Eng. v. SA - Third Test

[Donny]

Hussain was out for 116 and Smith, 64.

Stewart is 46 n.o. and England are 7/401.

Hall has 3/76 and Pollock has 2/65 from 36 overs.

[Donny]

All out 445. Stewart made 72. Adams took 2/46.

[Donny]

At stumps, SA are 2/84. Smith made 35.

[Donny]

James Kirtley struck in his first over, twice !!

Rudolph went for 15, caught behind attempting a drive, and Dippenaar was trapped in front, first ball.

I'll wait for the start of his next over to report on the hat trick delivery.

Here we go. Very good ball but equally well played by McKenzie. He then took a single. Now Kallis gets an edge !! Stewart fails to hold it. 4 runs. Kirtley then bowls a wide, way outside the off. He then bowls one that climbs alarmingly. What an over.

England are in the box seat here. This certainly is the type of wicket to win the toss on. It's good for batting for a day and a half and then starts disintegrating.

However, If SA can pass the follow on mark, they will have an outside chance for victory because anything could happen in England's second innings.

A lot depends on Kallis.

[The Prototype]

Good to see England playing good cricket, maybe this will be the start of something good for the English.

[Donny]

Kallis went for 27 but a century stand between McKenzie (73) and Boucher (37) has SA within sight of the follow on figure of 246.

[Donny]

McKenzie went for 90 and Boucher, 48 as their 129 run partnership took SA past the follow on figure.

Anderson (5/102) took out the tail but not before Pollock (62), Hall (15) and Adams (13) scored some invaluable runs to get the total up to 362 and only an 83 run deficit.

When Pollock had Trescothick caught by the mercurial Adams, from the first ond only ball bowled in England's second innings, SA left the field in good spirits.

This Test now looks drawish except, of course, for a dramatic batting collapse by either side.

[couragous cloke]

go the poms! good 2 c hussain back in form! GO POMMMMMMMMS!

[Donny]

SA ripped right in this morning.

At lunch, England are 5/60 and only 143 ahead.

Pollock has 2/15 and Hall, 2/6.

The first hour after lunch could well prove decisive. Hussain (22) and Flintoff (9) will need to guts it out otherwise SA could win it today.

There's still a win there for England but they must bat at least till tea.

[I@n S]

These umpires are a discrace. SA are getting all the LBW's that England didn't get. The two Daryal's should @#@# off. Hair is the worst umpire I've seen from Australia. Bring back Simon Tawfual and David Shepard. Give some respect back to this test series that the Daryal's have made a joke out of.
Australia's 12th man: Daryal Hair

[Donny]

Pollock is showing his class.

First, he trapped Hussain(30) in front. Sadly, for such an experienced cricketer, Hussain put on a show of, "How could that be out??" and stood there. The electronic thingy showed the ball taking the bails. A good decision.

Flintoff looked promising, especially when he drove Kallis for a mighty six, but Pollock had him caught in the gully for 30.

England lead by 174.

[HAL]

[Donny]

Pollock takes his 15th. 5 wicket haul in tests as England slump to 9/118. He has 5/39 from 17 overs.

Giles (21) made some useful runs before he edged to Boucher.

The lead is 201. Pollock grabs the last wicket to finish with 6/39.

SA have till tea and then 120 overs to get 202 to win. The wicket did a bit but there weren't many 'unplayables'. SA must be favoured to get these but it could be a thriller.

[Donny]

Kirtley has struck, twice again !!

Two lbws. The first was Smith(5) who was unlucky as he got an inside edge and the second was Rudolph(0) who was plumb.

SA are 2/29 after 12 overs.

[Donny]

Anderson (2/7) put this Test back in England's corner when he claimed Dippenaar (1) and Kallis (15) in his first couple of overs.

McKenzie (6 from 58 balls) and Boucher (9) hung on grimly to get to stumps with SA on 5/63, needing 139 to win.