South Africa fight back with ball and bat: T2D2

South Africa 2/217 (67 ov, Smith 111*, Petersen 54) trail Australia 550 (107.2 ov, Clarke 230, Warner 119, M Hussey 103, Pattinson 42, Morkel 7/148) by 333 runs on first innings: T2/3 D2/5 at Adelaide.

Nobody would have expected a repeat of the first day's pyrotechnics yet few would have expected South Africa to regroup as emphatically as they did today. First Morne Morkel led a refocused Protea pace attack to take the last five home wickets for 68, 46 of which came from the last wicket partnership. To the disappointment of those like me who hoped to see if  Michael Clarke could reach 300, he added only six before Morkel uprooted his middle stump. Still 230/257b (1x6, 40x4) was a considerable achievement.

South Africa were batting for four overs before lunch, which Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen  survived. After the interval they batted on mostly comfortably against an Australian attack which, while never as ragged as the South African one was at times on D1, was more steady than menacing on a wicket which is still playing well (though Nathan Lyon was able to extract some bounce and spin). It wasn't too much of a surprise when the first wicket, Petersen's for 54/112b (7x4), came from a run out, though it was when the second, Hashim Amla's for 11, came from a stumping off David Warner's spin.

Through these incidents and beyond Smith batted solidly towards a century, which he duly (and deservedly) achieved. His 111* /220b (12x4) may not have been in the aggressive Clarke-Warner-Hussey mould, but it has, with Morkel's bowling in the first session, both saved South Africa's face and kept them in the match.

 Today was low 30s hot, and tomorrow is expected to be even hotter. Smith, who has been on the field for the entire match so far, will needless to say have to stay at the crease as long as possible  to marshal the rest of his team's batting (including Jacques Kallis, who cannot, because of a bizarre rule for injured players, bat higher than number 7). There's still plenty of time left to obtain a result, though another good day for the visitors will increase the likelihood of a draw.

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South Africa win Test & level series 1-1

South Africa 7/423d def England 180 and 169 ( 42.5 ov, P Collingwood 71, M Morkel 4/59) by an innings & 74 runs T4 D3 at Johannesburg. South Africa retain Basil d'Oliviera trophy by virtue of drawing series 1-1 (with 2 draws)

South Africa deserved to win this match and level the series. They were clearly the better team in 3 of the 4 contests and in this game kept the pressure on until the last ball was bowled.

Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn enhanced their reputations as quality bowlers. The batters, Ashwell Prince excepted, did well. And Jaques Kallis, despite the passage of the years, remained a high quality all rounder.

It was a good series, though the two cliffhanging draws which kept England in the series threatened an injustice. Fortunately the Proteas' strength (internal as well as external) prevailed.


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England hold on once again for draw : T3 D5

South Africa 293 and 7/447d drew with England 273 and 9/296 (141 ov, I Bell 78, A Cook 55): T3 D5 at Cape Town

I turned in at tea time (ie nudging midnight in these parts) when Paul Collingwood 39* and Ian Bell 68* looked well set and, despite some hostile South African bowling from Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel, England 5/230 looked to be heading for a comfortable draw.

Draw it was but comfortable it wasn't. I woke to watch the highlights and to discover that the South Africans had made a final effort which had almost succeeded. For the second time in three Tests England, in the person of Graham Onions, held on for a draw, and the home side were one good (or lucky) ball away from victory. Not that they didn't bowl many good balls, just not one that was good enough. In the last over Morne Morkel appeared to have Onions caught behind but replays showed that it brushed his sleeve not his bat (and vindicated the decision of the recently much maligned umpire Harper)

A 1-0 series lead is not a fair reflection of the merits of the two sides but that's the way Test cricket works. Australia couldn't force a win at Cardiff in T1 of last year's Ashes, and their failure seemed, just as the get out of jail draw at Centurion in T1 did, to inspire England to regroup and win the next Test.

There's a few days before the last Test begins and it will be very interesting to see if and how the South Africans can restore their self-belief. The team that they fielded at Newlands had no major weaknesses, though there will be some pondering about the value of Ashwell Prince and Paul Harris. England are not infallible either, as the large South African second innings showed, and Kevin Pietersen is overdue for a mid-range let alone a big score.


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Captain powers South Africa to dominant position: T3 D3

South Africa 291 & 2/312 (80ov, G Smith 162*, H Amla 95) lead England 273 (88 ov, M Prior 76, A Cook 65, M Morkel 5/75, D Steyn 4/74) by 330 runs with 8 2nd inns wkts in hand: T3 D3 at Cape Town

Graeme Smith led a sharp improvement in South Africa's fortunes after a refreshed Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn took the last 3 England wickets for 32, leaving the match open to be won (or drawn) with the best part of three days remaining.

Smith showed what he was thinking as he and Hashim Amla took charge. This time it was the England attack which found the conditions, not least the heat, hard going. Smith was given out lbw, challenged the decision successfully, and continued to a 172b century. Amla, who needed a score to offset a run of failures since his T1 century, followed hard on his captain's heels before, having silenced the doubters, being caught at short leg for 95/156b (14x4) .

Smith and Jacques Kallis continued comfortably to stumps adding 51. With a lead of 330, 7 wickets in hand and Smith unbeaten on 162/243b (22x4) South Africa hold all the high cards.

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