets. Test cricket is all about wickets. Have to select the players that will take wickets.
I would with out a doubt play D. Steyn if he is over that injury and De Wet. Steyn brings in some aggession which is good. Need that sometimes. Think both those will play somehow if Parnell is dropped. Pity. Then it will be a toss up between Ntini and Morne. I would go for Morne. We need to win the next test and get one up there. Should have won the test yesterday. Took forever to bowl them out. Somehow think Parnell would have done well yesterday too.
It was those damn Saffa Poms….
we took forever and ever to get them out. Just pleased KP had a brain explosion. Why he ran there I will never know. He got himself run out. Otherwise he may have been in until the end. He was well in by then. Probably lost concentration.
21 Dec 2009, 14:49 pm
horua – who says kuhn is a better batsman anyway?
21 Dec 2009, 14:51 pm
typo there. meant aggression.
21 Dec 2009, 14:56 pm
@WP: Crininfo!!
21 Dec 2009, 14:58 pm
@WP_: 72 – WP, Boucher first job is to keep and batting comes 2nd. He is the best we have.
Some will only know his worth once he is gone. That is for sure.
WP. Cheers mate have to go out. Catch up later.
21 Dec 2009, 15:05 pm
Cricinfo hey Horua?
What cricinfo will tell you mate is that Kuhn has never played a test match and that Bouch has played 125.
So you cannot really compare their first class averages mate. Doesnt work that way.
Puma
Yes KPs run out was hilarious to watch. Total brain ****. Trott just stared at him thinking what the bloody hell is this oke doing.
It was painfull watching those saffas batting out a session and a half though.
But I said it at the time, not with hindsight, that we batted for too long in the 2nd innings. I would have got to 320 or 330 and put them in. What do you reckon
21 Dec 2009, 15:05 pm
AS well as de Wet did yesterday, I would still play Parnell ahead of him for the next Test for the simple reason that Parnell has been in the SA setup far longer and IMO was very unlucky not to play in the first Test. He also has the added advantage of being a lefty, thereby offering some variation and he bowls brilliantly to left-handers and the tail.
I think now that Ntini has reached his milestone, the selectors will take a far more critical look at his performance and to be honest, most would agree that he should not play in the next Test. Dale Steyn can then come back in his place and open the bowling.
As inconsistent as Morkel is, it is clear that he has the respect of the England batsmen, therefore he has to be in the next Test.
Hopefully Kallis can get over his side strain, so he will also be able to bowl 10-15 overs in the day. And together with Harris and Duminy (who was severely under-bowled)they could seriously restrict the England batsmen and put some pressure on them throughout their innings.
If de Wet plays ahead of Parnell, I won’t have too much problems, although, as mentioned earlier, I still think Parnell offers that little bit extra.
21 Dec 2009, 15:08 pm
BTW…Boucher is a legend…What more do people expect him to do??? Jump through hoops while juggling his bat, gloves and a cricket ball?
21 Dec 2009, 15:12 pm
What it does tell is that Mark “Lets get 30 runs every 10 tests to be retained” Boucher had ample opportunity to do his thing! But failed each time (except for the FIGHTER innings)! So here we have a guy thats young and that can score hundreds against good quality provincial bowlers!
21 Dec 2009, 15:13 pm
If Boucher is a legend.. then Gilchrist is a god! People want him to retire!
21 Dec 2009, 15:20 pm
Horua
You dont really sound like you know what you’re talking about kid…
21 Dec 2009, 15:20 pm
@Mighty Horua:
Ofcourse Gilchrist is a God…the undisputed greatest keeper ever…thats a given…Kuhn will get his chance, maybe in the one day games at first. But he will be fazed in slowly, much like Boucher was when Richardson was close to retiring.
Boucher though has a place in SA cricket and after 125 Tests, he will be sorely missed. Just look at how we miss Polly. I will much rather have someone like Boucher, who still has great reflexes and fantastic hands – who also happens to read the match situation well and is a proven match-winner, over someone who has no experience and who has never been tested at this level….but his time will come.
21 Dec 2009, 15:24 pm
We had Polly for almost 20 years and could not win the Aussies! Just drop Bouch and move on!
21 Dec 2009, 15:26 pm
@Mighty Horua:
Because the Aussies had the GREATEST TEST TEAM IN THE HISTORY OF CRICKET!!!!!!!!! No one could beat them. Maybe you should just drop it and move on to another sport like jukskei or something. Maybe then you will understand that nothing beats experience. NOTHING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
21 Dec 2009, 15:30 pm
Friedel de Wets inexperience triumphed over Ntini’s. So please….its about attitude!
21 Dec 2009, 15:35 pm
@Mighty Horua:
OMG…its like talking to a rock….lets see how de Wet does over lets say 100 Tests OK buddy? Oh sorry, he won’t get anywhere near that….FFS grow up and stop acting your age. At least pretend to have an intelligent argument next time.
Now piss off.
21 Dec 2009, 15:49 pm
Settle down boys and girls.
Boucher still has a role to play but we don’t want to be caught with our pants down when he retires so Kuhn needs to be phased into the team a.s.a.p
Boucher needs to perform with the bat as much as he performs with the gloves….our tail is longer and we can certainly do with a wicket keeper who can score hundreds when it matters most.
His record over say the past 2 years with the bat has been sub standard, that’s not to say he hasn’t played some match defining innings like his innings at Headingly or was it Trent Bridge to help win the series against England.
I just think he has at times relied on his “broerskap” with Kallis and Smith to get him through instead of working hard and improving his batting.
21 Dec 2009, 16:37 pm
@WP_: 76 – WP, Mate at the time I thought that England would come out and play positive crici and would try and chase down our score. So thought maybe when we declared with 8 overs maybe we should have declared with 5 and made a few more runs. I was WRONG. We should have declared with about 15 left to give us some time to bowl at them on Saturday evening. They were really exhausted bowling the whole day in the heat. I think now we may have got another wicket on Saturday had we had a few extra overs to bowl. We could have won that test. Even giving Ntini the last over to bowl was crazy. De Wet should have got that over to bowl.
Now need to think about the next test and really hope we get the good weather they had up there. We have had so much rain here so it will be lucky if we get 5 days straight without any rain.
21 Dec 2009, 16:41 pm
@Golden Boy: Agree that Parnell would be suited to play in the Durbs test. If he does not though then De Wet should get another chance. He was superb yesterday.
Like I said above somewhere in one of my posts. Sorry to say this but Ntini has served SA well but has slowed down now. I would play Morne ahead of Ntini. If Steyn is over his injury he has to start no questions. Adds that aggression too which none of the others do.
Should be exciting let us hope for good weather.
21 Dec 2009, 17:16 pm
Agree with your sentiments there Puma. We should have declared earlier. Too late now tho. 3 important tests to go.
Just hope there’s no rain around to ruin it.
21 Dec 2009, 18:43 pm
@Puma: Looks like they want Parnell to get more first-class and domestic experince before he makes his test debut.
21 Dec 2009, 19:17 pm
@WP_: WP, Not sure but that could be. I thought he was ready. Has bowled really well.
Think he is only 20 years old now but age means nothing really.
Look at Frans Steyn in the rugby. He was 19 at the world cup.
Well then if Parnell wont get selected for the Durbs test then think De Wet must be given another chance.
Durbs pitch though would suit Parnells bowling. Pity he still has to wait to get selected.
22 Dec 2009, 09:46 am
When I played cricket it was still played like gentlemen (more or less). Tell me crickec fans, was Broad committing the untimate act of cheating when he went to the third umpire querying the decision that he was out caught? He MUST have known that he had a touch! Collingwood also disappointed me when he agreed to query the decision.
Secondly, in my humble opinion, I think that fielders and especially wickies cheat when they appeal vigorouslywhen they clearly know that the batsman is not out.
Enough negativity! I really like Friedel de Wet – he looks like a real find – time will tell. I also like the new referal system. There are no undue delays and much more accurate decisions seem to be made when dubious ump’s decisions are referred.
I don’t like cricket – I love it!
23 Dec 2009, 08:57 am
Our brothers fought the good fight and as struggle heroes we thwarted the British imperialists to defend our precious land once again. Never will they ever occupy us.
23 Dec 2009, 14:53 pm
83. WP_Reply to this comment :
December 18th, 2009 at 9:48 am
“Prince got injured and his place went to JP.
Who should really have been the one who Prince should have replaced when he came back from injury…
But JP had been playing too well to drop so they decided that Prince should wait it out.
That’s just the way things go sometimes”
In the case of Steyn the situation is not much different.
Steyn got injured and his place went to de Wet.
Who should really be the one who Steyn should replace when he comes back from injury?
23 Dec 2009, 14:57 pm
why is Parnell not in the team??
23 Dec 2009, 16:48 pm
@grant10: He was in the squad for the first test but then they withdrew him.
I think the selectors feel that he’s not ready for the longer form of the game.
If it was my decision, I would at least give him a go and judge from there.
He’s still young though, he’ll have ample time to play for the Proteas…he’s an exciting prospect.
23 Dec 2009, 17:00 pm
@Jozi: Thanks….i dont follow the cricket as intensely as the rugby, but find it strange that an exciting left arm quick who seems to pick up wickets cannot get a spot….anyway, as i said i am not an authority, but do like the look of Parnell….and the variation is always a good thing. I know Durban tends to swing too so Parnells omission seems even stranger.
23 Dec 2009, 17:31 pm
@grant10: I’m not an authority either but I do enjoy skittle sticks as skopskiet calls it.
You’re right, variation is very important and we haven’t really had too many decent left armers in the past.
If Parnell goes back to his province and takes a bag full of wickets, there’s no way they can keep him out for too long.
He’ll play for the Proteas sooner rather than later.
Other left armers who should be given a look in are Lonwabo Tsotsobe and Yussuf Abdullah.
23 Dec 2009, 20:14 pm
Abdullah?? are u joking? fark this fat guy can’t even make the Dolphins side …. Tsosobe isn’t even in the top 30 bowlers in the SS series …. do some research man …. test cricket is different to 1 day cricket ….. Parnell also has a terrible ave (bowling) in 4/5 day cricket …. Ntini is 19th & De Wet is 13th ….
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