It’s ‘still pretty even’ despite Broad heroics
Elgar knuckles down after poor start from top-order
HASHIM AMLA isn’t wrong. The Proteas captain’s prematch assessment of two evenly matched teams has so far been borne out after two days of see-sawing drama in this Boxing Day Test at Kingsmead.
Just when it appeared that one team was taking charge, the other would take wickets or score runs and even up the balance. If anything, England are ahead on points because South Africa have enjoyed the best of the conditions ever since Amla won the toss and put the tourists into bat on a tacky pitch under heavy skies.
Yesterday, however, the sun came out and a brisk north-easterly wind began to dry out the strip, making batting a little easier. But there was still something in it for the bowlers, underlined by 10 wickets falling in the day as England lost their last six wickets relatively cheaply in a marathon three-hour morning session, while the Proteas finished the day 166 runs behind with Dean Elgar excelling with a typically gritty unbeaten 67.
That the visitors remain well placed in this match is down to Nick Compton and James Taylor among their batsmen, as well as paceman Stuart Broad. The durable Compton may not be everyone’s cup of tea with the bat, and he certainly won’t please the T20 crowd, but his innings of 85 in six hours and 18 minutes (236 balls) held the England innings together on a difficult first day when batting was particularly difficult.
The 32-year-old progressed with the occasional elegant drive, square cut and pull, but his most important stroke was the leave as the South African fast bowlers worked away assiduously in the channel outside his off-stump.
There was even an amusing occasion when Dale Steyn, frustrated perhaps by Compton’s disinclination to nibble at his bait, had a few words of advice for him. Perhaps they had their effect because 15 runs short of a dream hundred, Compton hooked at a Morné Morkel bouncer that he might earlier have left alone, bottom-edging the ball to wicketkeeper AB de Villiers.
Morkel, who had already got rid of Ben Stokes to a loose shot, then pounced, dismissing Moeen Ali and Chris Woakes in consecutive deliveries in his next over. England, who must have hoped to reach at least 350 while Compton, Taylor and Jonny Bairstow were batting together, now looked likely to fall well short of 300. Fortunately for them, however, Broad compiled an entertaining unbeaten 32 to inch them past that mark.
Both the leading Proteas fast bowlers picked up four wickets with Steyn returning to get Steve Finn at the death. Compared to his excellent effort on day one, however, the world’s No 1 speedster looked a little short of a gallop yesterday, perhaps an indication of his slight lack of match fitness.
South Africa’s reply was dominated by a fine third-wicket partnership of 86 in just under two hours between Elgar and De Villiers after the home side had got off to a poor start, losing Stiaan van Zyl in the first over and Amla in the seventh.
Broad, bowling around the wicket, angled his second ball into the left-hander, but it was certainly a delivery to play and not to leave.
“I’ve worked at bowling to left-handers, often from around the wicket. Sometimes if the ball straightens I can catch the edge, but even if it goes straight on it will zero in on the off-stump,” he said.
Both Morkel and Broad said that the first hour today, after the early start of 9.30am, would be important. With the early moisture assisting the pacemen, England lost six wickets in the morning session yesterday and Broad will be looking to do something similar to the home team today.
Morkel, on the other hand, emphasised the opposite side of the coin. “The game’s still pretty even. We’ve still got Dean (Elgar) and Temba (Bavuma) together and there’s still JP (Duminy) to come. If we can get a couple of partnerships together there’s every chance that we can approach England’s total,” he said.
Both men said that the pitch was still on the slow side and that the outfield remained sluggish, making it hard to score at a quick rate. The England run-rate was often between two and three before quickening at the end; the Proteas’ current rate remains at just under three.
“I think we need another day of hot sun to really dry the pitch and outfield up,” said Morkel, while Broad said he wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
“It’s strange. There’s been little or no swing here for either team, which was a surprise for me. We need early breakthroughs tomorrow like South Africa had today, but I’m not sure that anyone knows how this wicket’s going to behave. I didn’t think my leg-cutters would grip today, but they did with some bounce as well. If the wicket continues to deteriorate like it did today, a first-innings lead could be very important,” Broad added.