The Hindu : Sport : South Africa in turmoil

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Dec 18, 2004

Sport

Sport

South Africa in turmoil

By Ted Corbett

PORT ELIZABETH, DEC. 17. Andrew Flintoff's hair has been shorn — like Sampson's — but it has not stopped him destroying the structure of an innings as he did at Port Elizabeth on Friday when he snatched three of South Africa's top order wickets on the opening day of the first Test. Two wickets fell to the new ball so that South Africa was 273 for seven at the close with Boeta Dippenaar on 79 after five hours at the crease.

Until Flintoff struck there was not much evidence of England's progress in the five years since it were last here. Matthew Hoggard had the South Africa captain Graeme Smith caught off the second ball of the day but there was no easy breakthrough. Neither was there any sign of the "sledging war" promised by the two captains on the eve of the Test. Instead we had a slow over rate, even when Ashley Giles bowled 22 out of the first 60 overs.

South African nerves were evident before the match. Their selectors dithered half a day over the team until eventually they left out Hamish Amla but only after they had agreed to play him in Durban, the country's most sub-continental city. Graeme Smith won the toss and batted; two balls into the innings he was heading back to his captain's lair, caught low in the slips off Hoggard.

Rarely has Hoggard bowled so well. He might have had Rudolph caught at short leg two balls after the departure of Smith, his length was immaculate and he made the ball rear past the edge repeatedly but without further reward before he was relieved by the equally economical Flintoff who trapped AB de Villiers lbw, a bit high but generally a good decision, in his second over. Flintoff's first seven overs cost 11 runs; Hoggard's first nine only 19.

At the Duck Pond End Steve Harmison was nothing like the destructive force who has spent the year heading for the top of the world ratings like a rocket but typically he had the great coup of the day when he bowled Jacques Kallis, the only batsman likely to turn in a big score on a pitch that encouraged the seam bowlers. His success came from a full toss but Kallis lost it and was bowled, leaving South Africa 66 for three in the 20th over and 83 for three at lunch off 25 overs.

Defensive duel

Most of the afternoon was taken up with another defensive duel between Rudolph and Boeta Dippenaar and Ashley Giles, leaner, quicker in the field and, to judge from his long spell today possessed of new reserves of stamina after a holiday. He controlled the scoring rate while bowling 11 overs for 14 runs and persuaded the more adventurous Rudolph that a dash down the pitch might work once but not a second time.

Giles was also unlucky. Before tea — at 163 for four — he had a good shout for lbw against Dippenaar turned down and immediately afterwards a clear case for a catch behind rejected. In the following over Rudolph was given not out caught behind off Flintoff and then out the following ball leaving South Africa178 for four..

When Zander de Bruyn, a debutant at 29, was bowled leaving Flintoff's in swinger South Africa was 192 for five and the game in England's grasp. De Bruyn was Flintoff's 90th Test victim.

Giles had bowled 22 successive overs for 48 runs when he handed the Park Drive End to Simon Jones. Shaun Pollock went rapidly to 20 and dried up; Dippenaar stayed in third gear like a motorist in heavy traffic and seemed content to cruise. The South Africans are in turmoil but not ready to surrender on day one of a series.

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