Proteas can pounce as cracks widen for England
Series hosts show signs of mental meltdown
London - Mind the mental gap between England and South Africa in a test series that is threatening to veer off the rails for the home side.
South Africa have overcome the absence of Faf du Plessis at Lord’s‚ in happy circumstances‚ and that of Kagiso Rabada and Russell Domingo at Trent Bridge‚ both in unhappy circumstances‚ to level matters with two matches to play.
The noise from outside made by Graeme Pollock‚ who has destroyed his greatness by exposing his racism‚ wouldn’t have permeated too far into the dressingroom. But it would not have helped.
On top of that‚ SA had only four days between Lord’s and Trent Bridge to fix things. Fix them they did‚ following the 211-run hiding they suffered in the first test with a 340-run thrashing of England in the second.
The hosts are reeling from one ridiculousness to the next. Apparently‚ in order to give of his best, off-spinner Moeen Ali needs to believe he has been picked as a batsman and is‚ therefore‚ not England’s best slow bowler.
Good thing‚ then‚ that he made 87 in the first innings at Lord’s – that would have helped him explain away his match haul of 10 wickets for 112 runs.
Liam Dawson’s cover wasn’t quite blown on a turning pitch at Lord’s‚ where he claimed 4/101.
South Africa will no doubt be quietly happy if England keep Dawson in the side, just as they are probably a touch disappointed that Gary Ballance has been ruled out for the third test at The Oval on July 27 with a broken finger‚ courtesy of Morne Morkel at Trent Bridge. Number three batsman Ballance has scored 75 runs in his four innings in the series‚ 34 of them in one trip to the crease. -