SA regroups after hopes for a draw wither

FOR 53 minutes and 72 balls at The Oval yesterday‚ South Africa were in with a shout in the third Test against England.

Not of winning it‚ of course; in all the 2 265 tests played previously no one has yet chased down the 492 they needed.

But a draw wasn’t out of the question when SA resumed on the last day.

They were 117/4 with Dean Elgar 72 not out and Temba Bavuma on 16.

The 98th over – the minimum number to be bowled on the day – was far away‚ and the weather wasn’t going to get in the way.

But‚ as assistant coach Adrian Birrell had said after stumps on Sunday‚ “There is hope”.

And there was. For minutes and 72 balls…

Ball No 73 was delivered by debutant Toby Roland-Jones to Bavuma. It swung in after pitching‚ hit him below the roll‚ and on review was adjudged to be hitting the top of middle.

Bavuma batted for almost two-anda-half hours and faced 97 balls for his 32‚ and shared 108 with Elgar.

Vernon Philander shouldered arms to his first ball. Another inswinger‚ it also crashed into his pads and pinned him leg-before.

Five balls later Elgar‚ marooned at the other end on 97 while those wickets fell‚ eased Moeen Ali over mid-off for four to reach his eighth century.

Elgar and Chris Morris took South the first 53 Africa to lunch with little further drama‚ but the end came swiftly in the 10th over of the second session.

Perhaps because they knew England were going to win‚ perhaps because they know and appreciate a damn fine innings when they see one – and Elgar’s 136 in five-and-a-halfhours off 228 balls was exactly that – the Oval crowd stood as one and applauded him all the way back to the dressing room. Good on them.

Next ball‚ Kagiso Rabada mirrored Elgar’s fateful stroke and duly suffered the same fate.

Morne Morkel arrived and spent longer taking guard than actually batting: Moeen’s first ball to him nailed his pad plumb in front.

Game over. England had won by 239 runs to take a 2-1 lead in the series.

It was the third time a Test had been clinched with a hat-trick and the first time that had happened at this ground.

Not bad for a bowler who needs to be told he is not England’s first-choice spinner.

What did Elgar think of reaching a century and becoming a hat-trick victim all on the same day? “It’s a freaky game‚” he said. “The script is always being written by somebody else.”

Elgar spent much of his time at the crease in pain caused by being hit on the left hand while fielding off his own bowling in England’s second innings.

South Africa have three days to regroup before the last match of a series they can no longer win.

Pertinently‚ Elgar’s century was the first scored by a South African in the rubber.

Indeed‚ only twice in South Africa’s last six Tests has a batsman celebrated a century. Both times he has been Elgar. Among those who need to do better is SA’s captain himself.

“The first rule of batting is to use your bat‚” he said.

Such straightfaced‚ clear-eyed honesty is a good thing when push comes to shove.

But South Africa were found wanting‚ and on all five days‚ when it did at The Oval.

They have the chance to fix that‚ to some extent‚ at Old Trafford. — DDC