National

Captain Smith takes SA home

— Photo: AP

Graeme Smith.

BIRMINGHAM: The third Test reached boiling point at Edgbaston, even as South Arica won the Test by five wickets, as two lbw decisions when the bowling was from the pavilion end at the start of the South African second innings sent coach Mickey Arthur storming off to complain to the Sri Lankan match referee Ranjan Madugalle.

Neil McKenzie and Jacques Kallis were given out by umpire Steve Davis who had earlier seemed reluctant to raise his finger for more obvious lbws.

The row sprang from the need to move the Test pitch because the square is being re-laid. The new wicket was in line with windows which made seeing the pitched-up ball difficult.

South Africa protested on the third morning and asked for changes to the sightscreens. Michael Vaughan, the England captain, refused no doubt in part because the windows made Andrew Flintoff an even more potent weapon.

These revelations explain why Jacques Kallis was so comprehensively bowled by Flintoff on the second evening. South Africa’s captain Graeme Smith led the slow march with an unbeaten 154 to give his side a winning 2-0 series margin. He had the ideal aide in Mark Boucher (45 not out).

Earlier with AB de Villiers he put in a stand of 78 for the fifth wicket but with 110 wanted de Villiers edged a catch to slip and half the side was out for 171.

Flintoff broke through when his yorker hit McKenzie on the heel and left South Africa 65 for one before Panesar, tossing the ball higher and higher gained the second lbw decision against Amla at 78.

Jacques Kallis is always the big target and when a full toss from Flintoff hit him on the thigh and made him the third lbw victim he was clearly furious.

He looked as if he might refuse to leave, took a swipe at his stumps and stomped off, a one-man protest march.

At last energy returned to the England side as the South African panic forecast defeat.

The South Africans had more reason for a chuckle at the end.

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