Strauss and Cook show some fight

Benj Moorehead at Headingley

A sapping day for England ended with some cheer as Andrew Strauss and Alastair Cook were able to ward off the much-vaunted South African attack in a tricky evening period on day two of the second Test at Headingley. But after conceding 419 to South Africa, a series-leveling victory (with one to play) is unlikely.

Having bowled out South Africa just before tea, Strauss and Cook faced a tough final session against some revved-up fast bowlers. In the main they showed fine judgement, all the while scoring runs to lift the pressure. Two straight drives from Strauss - one off Vernon Philander, the other off Dale Steyn – were the sights of the day.

Bad light brought the players off just after 5pm, and the subsequent rain meant they never returned.

England had started the day with a ball only seven overs old and good reason to believe they could whip out their opponents for, say, 320. James Anderson and Stuart Broad bowled as if they believed it, sending down six consecutive maidens to start the day.

But this runless mini-streak revealed as much about South Africa’s merciless tactics as it did about the excellent bowling. One last grinding down of the bowlers and we’ll have them beat – that was the South African mantra. Alviro Petersen began the treatment yesterday with AB de Villiers and he continued it with Jacques Rudolph this morning.

One wicket did fall before lunch – to Kevin Pietersen. Strauss can hardly have beared to bring on his part-time spinner; if the ball turned then the decision to leave out Graeme Swann would seem even more foolhardy.

Sure enough, Pietersen turned his second ball past Jacques Rudolph’s edge, persuading the batsman to drag his foot outside the crease so that Matt Prior could take off the bails. That Rudolph was given out by the TV umpire was more evidence that batsmen receiving the benefit of the doubt is a thing of the past.

Alviro Petersen, who had another lbw verdict overturned in his favour earlier, was at last out when he nicked a rising Stuart Broad delivery. Umpire Rod Tucker was the only person in Yorkshire not to notice the edge; Hot Spot did not miss it. Petersen's 182 was his highest Test score. Cook's failure to take a simple catch at slip yesterday proved costly; 153 runs to be exact.

But the pain was not over. JP Duminy played a classy little innings of 48 and was supported by Morne Morkel and Philander to take South Africa past 400.

An unhelpful if not sluggish pitch coupled with a lack of muggy conditions has favoured batting in this match. Even so, such had been the mental and physical dismantling of England at The Oval and now at Headingley that it seemed their batsmen were primed for a fall.

Instead the captain and the captain-in-waiting showed some fight.

Date: 03/08/2012 18:12:00 by BMoorehead
In: Today | England |