Second Test: Day five: Tea: South Africa are making a meal of it. England can't lose five wicket in a session, surely?

PAUL COLLINGWOOD (left) and Ian Bell survived a ferocious four-hour assault from South Africa’s bowlers to take England within touching distance of a miraculous draw on the final day of the third Test in Cape Town today.

In front of another huge crowd — the 17,000-capacity Newlands ground was sold out for the first four days and isn’t far short of 15,000 today — the tourists lost nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson (nine) and locally-born Jonathan Trott (42) in the morning session. But Collingwood and Bell, unbeaten on scores of 58 and 34 respectively, survived everything the hosts could throw at them to guide England deep into the final session without further loss.

With time running out, England were 255 for five — 211 behind the hosts with an estimated 23 overs of this absorbing contest to come. They lost seven wickets in the final session in the opening drawn Test in Centurion when the new ball was used, but England clearly learned from that experience.

Their unbroken sixth wicket partnership has so far endured 288 balls and been worth 102 runs – at a modest but irrelevant rate of 1.98 per over.
Defeat here would have squared the series at 1-1 going into next Thursday’s final Test at the Wanderers high-altitude Johannesburg, making South Africa favourites to clinch victory in this fascinating 20-day tug-of-war. As it stands, England will fly inland on Sunday knowing they can’t lose.
England’s so-called chase — they needed 466 runs off 146 overs when South African captain Graeme Smith declared yesterday before tea — was never really on. But with Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook falling after a promising century-strong opening partnership last night and Kevin Pietersen joining them soon afterwards, even the chances of surviving for a draw looked anorexcally slim.
Resuming at their overnight 132 for three, Anderson — out here for his first ever golden duck in the first innings — survived for 45 minutes.
But he fell to the eternally fortunate Paul Harris, the non-spinning spinner, whose awful full toss was kept down by Anderson but it came off the boot and was brilliantly caught by Ashwell Prince, diving one-handed to his right.
Anderson departed for nine, but he’d done his job, batting 52 balls and supporting Trott for an hour to leave England on 153 for four.
Collingwood arrived but almost suffered a quick exit. His first ball from Harris hit something and was snapped up in the slips. The entire South African cordon went up, demanding the departure of England’s most stubborn resistor.
New Zealand umpire Tony Hill gave it out but Collingwood immediately called for a review.
Without hot-spot technology or the snickometer stump microphone, there was no evidence of a touch as the ball went through to hit his hip. The decision went in Collingwood’s favour. Gamesmanship by the hosts? Did they really hear something? Hard to tell.
But in the light of their ball-tampering allegations that apparently orchestrated appeal wasn’t quite what you’d call cricket either.
Seven overs later, the world’s top ranked Test bowler Dale Steyn, now fully recovered from the hamstring injury which forced him out of the drawn First Test in Centurion last month, worked his 90mph magic.
Trott, on 42 from 99 deliveries full of fiddling and marking his crease, saw his off-stump go flying as Steyn produced a touch of nip from the seam and squeezed the ball between bat and pad to leave England tottering on 160 for five.
Bell then joined Collingwood and the pair began the arduous task of trying to steady the England ship surviving a testing period as the hosts reached 179 for five at lunch.
The Durham man, suffering from a bad back all tour and the left index finger he dislocated during the wonderful win in Durban last time out, reached the break scoring a mere eight runs off 51 balls amid echoes of Cardiff and Centurion, where he was integral in carrying his side to safety. At the other end, Bell was almost belligerent scoring 12 off 27 up to lunch to frustrate the South Africans.
Before Christmas, Bell was considered something of a liability. But that superb match-securing 140 in Durban followed by a careful 48 in the first innings here makes him the one of the form batsmen — and with South Africa stuck out in the sun all day, the chances of a courageous draw were growing by the over.
Seamer Friedel de Wet – controversially drafted in to replace Makhaya Ntini, the 101-cap legend of black South Africa — needed an injection in his buttock for a muscle spasm before play and was bowling well below his normal pace.

After lunch, South Africa turned to Morkel for the new ball. He has been head-and-shoulders above the rest of the attack throughout this series and took five in the first innings here. At the other end Steyn, bowling like an express train gave Collingwood a torrid work out.

On another day, with a little more luck, Steyn and Morkel might have blown half a team away. But somehow Colly and Bell survived the crucial 20 overs after the new ball, defying the odds and giving England a real glimmer of hope.

At one point, the pair put on just one run in 24 balls between the 84^th and 89^th overs and when Collingwood picked up a four off Harris in the 101^st over, it was England’s first boundary since Bell’s four off Steyn in the 83^rd over – a lean period lasting 108 nerve-jangling balls.

But survive they did, and when Harris came back on in the 95^th over, you could almost sense the relief. Steyn and Morkel had been magnificent, Kallis and De Wet less so. But the new ball had failed to produce the wicket South Africa so desperately needed.

In the final session, South Africa turned to twin-pronged spin, with JP Duminy joining Harris and finding some serious turn for the first time. But England’s heroic pairing simply adapted and Bell went to his 50 first, tucking Duminy away for four on the leg side after three hours and 134 balls. What a knock

At that point, with Steyn firing up again from the Wynburg end, Collingwood was on 32 off 156 balls and England were 249-5 with 26 overs to survive.

Ball tampering my foot... or is this just a massive leg pull?

THIS is it, the picture which has got the whole of South Africa in a lather. Stuart Broad's foot coming into contact with the ball on day three of the third Test in Cape Town.

The front page splash in the Cape Times decided to ignore the record temperatures, the packed crowds and South Africa's incredible 312-2 yesterday, choosing instead to run the banner: BALL TAMPERING FURORE.

Broad, not the most popular figure here, and Jimmy Anderson, the second-best wicket taker in the series behind Graeme Swann, both stand accused.

Broad for an innocent stop with his foot just before lunch yesterday, Anderson for picking at the quarter-seam. Images of both have been repeated again and again by the South African Broadcasting Association on television here and around the world.

While their captain Graeme Smith has just been out for a potentially match-winning, series-levelling 183 and the dominant hosts extend their lead to 366 with seven wickets in hand on another steamy morning here at Newlands, South Africa have now said they won't be making an official complaint to the ICC.

Instead, we await a statement after they "made clear their concerns" to match referee Roshan Mahanama.

Poor old England. They just can't win. First Kevin Pietersen gets wrongly accused of throwing beer at South African fans. Now they are hit with allegations of ball tampering on a day when South Africa seemed to cope rather well with anything Broad or Anderson threw at them. Between them they bowled 26 overs and took 0-103 yesterday. Neil Manthorpe, the British-born SABC frontman, raises the question: How did Broad get such great reverse swing in the last Test at Kingsmead and apparently they are going through the footage, checking for further fiddling. South Africa coach Mickey Arthur also asked the question after the spell which turned the second Test from a well-balanced contest into an innings and 98 run victory for England.

But the best comment on this subject comes from England coach, Andy Flower. The Cape Town-born Zimbabwean said simply: "This amazing amount of reverse swing gained from Stuart standing on the ball obviously hasn't worked today!"

Both captain Andrew Strauss and Flower are seething over this latest attack on England's integrity and Flower added: "The umpires or match referee haven't said anything to us. A lot of tall fast bowlers stop the ball with their boots so I don't see anything sinister in it at all."

Broad insists he stopped the ball with his boot because he couldn't be bothered to stoop for the ball in the near 40 degree heat which left the 7,000-strong Barmy Army bright red yesterday. They don't like him here, perhaps because his father Chris is a match referee or because he got a bit stroppy after his dismissal on review in Centurion.

Flower added: "I thought our bowlers were very skilful in the way they swung the ball at Durban. They did it a bit in the First Test at Centurion as well. Both sides know how to get the ball to reverse swing.

"It is a very well-documented skill. By shining the ball on your trousers you get a smooth side and that helps reverse swing."

Hungry Kallis gets down and dirty to deny England in Cape Town

JACQUES KALLIS is "hungry" for runs and ready to play "dirty cricket" to dig his nation out of a hole - and that can only mean trouble for England in Cape Town today.

Kallis, who averages 65 on his home ground at Newlands, peaked in the shadow of the magnificent Table Mountain yesterday, scoring an undefeated 108 off 188 balls. He single-handedly denied England the dominance they deserved as day one of the third Test at Newlands ended with South Africa 279-6 and still very much in the game.

After a rain delayed start England, 1-0 up in the four match series, threatened to dominate when they won the toss and elected to bowl - captain Andrew Strauss's seventh success out of nine with the coin. They had the hosts 51-3 and 127-5 but Kallis, in fifty-plus partnerships with AB De Villiers, Mark Boucher and promoted paceman Dale Steyn, led the fightback to frustrate the tourists' pace attack.

Boucher, who put on 89 runs for the sixth wicket with his Capetonian neighbour, said afterwards: "He's hungry. And that's always a dangerous sign for the opposition. Jacques is so calm. His defence is so good.

"He's hungry for runs and he's worked hard on his fitness. Now the hard work is paying off. He is very focused - that's what makes him so good. I always enjoy batting with Jacques.

"We were 50 for three and 120-odd for five and we played some dirty cricket to get back into it.

"Our tail is wagging - and we hope that can continue."

England seamer Jimmy Anderson, who removed Ashwell Prince in the first over of the day, admitted after Kallis's 33rd Test match ton: "He's very focused when he bats and very difficult to bowl at. You've just got to deal with it. You come across these players in Test cricket.

"The lateness that he plays the ball is incredible - and even when the ball is reversing he can pick it, which makes it even harder.

"We bowled reasonably well and I think it's even stevens at this stage. Conditions were in favour of bowling in the morning. Apparently the best time to bat is on days two and three."

Graeme Swann, England's Man of the Match in the first and second Tests, took two quick wickets and nearly turned the game around when he dismissed the initial dangers of AB De Villiers and JP Duminy. But Anderson admitted: "On another day we could have had Kallis in early but it wasn't to be. We'll have the new ball in our hands tomorrow and have to do our best to get him out early."

Anderson backed the decision to bowl first after winning the toss - South Africa captain Graeme Smith has now won just one in 11 heads-or-tails battles - adding: "The conditions this morning were very bowler-friendly. In the warm-up it was swinging a lot - and with rain around as well, it was a very easy choice for us to bowl.

"We're happy with the decision. They've played really well - Kallis played unbelievably well."

Kallis peaks in the shadow of Table Mountain

JACQUES KALLIS, the timeless rock of South African cricket, crushed the life out of England's hopes of first day domination at Newlands today.

Playing in his home town where he averages 65 in Test cricket, Kallis stood firm while all around him crumbled. But they're used to that in Cape Town. It's his sixth Test hundred here.

With his side 1-0 down in the four-match series, Kallis alone kept the huge New Year Test crowd from collectively jumping over the edge of Table Mountain next door, just has he had in the opening Test at Centurion.

Without him they might have been humiliated like Australia were in their New Year Test in Sydney, skittled for 134 by Pakistan.

Kallis, 34 but "still playing my best cricket" as he told us two weeks ago, went to his 100 off 175 balls, crashing Kevin Pietersen's occasional off-spin to the fence. Magnificent. After 133 Tests and 10,000 Test runs at an average of over 50, the man just keeps on going, despite fracturing a rib last October.

By the close for bad light, he had scored 108, just as he had after the first day at Centurion. If he stays in, with the promoted bowler-batsman Dale Steyn providing capable support, the South Africans stay in the series. They were 51-3 and 127-5. But now they're 279-6. Honours even after a bizarre day.

To my right, the towering cliffs of Table Mountain are partially obscured by the vast containers of the South African Breweries factory next door to the cricket ground.

There are 16,867 fans here who have paid thousands for the privilege of attending the third Test of a finely balanced series between England and South Africa. And yet, after approximately 48,312 lagers they're as quiet as church mice.

And out in the middle, at 5.15pm in the middle of the African summer, the floodlights are on.

None of it makes any sense. Men in long white trousers battling away for five days in the rain or sweltering heat... and then the umpires take them off because it's getting too dark but everyone can see perfectly.

And Graeme Smith, their captain, walked off at lunchtime having a furious argument with Kevin Pietersen, England's South African-raised batsman. They went to school in different cities but share so much in terms of attitude and aptitude.

Perhaps he was angry because he'd won the simple toss of a coin which decides so much in Test cricket just once in 11 attempts.

And every so often we all stop to watch the television contradict the umpires, with the new decision review system adding further confusion to the modern game.

And out in the middle now, as we approach the close of the rain-delayed opening day, nobody can really so who's winning.

First it was England, when Jimmy Anderson ripped out Ashwell Prince, caught behind for nought, in his first over. Graham Onions that had Smith dropped by the otherwise perfect Graeme Swann an over later at 1-1. England, unchanged despite Paul Collingwood's dislocated left index finger, had won the toss and elected to bowl. It looked like the right decision under heavy skies which delayed the start by half an hour.

South Africa were crawling back when Hashim Amla was trapped lbw by Onions before lunch. Then Graeme Smith went the same way after lunch.

Jacques Kallis and AB De Villiers were pulling South Africa back in the game, but when they'd taken their nation from 51-3 to 127-4, AB had a rush of blood and Swann was back as captain Andrew Strauss took the catch at silly mid-on. A ball later it was all England as JP Duminy suffered his second successive golden duck and Swann took his 16th wicket of the series.

Kallis alone kept South Africa going, staying first with Mark Boucher and then Steyn, adding over 50 with both. This one is in the balance. But what a bizarre balance it is.

Swann bounces back as England's initial fears - AB and JP - are dispelled

GRAEME SWANN recovered from an embarrassing dropped catch in the second over of day one to give England the edge over South Africa at Cape Town today.

Swann snatched two wickets in two balls to reduce the hosts to 183-5 at tea, with dangerman AB De Villiers soon followed by the duckulent JP Duminy as initials passed quicker than the bad weather at Newlands.

Duminy is pure gold for England at the moment, requiring just two balls to complete his last two innings against the Nottinghamshire pair of Stuart Broad and Swann.

England, 1-0 up in the four-match series, were just starting to labour as the rain which delayed the start gave way to another fine day at the tip of Africa (see picture and compare to last entry).

The extended tea session had looked like going South Africa's way as Jacques Kallis, who averages 65 in Tests at the home of his Cape Cobras, was joined by De Villiers.

England dominant then after Andrew Strauss won the toss - his seventh in nine - and decided to bowl as the covers went on... and off... and on... and off.

Play eventually got underway half-an-hour after the scheduled 10.30am start, and England simply carried on where the left off in Durban, where they won the Boxing Day Test by an innings and 98 runs.

Jimmy Anderson struck in the first over, Matt Prior taking the catch behind to remove the out-of-form opener for a duck. Graham Onions had captain Graeme Smith playing a terrible shot in the next over with the hosts at 1-1 - but then came Swann's most awkward moment of the series so far.

Standing in for Paul Collingwood - fielding at fine leg despite the dislocated left index finger he picked up in Durban - at second slip, Smith's edge flew straight into Swann's midriff... and the Man of the Match from both the first and second Tests spilled the catch.

It was a dreadful moment for a man on top of his game right now. Round the back of the pavilion, I actually saw England taking Michael Carberry through some slip fielding routines. Hampshire's Carberry was flown over last week as cover for Collingwood... raising disturbing questions: what's wrong with the non-playing squad members like Ryan Sidebottom, Luke Wright and Adil Rashid? And do they think Collingwood - who took a record-equalling four catches in the slips at Centurion - is even irreplaceable as a fielder? Can he really bat a week after dislocating that finger?

Smith survived until lunch, making Swann feel worse and worse but at the other end Onions got rid of Amla for 14 before the first interval, lbw after the bearded one had survived a review appeal for what looked like a catch behind.

Fortunately, Smith - who has won one toss in 11 with the coin, perhaps he keeps his luck for batting - didn't last long after lunch, falling to the old Anderson/Prior combination for 30. But from 51-3 South Africa began the recovery process with the stubborn Kallis and the stylish De Villiers making it look easy as the skies cleared and the world seemed a brighter place on the magnificent slopes of Table Mountain.

With the home fans settling in for a length recovery England turned to Swann for the first time after lunch, but unusually he failed to take a wicket with his first over, a feat he's managed four times in this series.

But in the 42nd over of the day, Swann's eighth, the tide turned. De Villiers, apparently out twice in one Swann ball on an earlier review of a caught behind/stumping, came down the wicket to Swann and chipped the ball straight in to Strauss's hands at silly mid-on. He was looking good too, capable of lifting his side out of the mire with 36 off 60 balls before the rush of blood to the head ended a partnership worth 76 with Kallis.

Poor old Duminy, bowled first ball by Broad as South Africa collapsed at Kingsmead last week, got a snorter. Swann decided to come around the wicket, the ball kicked nastily and Duminy got the nick, taken gleefully by Prior. Suddenly it was 127-5 and England, 1-0 up in the series, were back on top thanks to Swann, who now has 16 wickets in the series.

Kallis continued to defy England, just as he did when he scored a ton in the first Test, and by tea he had moved on to 55 off 117 with wicketkeeper Mark Boucher (37 off 57, including three consecutive fours off Swann) in support.

As the South African journalists said when these two came together. This is their best pairing, even at five down. They've put on 57 together for the sixth wicket. England need another breakthrough. Soon. Think Swann.

Third Test: Day One: Lunch: Smith dropped, Ntini axed, the tension mounts in the shadow of the mountain

JUST two overs into the rain-delayed third Test in Cape Town this morning and we witessed one of the key moments of this topsy-turvy series which sees South Africa 51-2 at lunch on the first day of the third Test.

With out-of-form opener Ashwell Prince falling to James Anderson in the first over, the hosts were reeling at 1-1 when, in Graham 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 dispatched 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, 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. Out behind the stands here, I've just seen Michael Carberry, the Hamshire lad flown out as cover for Collingwood, practising his slip fielding in the nets.

But Collingwood, despite discomfort, plays in an unchanged England side after Andrew Strauss won his seventh toss out of nine and opted to bowl. Smith has won one of his last eleven with the coin. He's saving his luck for his batting, perhaps. By lunch, South Africa were a highly-fortunate 51-2 with Prince caught behind by Prior for a duck, and Hashim Amla, who fell lbw to Onions for 14, the two victims. Smith has 30, Jacques Kallis is off the mark with one and the conditions are gradually calming down.

There are other huge issues boiling away here as the sun comes out for the first time during the lunch break. The big one? The African cricketing legend that is 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 seamer 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, partly 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. As they walked off at lunch, England's South African Kevin Pietersen was in heated conversation with Smith. We're in for a fascinating five days which reverberations going way beyond cricket.