England collapse as series is squared

CRICKET FOURTH TEST:ON A pitch that for once throughout offered a challenge to batsmen rather than purgatory for bowlers, the ferocious firepower of Morne Morkel and the young thruster Wayne Parnell cut down the England order as easily as scything corn.

Dale Steyn hardly got a look in. Beginning the day in a position that was already bordering on the precarious, only Paul Collingwood, carving away as must have Horatio on the bridge, offered anything approaching resistance making 71 before he fell to a sucker first ball from the part-time spinner JP Duminy.

Wickets tumbled to Morkel, three of them for no runs in the space of six deliveries, while Parnell collected the early wicket of Kevin Pietersen, for whom many had forecast a restorative innings of genius. England failed to make it even to lunch and the possibility that rain showers might offer a stay of execution, the final wicket falling to Duminy with the very last ball of the session. All out for 169, the match was lost by an innings and 74.

Thus did South Africa square a series that had they lost would have brought charges of grand larceny against the England team.

When they reflect on it during their journey home, Andrew Strauss and his men might well concede to draw a series against a side that was demonstrably the better over the course of four intense matches represents a considerable achievement.

It might even have satisfied their secret ambition before the series began in Centurion a month ago. They have shown themselves to be a coherent unit of generally battling cricketers, although that is some distance from being a side of real top quality.

The starkest difference between the two sides comes in the seam and swing bowling where five or six miles per hour makes all the difference.

In this match, South Africa lost seven wickets in 119 overs and at times batted with considerable ease, while, by contrast, 20 England wickets fell in 90, no batsman ever looking truly comfortable. To progress up the world ladder, especially when playing away from home, England need to unearth pace to match that which once was provided by Steve Harmison and Andrew Flintoff. As to where that might come from, the question is met with a shrug and a shake of the head.

There will be some changes to the personnel after this tour, some terminal, others temporary. A tour to Bangladesh begins next month, and if this is regarded as something of an opportunity to throw in a few new ingredients then India’s batting performance yesterday has shown the potential folly in taking too cavalier a view.

The squad will be announced today and clearly there is an opportunity to give a break to some who might need it.

Jimmy Anderson has done well to survive a consistent knee niggle, and Strauss has looked a jaded figure on this tour, his batting a reflection of that. The word is he will captain the one-day side and then leave the Test matches to Alastair Cook, his heir apparent in as much as he is vice-captain. Geoff Miller, the national selector, is adamant Cook, a discreet presence on the field, offers more than might be anticipated in the dressing room. But there is opportunity for Strauss to rest during the World Twenty20 in May and towards the middle of the summer. Better in fact that he leads in the Tests in Bangladesh than the one-day series.

One hopes England do not view this series triumphantly. They steamrollered South Africa in Durban, but were hanging on by a thread at both Centurion and Cape Town, and now marmalised at the Wanderers. The batting has been underpinned by Collingwood, superb throughout in both defensive mode and, as yesterday, when attacking, his 71 containing 12 fours and a six. But Ian Bell has gone some way to re-establishing himself, (although talk of a move back to number three is fanciful) and Cook has learned a bit more about the art of leaving the ball as an opener.

Against that, Strauss has struggled consistently, his best moment coming in the first innings of the first Test, Jonathan Trott has got more frenetic as the tour has progressed and is a way now from convincing he is the true answer to first wicket down, and Pietersen, while looking better than for some while in his last innings, is not the dominant player he can be.

Of the bowlers, Anderson and Stuart Broad had their moments, the latter especially in Durban where he sent down the decisive spell, while Graham Onions created problems without gaining reward, something that may dog him through his career.

Replacing him with Ryan Sidebottom for the final Test was harsh, and brought little but ruddy-faced endeavour: Sidebottom might have played his final Test.

Instead, it was Graeme Swann’s off-spin that led the way, his knack of gaining wickets in his opening over now almost supernatural. The true test for him, a bowler of simple skills well-executed, will come when he faces sides second time around. Matt Prior has improved his wicketkeeping beyond recognition from the ham-fisted efforts of a year ago, but his batting record still flatters to deceive: six is a place too high.

England came out yesterday determined to take the fight to South Africa, but found the challenge too great. Pietersen flashed outside off-stump and was caught behind and then Morkel had Bell taken at second slip, Prior top-edging an attempted pull second ball – a stroke of such throw-in-the-towel rashness that it brought angry headshaking in the dressingroom – and Broad was caught down the leg side off his glove, given out on referral by the South Africans. His petulant departure for a dismissal obvious on replay just makes him look stupid. Someone needs a word.

Overnight

South Africa 423 for 7 dec (G Smith 105, M Boucher 95, H Amla 75, A de Villiers 58). England 180 (D Steyn 5-51) and 48 for 3.

ENGLAND – Second Innings

K Pietersen c Boucher b Parnell12

P Collingwood c M Morkel b Duminy 71

I Bell c Kallis b M Morkel 5

M Prior c Smith b M Morkel 0

S Broad c Boucher b M Morkel 1

G Swann c de Villiers b Steyn 20

R Sidebottom b Duminy 15

J Anderson not out 1

Extras lb6 w1 nb6 pens 0 13

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Total (42.5 overs) 169

Fall of wickets: 1-6, 2-21, 3-48, 4-84, 5-103, 6-103, 7-104, 8-134, 9-154.

Bowling: Steyn 14-1-64-2, M Morkel 16-5-59-4,

Parnell 8-1-17-2, McLaren 3-1-13-0,

Duminy 1.5-0-10-2.