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English bowlers call the shots

Ted Corbett

South Africa bowled out for 194

— PHOTO: AP

CLEANED UP: Hashim Amla has no clue to this one from Steve Harmison.

LONDON: We all guessed that life with Kevin Pietersen in charge might be exciting, different, and idiosyncratic so it was no surprise that on the first day of the fourth and final Test South Africa was all out for 194 in 64.5 overs in English conditions of cloud, swing and seam. It was far from clear that England had lost the series as it replied with 49 for one. We wait to see what the batsman Pietersen can offer on day two.

Certainly no-one suspected how much could be crammed into the first over lasting 11 minutes.

The new skipper lost the toss and on a pitch with a straw-coloured overlay to a green undercoat, Graeme Smith chose to bat. Smith must have reasoned that the first hour might be difficult; he was lucky to survive 60 seconds.

Terrific first over

Steve Harmison, returning refreshed from a season with Durham, let go the first ball at 86 miles an hour but short and Smith aimed it loosely but hard towards gully where Alastair Cook — who might have been captain if the give-youth-a-chance brigade had been consulted — should have caught it in front of his nose.

Instead Cook let the ball slip and the joy that Pietersen had begun to evince died. Think how a first ball triumph might have been greeted. Harmison responded gallantly with rearing balls that almost made Smith play on, two of which hit him and a third laid him low as it crashed into his box. Bravo Harmison but his sixth ball of a maiden was more devastating. It soared and as the wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose tried to catch it, burst through his gloves and smacked him in the teeth.

That set the pattern for the morning. Neil McKenzie did what he does best: leaving the ball. Smith battled; he knows no other way; McKenzie survived until at 56 he reached out for a wide ball from Andrew Flintoff and Cook took a more difficult catch.

Cloud helped the bowlers until rain 15 minutes before lunch at 64 for one. Pietersen who broke the Michael Vaughan pattern of a pre-play huddle and a big white hat stood quietly at mid-off, offering advice. He and his men all wore England caps, save Monty Panesar in traditional headgear; Pietersen has abandoned his diamond earring.

Cook put down another chance, off Hashim Amla who was on six. Bad misses on the day you have a new leader.

Collapse

Leg-before shouts failed, a shy by Harmison with Amla well short of his crease, missed by inches but at 103 Smith hooked at Harmison and was caught at long leg.

Next ball Harmison whipped out Amla’s middle stump with a yorker. Ashwell Prince jabbed down on the hat-trick ball but in Anderson’s next over Jacques Kallis was lbw playing forward. Anderson had claimed his 100th Test wicket and three wickets had fallen for two runs in eight balls.

Prince scooped the ball to cover so that half the side had gone for 118 and I wondered how Vaughan felt, playing kiddies cricket back home. Wretched I imagine.

Anderson, perfectly suited to the conditions, had Mark Boucher caught behind at 132 to finish his afternoon with eight overs, three wickets for just 24 runs. Remarkably, on a pitch built for seamers, Panesar collected two of the last five wickets, crucially that of the stubborn A.B. de Villiers just before tea.

SCOREBOARD

South Africa — 1st innings: G. Smith c Anderson b Harmison 46, N. McKenzie c Cook b Flintoff 17, H. Amla b Harmison 36, J. Kallis lbw b Anderson 2, A. Prince c Bell b Anderson 4, A.B. de Villiers lbw b Panesar 39, M. Boucher c Ambrose b Anderson 3, M. Morkel c Bell b Broad 17, P. Harris (not out) 13, A. Nel c Ambrose b Broad 4, M. Ntini b Panesar 9; Extras (b-1, lb-1, nb2) 4. Total (in 64.5 overs): 194.

Fall of wickets: 1-56, 2-103, 3-103, 4-105, 5-118, 6-132, 7-158, 8-168, 9-172.

England bowling: Harmison 18-6-49-2, Anderson 15-1-42-3, Flintoff 15-2-37-1, Broad 14-3-60-2, Panesar 2.5-0-4-2.

England — 1st innings: A. Strauss c Smith b Ntini 6, A. Cook (batting) 20, I. Bell (batting) 22; Extras (lb-1) 1. Total (for one wkt. in 17 overs): 49.

Fall of wicket: 1-7.

South Africa bowling: Morkel 6-0-14-0, Ntini 8-1-27-1, Nel 3-0-7-0.

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