Incredible let-off for Smith and South Africa strengthen their grip

SOUTH AFRICAN captain Graeme Smith enjoyed an incredible let off as the second day of the final Test at the Wanderers got underway this morning.

Luckless England, all out for a paltry 180 yesterday, were able to take only one wicket as South Africa moved from their overnight 29-0 to 102-1 with Smith looking ominous on 51 off 193 balls and Hashim Amla also unbeaten on 28.

But by then, Smith should have been long gone. After patiently guiding his side through a sticky evening session involving a rain break and floodlights last night, he had a wild slash at birthday boy Ryan Sidebottom after just four overs this morning – when he had scored just 15.

Sidebottom, 32 today, certainly thought Smith had got a touch with his uncharacteristic attempted cut off the final ball of his second over – and the entire England side went up with Stuart Broad particularly vociferous in his appeal.

While on-field umpire Tony Hill remained unmoved, England captain Andrew Strauss immediately called for a review.

England’s celebrating fielders could hardly believe it when television umpire Daryl Harper said he heard nothing on the stump mike and backed New Zealander Hill’s not-out verdict.

Ashes-winner Matthew Hoggard, emerging from the SABC commentary box, told me: “There was a definite noise. I don’t understand why it wasn’t given. Once we’d turned the sound up, it was quite clear.

“Perhaps the television umpire had a problem with the feed from the pitch mike. But without hotspot, it’s so difficult.”

Hotspot technology shows an infra-red image of where the ball hits. Though it is functioning for reviews in Australia’s current series against Pakistan, it is not available here, making catches behind difficult to give.

But since then I’ve even had fans coming up saying they heard the nick – and texts from South African fans in London, watching Sky, laughing at their luck.

Australian television umpire Harper, already under fire for not giving a no ball when Alastair Cook was out LBW yesterday, will come under further scrutiny from the England camp – though Paul Collingwood said last night England were more acceptant of that decision after further review of the tapes.

But he confirmed England coach Andy Flower had made a brief visit to match referee Rohsan Mahanama after that decision.

England’s disappointment was eased an over later when they grabbed their first wicket of the morning. Ashwell Prince prodded forward at Stuart Broad – who looked really fired-up this morning after being told where to go by Jacques Kallis when he got out yesterday – and the thick edge flew to Graeme Swann at slip. No doubt about that one.

The first slip catch of the Test so far left South Africa, 29-0 after those 12 sticky overs last night, 36-1 in the 17^th over.

The batsman formerly known as Prince (as they like to call him here) did brilliantly to survive two hostile spells amid the rain break and badlight last night, but all that hard work -19 runs off 48 balls - was in vain and he attempted to fend off a good, rising delivery.

Amla marched out to join his captain and together they survived a difficult early morning session.

With the sun baking the life out of yesterday’s jumpy strip – and limiting the swing for England’s seamers - South Africa’s 50 came up six overs into the morning session.

Broad and Sidebottom were getting movement and finding a good length... but without the constant menace provided by the pace of Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel in their devastating opening 12-over spell yesterday, when four England wickets fell for less than 40 runs.

As Steyn said last night: “When you have conditions like this, where the ball is doing things off a track like this, you have to fill you boots. It doesn’t happen that often in Test cricket – but it often happens at the Wanderers.”

Smith and dropped. Two words you don't want to hear in South Africa. But they've axed Ntini

JUST two overs into the rain-delayed third Test in Cape Town this morning and we may already have seen one of the key moments of this topsy-turvy series.

With Ashwell Prince falling to James Anderson in the first over, South Africa were reeling at 1-1 when, in Graeme Onion's opening over from the other end, captain Graeme Smith prodded needlessly at a wide one.

He got a huge edge and time stood still beneath the clouds next to Table Mountain as the ball carried to Graeme Swann at second slip.

England's greatest living cricketer - he has been magnificent on this tour so far - took it in the midriff. And spilled it. Gasps from the huge New Year crowd at Newlands. Fury from Onions. "Smith" and "dropped" are the two words you don't want to hear in one sentence on tour in South Africa unless it accompanies news that the locals have decided to axe their stubborn skipper.

Two balls later a relieved Smith dispatch Onions to the leg side - twice - for four. Normal service resumed. With the clouds clearing and Cape Town's weather returning to its summer January normality (see above, that's me yesterday on a blisteringly hot Signal Hill, overlooking the new Greenpoint World Cup stadium), that might have been one of the big drops in cricket.

And of course Paul Collingwood, who normally fields at second slip, was down at fine leg, protecting the left index finger he dislocated before the fourth day in Durban.

He plays in an unchanged England side after Andrew Strauss won his seventh toss out of nine. Smith has won one of his last eleven. He's saving his luck for his batting, perhaps. By drinks, South Africa were 28-1 with Prince, caught behind by Prior, the only victim. Smith has 15, Hashim Amla 7 and the conditions are gradually calming down.

There are other huge issues boiling away here as the clouds begin to clear. The big one? Makhaya Ntini has been axed. A nation is in turmoil.

Neil Manthorp, the face of the South African Broadcasting Association, twittered helpfully before the start: "Makhaya not even warming up with rest of squad. Understandable that he wants to avoid spotlight. He's been dropped - no one died!"

In a purely cricketing sense, he's right. Friedel De Wet, the 29-year-old paceman who nearly bowled his side to a glorious first Test victory in Centurion on his debut, has been recalled.

He should never have been dropped for the crushing second Test defeat in Durban.

Ntini, the fifth South African to reach 100 Test caps in Centurion, has taken 2-233 in the two Test so far. And both of those were in Centurion, where sponsors South African breweries were offering free beers to the fans every time he took a wicket. Some members of the Barmy Army became severely dehydrated on the back of that promotion.

While Ntini laboured, De Wet - already featuring in a tug-of-war between head of selectors MIke Procter and coach Mickey Arthur - grabbed the new ball late on the fifth day in Centurion and took three quick wickets in a devastating debut burst.

But when the last over was bowled, captain Graeme Smith opted to rest De Wet and give Ntini the final over at Graham Onions in an attempt to produce a romantic triumph. It didn't work. England survived by a single wicket. Ntini, 32, failed to work his magic.

De Wet, who waited so long for his first Test cap, was the hero. But there was no room for him in Durban when the world's top-ranked Test bowler, Dale Steyn was able to return after a hamstring injury. His last-minute breakdown in Centurion had paved the way for De Wet, his return meant South Africa went back to a three-and-a-half-pronged attack of Steyn, Ntini, the excellent Morne Morkel and the half-fit Jacques Kallis.

The rest is history. England made merry, with out-of-form Alastair Cook and Ian Bell both getting centuries. Strauss, Collingwood and Matt Prior all got 50. The South Africans were dispatched to all corners and beaten by an innings and 98 runs.

Steyn didn't look anything special, Ntini failed to take a wicket, Kallis was clearly still strugging with his rib and Morkel was the pick of their pacemen.

So today's decision to axe Ntini is no real surprise. In cricket terms. But of course, this is South Africa. Just down the road from here, a local coloured lad called Basil D'Oliviera, arguably the best player of his generation, was forced to play for England because Apartheid meant he couldn't play for the land of his birth. And he wasn't allowed to tour here with his adopted country.

From 1970 to 1992, because of the D'Oliviera affair, South Africa were in sporting isolation. Until Ntini came along at the forefront of the Rainbow Nation's colourful return, to encourage a generation of black cricketers in this country to don their whites.

Worryingly, there is no obvious candidate to replace his face in the line-up. Apparently the sports minister was asked if dropping the only black man in the side - JP Duminy, Ashwell Prince and Hashim Amla are still considered "coloured" and "Asian" here - and captain Smith admitted: "Obviously it is a sensitive issue in South Africa - that's being honest."

Sensitive or not, it's happened. Ntini is now rumoured to be on his way to Middlesex next summer, keeping him out of the way of the political fall-out from this decision. And South Africa must try to ride the fall-out.

A couple more dropped catches and a win here would help.

Game on! Swann and Anderson keep England in the Test

FORGET all the bickering about Stuart Broad falling victim to the controversial Umpire Decision Referral System. And ignore the fact that Ian Bell produced perhaps the worst leave in the history of Test cricket to be bowled by a straight one.

Let’s concentrate instead on the record-breaking ninth wicket partnership between Graeme Swann and Jimmy Anderson (right) which left these cocky, sun-burnt South Africans tearing their bleached hair out. At the close on day three of the first Test, the unhappy hosts were 9-1 after facing four overs – a lead of just 71 with the heroic Anderson bowling Ashwell Prince for a duck off an inside edge in the first over of their second innings. Magnificent. And the Barmy Army in full voice: “Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy, Jimmy Anderson...”

When Swann, England’s best player every day so far, and Anderson got together, Broady had just been given the electronic finger by television umpire Amiesh Saheba. ‘Real’ umpire Aleem Dar gave the Nottinghamshire paceman not out when he was rapped on the pads by the innocuous slow bowling of JP Duminy with England teetering on 242-7, 176 runs behind.

The South Africans had a chat and 34 seconds later, they decided to appeal – and Broad was gone, a victim of Hawkeye, 242-8. Furious, he appealed to the umpires but high in the stands, it was television official Amiesh Saheba who needed a talking to.

And Broad did exactly that – he had what is best described as an “animated chat” with Saheba and match referee Roshan Mahanama in the television decision room. Stuart’s dad Chris, of course, is a well-known match referee and former Test opener. Broad apparently feels the South Africans had been given a signal from the dressing-room after coach Mickey Arthur had seen the replay, which may not be in the spirit of the rules.

By then, England’s hopes of getting within a hundred of South Africa’s 418 looked all but over. But Swann – who has been known to open the batting for Notts in Twenty20 thrashes - and regular nightwatchman Anderson obviously hadn’t been told that. From 242-8 they took England to the undreamt of heights of 348-9. Incredible.

Their partnership, which endured and flourished despite the taking of the new ball, represents the best ever penultimate pairing on this ground and for Swann, it was a Test best.

Anderson was finally out, miscueing one to Morne Morkel at mid-on off Ntini, for 29, just three short of his Test best, having survived 78 balls and hit a memorable six. The partnership, also England’s best for the ninth wicket against South Africa, was worth 106 in 23 overs at an astonishing rate of 4.54 an over, rapid for this Test.

And then, with Swannie on 81 not out at the other end, last man Graham Onions thrashed Ntini for four off his fourth ball. Great stuff! It couldn’t last though. Swann – on a career best 85 off 81 balls - was chasing it and finally put Harris into Graeme Smith’s grateful hands at deep mid-wicket.

Suddenly, the Test wasn’t quite over, the lead was down to 62.

There were snorts of derision when Bell left a straight one from Paul Harris, assuming he might actually turn the ball. It just went straight on and bowled him. Harris ended with five wickets when he got Swannie at last. And he’s more Ashley Giles than Muttiah Muralitharan, this fellow.

The once-docile first Test pitch, which allowed the home side to plod along to 418, initially gave way to a day-three demon which claimed captain Andrew Strauss just seven overs into the morning session, having added just two runs to his impressive overnight 44.

It was drinks all round as Makhaya Ntini, on his 100^th appearance, got one to zip through low beneath Strauss’s desperate defence to rattle the furniture. Sponsors Castle lager are offering a free beer to everyone in the ground when Ntini takes a wicket. The Barmy Army were first in the queue, despite their chronic disappointment.

Suddenly the ease with which Strauss and Trott added 63 in 17 overs last night was forgotten. Ntini ran to sun-soaked fans, arms raised. His 389^th wicket puts him one closer to Shaun Pollock’s South African record of 421 Test victims. Not a bad morning for South Africa’s first black cricketer, who had earlier received a congratulatory letter from Nelson Mandela, the former President who brought peace to this nation and added colour to their sports teams in 1993. But he had to wait all day for number 390 when he finally got Anderson.

Following Johannesburg-born Strauss’s departure, Pietermaritzburg-born Pietersen came out to join Cape Town-born Trott. The only non-South African on the field? Harris, born in Salisbury, Rhodesia, now known as Harare, Zimbabwe.

Pietersen got a remarkably gentle welcome from the Centurion fans. The lack of boos was probably down to the free-flowing booze being handed out to the gathering of about 5,000.

Trott and Pietersen did their best to handle the conditions, surviving the odd shooter but looking distinctly uncomfortable until the arrival of the very ordinary spinner Harris.

Then Trott made the mistake of thinking Harris could turn the ball. He charged down the pitch, took a huge heave allowing for spin... and the ball simply kept dead straight and caught the top of his leg stump.

Just as Pietersen was getting into his stride. Morkel got one to nip, got an inside edge... and Pietersen was bowled for 40.

Worse was to follow. Ian Bell, who should have made way for all-rounder Luke Wright or seamer Ryan Sidebottom here, chose to shoulder arms to a straight one. Once more he must have assumed Harris actually turns the ball. It didn’t deviate, it just went straight on into the stumps. Fool!

Harris must have thought Christmas had come early when, after facing 34 balls and scoring four runs, Matt Prior finally decided to have a go and popped one into the hands of Friedel de Wet.

And Harris’s tally went to four when, an over later, he actually turned one and Jacques Kallis took the catch at first slip to dismiss Paul Collingwood for a fine 50 off 87 balls as England slumped to 221-7.

The review system put paid to Stuart Broad’s resistance. He went for 17 and Duminy, another average bowler, had his first wicket. But it didn’t end there. Swann and Anderson came together and made the so-called batsmen look silly with a range of shots which made the pitch look oh-so-easy.

And there was still time to take that vital South African wicket at the end. Game on.