The Hindu : England makes steady start

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Aug 23, 2003

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Sport - Cricket

England makes steady start

By Ted Corbett

LEEDS Aug. 22. A third of the way through the fourth Test and at last it is possible to see a pattern to the most important encounter in the five-match series. South Africa was bowled out just before lunch and by tea England had reached 110 for the loss of Michael Vaughan.

Without Shaun Pollock (on compassionate leave) and the new boy Monde Zondeki, injured, South Africa was powerless to stop the run flood from

Mark Butcher and Marcus Trescothick whose century stand made its total of 342 look puny.

Of course, the mass of Yorkshiremen who filled Headingley were dismayed that their hero had not made a century — he was playing superbly when he knocked the ball on to his stumps — but it is part of the price of his elevation to the captaincy.

Vaughan has taken on board the pressure of the job thrust upon him by Nasser Hussain's impetuous resignation; it was too much to expect him to score runs instead.

That worried expression, even when his side is victorious, hides a spine made of steel but it confirms a mind nagged by the new issues. Even when he came in for lunch, having hit four off the only over he faced, he was wiping a furrowed brow.

South Africa batted on until 12 minutes before lunch and, on the fast outfield, added another 82 runs. Zondeki made only another nine before he was caught at gully off a hard edge to give Jimmy Anderson his first wicket.

Amazingly, Makhaya Ntini then scored an undefeated 32 and even Pretorius, almost a non-batsman, hit two fours. Gary Kirsten was ninth out, hitting one of the few bad shots of his 323-ball innings stretched over eight hours, to sky a drive to mid-off.

His 130 came in 342 balls with 17 fours, yet he never shook off the image of a tug steaming against the current; but as he was one of only five batsmen to reach double figures his century was invaluable.

After their brilliant start, the five England seam bowlers lost their thirst for glory and it looks as if it is time for Anderson to have the rest he was promised when the Test began back in May.

Vaughan and Trescothick milked Pretorius's first over — the only one before lunch — for 11 and Pretorius had to be taken off after conceding another seven in his second over but Ntini, now the attack leader in the absence of Pollock, worked up a lively pace which forced Vaughan to play on at 27.

The ball dropped off his bat, behind his foot and then bounced up to remove one bail; many batsmen would have got away with Vaughan's hesitant shot.

Two balls into his innings Butcher was hit painfully on his right elbow but he still managed to unleash his trademark square cut to a short ball from Andrew Hall to bring up fifty in the 14th over and a second off the last ball of the same over.

Headingley was the scene of his finest England innings, the match-winning 173 against Australia two years ago. He averages almost 64 in Tests this year and is pretty much the first pick in any England team, with a century in the victory in Sydney and another at Trent Bridge.

If he makes a big score England usually wins and today he looked in prime form despite the blow to his elbow. He smashed Zondeki towards the cover boundary but when he looked up saw that the new fast bowler was holding his side and could not complete his second over.

Zondeki limped off, a miserable start to his Test career despite his fifty. A report from the dressing room said he was unlikely to bowl again today.

As the 100 went up in the 25th over from a thunderous pull by Trescothick off Kallis, the pitch was the batsman's friend, the outfield like a skating rink and the bowling earnest but hardly frightening.

What Pollock, goo-gooing over his new baby, thought as he kept an eye on the game through his satellite dish, heaven knows. I doubt if Graeme Smith would have batted yesterday if his flame-haired strike bowler had been prowling the boundary and that may still be the key decision of the match.

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