South Africa v England: third Test, day three – live!
9.24am GMT
37th over: South Africa 88-4 (Nortje 6, van der Dussen 11) Nortje, after making three off 66 balls, sensationally doubles his score with a leg glance off Broad.
“The Smarmy Army,” muses Peter Gingold (26th over). “Nice idea. But, sad to say, they’d have to stay in the UK on account of emissions from international flights.”
9.20am GMT
36th over: South Africa 84-4 (Nortje 3, van der Dussen 10) Bess’s arm ball kisses the edge as Nortje goes back and Root, at slip, spills a simple chance. Bess responds with no more than a rueful grimace, which is big of him given that that should have been his first Test five-for.
Here’s David Winter in Paris, questioning the very process of the OBO. “Are you live reporting on the third Test from the press box in Port Elizabeth, in the newsroom at Guardian HQ whilst surrounded by dynamic colleagues breaking news stories from around the world, or are you sat in your pants on your sofa at home?” That would be telling.
9.15am GMT
35th over: South Africa 83-4 (Nortje 3, van der Dussen 9) Broad tries a bouncer. Nortje faces the music, gets the splice on it, and would give a simple catch to short leg if Pope wasn’t so deep.
9.13am GMT
34th over: South Africa 83-4 (Nortje 3, van der Dussen 9) Nortje takes a single off Bess, who is now coming round the wicket, and van der Dussen plays the first attacking stroke since du Plessis. And it’s a very good one – a dance down the track and a clean hard hit past mid-on.
“Morning Tim.” Morning, Diana Powell. “What a magnificent bird on the photograph of the ground. What is it? Does it take catches on the boundary?” That bird has flown, alas – though perhaps somebody spotted it and can answer the question. All the time I should have spent with Observer’s Book of Birds went into Wisden.
9.06am GMT
33rd over: South Africa 78-4 (Nortje 2, van der Dussen 5) This collapse began with a caught-and-bowled and Broad comes close to another one as van der Dussen is deceived by a leg-cutter. And that’s drinks, with England so dominant that it’s hard to believe.
Matthew Doherty has a question. “Has this Test secretly been re-allocated to Old Trafford 1956?” It’s true that Bess is in with a chance of being both Laker and Lock here. According to our friends at Cricinfo, he’s the first England spinner to take four wickets in the first 25 overs of a Test innings since Graeme Swann at Cardiff in 2011. But that was a second innings, and it didn’t even last 25 overs.
9.00am GMT
32nd over: South Africa 78-4 (Nortje 2, van der Dussen 5) Bess keeps it tight as van der Dussen clips to midwicket for a single and Nortje blocks his way to 50 (balls).
“Well,” says Richard Mansell, “if one is South African this is as depressing as it must be exhilarating for England fans. It looks like we are heading for an innings defeat.” I realise that words of comfort from an Englishman may only make things worse, but ... Long way to go, and that rain has to come along some time.
8.56am GMT
31st over: South Africa 77-4 (Nortje 2, van der Dussen 4) Broad has two short covers and no fine leg, so they might as well be in Sri Lanka already. He breaks off from bowling cutters to present Nortje with a lovely inswinger, which very nearly clips the off bail.
8.53am GMT
30th over: South Africa 77-4 (Nortje 2, van der Dussen 4) Anrich Nortje keeps Bess out and nicks a single off the last ball. He’s now faced 39 balls, more than anyone else in this innings except Elgar.
“Morning Tim,” says David Horn, “and what a fine one it’s turning out to be. Was wondering how Matt Parkinson might be feeling? Dom Bess wasn’t even in the original squad. Are we picking leg spinners for a tour just for the craic? I’m assuming he’s heading for the door marked ‘Mason Crane’ about now.” Ha, you’d be spot-on if there wasn’t a tour of Sri Lanka next. Parkinson will presumably be there unless Adil Rashid finds a miracle cure for his shoulder.
8.47am GMT
29th over: South Africa 76-4 (Nortje 1, van der Dussen 4) By playing noticeably straight, van der Dussen deals better with Broad and picks up another two.
“Good morning from Port Elizabeth,” said Piet Morant, half an hour ago. “Looking forward to your fine commentary, especially since I turned down tickets at work from my colleague Alan when I saw how likely it was to rain, hour on hour [Preamble, below]. He was sure the rain would not come until this evening, but said you can’t count on the forecasters. ‘No, Alan, you can’t!’ Now he’s at the ground and I’m stuck at home with my windy dog.” As Rob Smyth would say: ach, sorry.
8.44am GMT
28th over: South Africa 74-4 (Nortje 1, van der Dussen 2) Another maiden from Bess, who has 11-4-22-4 and has surely inked his name into the tour party for Sri Lanka.
8.42am GMT
27th over: South Africa 74-4 (Nortje 1, van der Dussen 2) Mark Wood takes a break to rest on Bess’s laurels. Stuart Broad enters the fray and almost joins in the fun as Rassie van der Dussen, flummoxed by a cutter, chips into the covers, not far from Joe Denly.
8.40am GMT
26th over: South Africa 72-4 (Nortje 1, van der Dussen 0) Bess whistles through a maiden to Nortje, with scarcely a thought for people trying to write OBOs.
“Looking forward to a great day,” wrote Leo a couple of wickets ago. “Meanwhile... ‘not even Jerusalem dampens the excitement’? [08:02] So what do we really think of the Barmy Army? Did I also detect a slight world-weariness creeping into the OBO yesterday as whoever was writing suggested he or she was somewhat unbeguiled by the continued carryings-on of the Crazy Corps? Has what started so many years ago as a slightly self-deprecatory unit of hard-core England supporters willing to brave the rigours of sometimes challenging foreign travel developed into something that, instead, now rather prominently displays elements of the Great British psyche perhaps better kept at home? And, if so, what can be done?
“Last night I had a dream... that, as an antidote, we Guardian Readers started to consider organising a small rival force of travelling supporters that will go out of their way to show another side of the English character. A group that will aim to ingratiate themselves with the host nation, cheering rather than denigrating the opposition at every opportunity, backing wholeheartedly the umpires’ adjudications, and taking care to compliment the ground staff on preparing such superb wickets! Who knows, taking the lead from the delightful Japanese World Cup fans a couple of years ago, this newly Regenerated Regiment could even stick around to help clean up the stadium after the day’s play. Come on, Guardian Readers! Why not?! After, of course, each of us has dutifully subscribed and contributed to the paper proper, let us join together to form our own brand of more ‘woke’ and enlightened supportership, We could do it! Come on! Let’s hear it for The Guardian’s own Smarmy Army.”
8.34am GMT
25th over: South Africa 72-4 (Nortje 1, van der Dussen 0) The nightwatchman is in danger of ending up not out here. Nortje almost falls to Wood, fending close to the inevitable Pope at short leg, but then plays a wily tuck that gets him off the mark, and, more importantly, up the other end. Wood has the unlikely figures of 7-4-7-0. He has been far more threatening than Bess, but the pitch is on Bess’s side, and so are the gods.
“On the pop quiz question [22nd over],” says Alex Bramble, “it has to be the stylistically contrasting David Ivon Gower and Alastair Nathan Cook.” We have a winner. “And,” he goes on, “I’m struggling to contain my enthusiasm about Pope; I haven’t felt this excited since, well, Joe Root, and Iron Bell before that (and yes it looks like Pope deserves such exalted comparisons!).” It does.
8.29am GMT
24th over: South Africa 71-4 (Nortje 0, van der Dussen 0) Faf had actually started well, dancing down the track to off-drive Bess for four, then repeating the trick next ball. But Bess stuck at it and got lucky. Poor old South Africa – they’re making England’s youngest players look like world-beaters.
8.26am GMT
Another one! Another big one! Faf du Plessis tucks Bess round the corner, where the unstoppable Pope pops up to take a simpler catch at square short leg. Dom Bess has FOUR FOR 22. The world has gone completely mad.
8.21am GMT
23rd over: South Africa 63-3 (Nortje 0, du Plessis 0) Another maiden from Wood, who seems to be adding parsimony to his arsenal. If he could just stay fit, he might well be England’s Mitchell Johnson.
“I know this is so yesterday,” says James Gladstone, “but what kept me awake here in Chiangmai last night was ‘what the hell is a former redhead’, and subsequently – could there ever be or have been an XI of redheads given we’ve got potentially 3 already...?” I shudder to think what you’ve started.
8.20am GMT
22nd over: South Africa 63-3 (Nortje 0, du Plessis 0) Root had just moved Pope to silly point, so full credit for that and time for the doubters to be silenced. What a match Pope is having. Yesterday, aged 22, he became the youngest right-hander to make a hundred for England since Colin Cowdrey in 1954. In the past 66 years, two left-handers were even younger – can you name them?
8.15am GMT
An inside edge, a pop off the pad, a dive forwards from silly point – and England have the wicket they most wanted.
8.12am GMT
21st over: South Africa 61-2 (Elgar 33, Nortje 0) Wood’s pace again bothers Elgar, who flaps at a short one. The ball loops up and would be caught if there were two leg slips. Can’t blame Root for that.
8.07am GMT
20th over: South Africa 60-2 (Elgar 32, Nortje 0) It’s Dom Bess at the other end, so no Stuart Broad for now. He too opens with a maiden, but there are no alarms for the nightwatchman Nortje.
8.06am GMT
19th over: South Africa 60-2 (Elgar 32, Nortje 0) Wood does it again, third ball, and twice hurries Elgar into crabby deflections with a crooked bat. As first overs of the day go, that’s superb. But already the commentators are chuntering about a missing catcher, at second slip. Root did well on one side, with a short leg and a leg slip, but something in him keeps on wanting to overdo the caution. Maybe it’s the years he spent watching Alastair Cook setting the field.
8.02am GMT
It’s Mark Wood (hooray) and he opens with a jaffa – angled into the left-handed Elgar, and jagging past him. Not even Jerusalem can dampen the excitement.
8.00am GMT
“What times we live in,” says Bill Hargreaves. “Looking forward avidly to a day’s Test coverage. Thanks, in advance, for the great commentary, Tim.” Steady on. That could be like saying thanks, in advance, for the great captaincy, Joe.
7.59am GMT
Not only are England in charge, but the weather is better than forecast and the day seems to be starting on time. Something must be about to go horribly wrong, and Abhijato Sensarma is onto it. “The England Test side is easily one of the most volatile sporting outfits in the world. They oscillate from positions of comfort and advantage to ones of disarray and disadvantage, often within the same session. Yesterday was their best day in Test cricket for quite some time - the experienced players kept a cool head, while the young ones showed adequate style on their way to substance. The media is printing positive headlines for this team after a long time. If they do not follow it up with classical confusion, rusty bowling, and average fielding to surrender their advantage today, would the world even make sense anymore?”
4.14pm GMT
Morning everyone. England’s cricketers have just woken up to face an unfamiliar challenge: how do you follow a perfect day? Yesterday they had one fresh-faced 22-year-old making a masterly hundred, and then another grabbing two top-order wickets. England finished the day 439 ahead, with Dom Bess lording it at one end and Mark Wood delivering thunderbolts at the other. The good news for South Africa is that their task is simple enough: all they have to do is dig themselves out of a deep hole.
One piece of evidence is on their side. So far in the third Test, not a single wicket has fallen before lunch. England should be able to change that curious fact with their tails up and a nightwatchman to bowl at – although, the last time he found himself doing this job, Anrich Nortje made a handy fortje.
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