Cricket:England prised out Jacques Kallis at Centurion this morning, but South Africa still moved on to a teatime 401 for eight on the second of the First Test.
After a chastening first day of this four-Test series, the tourists needed to shift Kallis early — and thanks to James Anderson, they did get their man for the addition of only eight runs to his overnight 112.
But JP Duminy (56), Mark Boucher and the determination of the tail kept England’s four-man attack toiling in the sun for two more sessions.
Duminy passed his half-century in a fifth-wicket stand of 124 — the left-hander cover-driving Anderson for his sixth four to add to one six from 120 balls.
A pitch of occasional uneven bounce appeared to flatten out on the second afternoon, and the worry for England was that South Africa might be getting the best of batting conditions before wear and tear takes its toll tomorrow.
The key wicket of Kallis came from a perfectly pitched Anderson delivery, drawing South Africa’s cornerstone into a forward push on off-stump and taking the edge when it bounced and held its line — for Paul Collingwood’s third slip catch of the innings.
Yet even with Kallis’ five-hour stay over, South Africa ploughed on and could be increasingly happy with their work — having been put in yesterday on a pitch dappled with green.
Graham Onions found plenty in the surface to disconcert Kallis several times this morning, but after lunch it was only the real ‘effort’ balls which were leaping enough to trouble the tail.
Duminy went in the hour before lunch to an action-replay of Ashwell Prince’s dismissal yesterday, Collingwood again the catcher at slip as Graeme Swann (four for 103) struck in his first over for the second day running.
Boucher had a slice of luck on 25 when Onions failed to hold on to an awkward catch on the long-leg boundary from a mis-hook at a Stuart Broad bouncer.
The South Africa wicketkeeper had a second close call four runs later, edging a sweep down on to his boot off Swann for what would have been an all-time England record-breaking fifth catch of the innings for Collingwood at slip — had third-umpire replays not suggested the ball hit the ground before looping up.
Swann was the bowler again when umpire Steve Davis had to overturn his initial lbw decision against Morne Morkel after a South African review proved the ball was clearing the stumps.
Morkel took a nasty blow on the side of the helmet soon after lunch, before wafting a catch behind to Matt Prior off Onions.
But Boucher found a new ally in Paul Harris to further frustrate and tire England until, one short of his 50, he got a thick inside edge to short-leg as Swann got one to bite from outside off-stump.
Still England could not finish off their hosts’ first innings, though, Harris and debutant Friedel de Wet in absolutely no hurry as they achieved another chunk of nuisance value.
Along the way, Collingwood had another half-chance to pull off that fifth catch but put down a sharp one diving to his left when Harris edged a cut at Swann on 24.
SCORE AT LUNCH
South Africa 401-8 (147 ovs) (J Kallis 120, JP Duminy 56, M Boucher 49, A Prince 45; G Swann 4-107, G Onions 2-74).