CRICKET/Second Test, South Africa v England: An England victory that had seemed improbable at the start of play yesterday had become a distinct possibility by the end.
A day of relentless, uncompromising batting from Marcus Trescothick and Andrew Strauss at Kingsmead saw the second Test, already dizzy from being turned on its head over the first two days, inverted yet again. England, already with a lead of 88 and nine second-innings wickets in hand, will go into the penultimate day as favourites to extend their winning run.
In the process the pair have already become enshrined in the pantheon of great English opening partnerships that stretches back past Graham Gooch and Mike Atherton, beyond Len Hutton and Cyril Washbrook and to the masters Jack Hobbs and Herbert Sutcliffe.
Records were rewritten as they extended their stand, begun in such fine style on Monday evening, to 273, before Trescothick was undone by the bounce of the second new ball. He was caught at the wicket an hour after tea for 132, his eighth Test hundred but only his third in 56 innings abroad. He had hit 20 fours and two sixes and he and Strauss had been together for 346 minutes.
Before that, there had been the real possibility that the pair would bat the day through as only Hobbs and Sutcliffe have managed before for England. As it was, four overs after Shaun Pollock had claimed what was to prove South Africa's only success of a day of bowling purgatory, bad light intervened with 11 overs still remaining.
By then Strauss, too, had reached 132, his fourth hundred in only nine matches, leaving him just 33 shy of completing 1,000 Test runs, and within one run of top scoring, probably, in each of England's four innings of this series.
With him was Mark Butcher and we should spare a thought for a soul who, out of form anyway, spent the bulk of the day padded up only to come in and face a second new ball that showed that there is still some erratic life in an apparently moribund surface.
Somehow he survived as South Africa rallied strongly, and at 281 for one it is England now who have the upper hand, looking to bat for another two-and-a-half sessions before starting a tilt for victory. The hours at either end of the day could decide the match.
If, after two sloppy first- innings performances this series, Duncan Fletcher had been demanding more diligence, then he got it from his openers but without compromising the positive intent of either.
This was no slow grind out of a corner but a calculated stand. Bowlers were targeted: the young Dale Steyn, a threat with his pace, despite his inexperience, was treated with such disregard he was forced from the attack; the only front-line spinner in the South African side, Nicky Boje, was similarly attacked at a time when his captain, Graeme Smith, was looking for control at one end. As a strategy it was right on the button. Neither was to pose a real threat.
The end product was a field day for the statisticians and a chance to crow for the several thousand England supporters who sat, sang, and danced on the grassy banks in the stadium and sweated in the extreme humidity.
This first-wicket partnership, the largest since Colin Cowdrey and Geoff Pullar added 290 against South Africa at The Oval 44 years ago, was the fifth highest opening stand ever for England; the third highest by anyone against South Africa (along with the Cowdrey-Pullar alliance, Hutton and Washbrook added 359 at Ellis Park in Johannesburg in 1948-49); and by 90 runs, a ground record.
It was also, as it happens, the highest opening stand by a pair of left-handers, which is one in the eye for the Australians Matthew Hayden and Justin Langer who have six times exceeded 200 together, with a maximum of 253.
There was a tale told here. For years, the wisdom has been that the ideal, classic opening combination was one right and one left-hander to disrupt a bowler's line. Bowlers will say, however, that a right-hander at least lends some normality: there is something at which to bowl, a natural line.
In fact seamers, particularly those who cannot move the ball into a left-hander, actually feed their appetite for width, especially on the back foot, the sort of thing on which both Trescothick and Strauss thrive. South Africa's bowlers, as a rule of thumb, are significantly less effective against left-handers than right.
Until tiredness, inevitably, took over in the final session, it was hard to think of a false stroke played by either England opener.
By lunch they were both beyond their half centuries with a further 107 added. By the end of the next session, England were in credit and both had completed their hundreds.
First came Trescothick, racing through the 90s as Strauss suffered some uncharacteristic nerves, with a thumping drive back down the ground. In the next over, Strauss, too, was able to celebrate, a little sweep for a single bringing him three figures. The game really does seem easy for him at present.
South Africa were scarcely given a sniff until twice Strauss rode his luck. On 118, just before the new ball was due, he dabbed at a shortish ball from Boje and was dropped at the wicket by AB de Villiers. Seven runs later, after Trescothick's wicket had given some consolation to Pollock for his efforts, Strauss played at the next ball, from Makhaya Ntini now, and edged low to third slip where Martin van Jaarsveld was unable to hang on.
It was a difficult period for Strauss and the light closed in at the right time. He will resume this morning having regrouped and intent, you can bet, on making this one count. He has been out there for more than six hours now, rather likes it and would appreciate a bit more yet.
