South Africa v England Day 2 Round-up
England reached stumps on Day Two at Centurion 330 runs behind South Africa after the hosts were bowled out for 418.
Andrew Strauss (44 n.o) and Jonathan Trott (18 n.o) helped England to reach 88-1, with Alistair Cook the man to fall for 15 caught behind off the bowling of Friedel de Wet, his first ever Test wicket.
Earlier, Graeme Swann picked up his third five-wicket haul in 13 Tests as England struggled to bowl South Africa out.
Swann finished with figures of 5-110 as England found it very hard work finishing off the South African tail-enders.
England had a good morning session as they took the early wickets of Jacques Kallis and JP Duminy.
Kallis departed for 120 after nicking a full length Jimmy Anderson delivery to slip where Paul Collingwood took his third catch of the innings to leave SA 283-5.
Duminy brought up his third half-century before falling six runs later to Swann, who like yesterday, took a wicket in his first over of the day.
Swann went round the wicket to Duminy, who could only prod forward and edge to slip where Collingwood, yet again, took a superb catch low to his left to leave SA 316-6.
The morning could have been even better but Mark Boucher was dropped on 29 by Graham Onions at fine-leg after a mis-hit hook shot off the bowling of Stuart Broad.
It was frustrating work for the visitors in the field but they finally got another breakthrough after lunch when Onions, the pick of the England bowlers with figures of 3-86, made up for his dropped catch by dismissing Morne Morkel for 13.
Boucher was eventually dismissed on 49 when he flicked a Swann delivery into the grateful hands of Cook.
Paul Harris was proving to be a menace to England’s bowlers but his resistance was finally ended on 38 as he chopped an Onion’s delivery onto his stumps.
de Wet was the last man out, LBW off Swann for 20 and South Africa finished on 418.
England’s reply nearly got off to a terrible start when Cook edged to AB de Villers at slip off the bowling of Makhaya Ntini but the catch was dropped.
Ntini was not the only one unhappy as every fan would have got a free beer had Ntini taken a wicket in his first over of his 100th Test!
By Gary Taylor
