World Cricket II

[Arvind Srinivasan]

Second Test - Day 1
England won the toss and decided to bat first

Inns 1: England - 287 for 9 in 80 overs ( J Hildreth - 141* , Bresnan - 37, Anderson - 18*). ( Steyn - 7/87,)
Highlights:
Dale Steyn inspired a ferocious come back for South Africa, producing 3 unplayable deliveries to rock the top order and leave England reeling at 36/4. Cook continued his disappointing tour fending an early awkward bouncer from Steyn to Duminy at gully. Duminy had been brought in to strengthen the shaky batting lineup which was routed in the previous test by the World Champions.
Trott got a dynamite of an inswinger which passed his defence even before his brain wires read the message "snorter" from his cognition systems. He made 2. Pietersen gifted his wicket to the profligate de Lange, who along with Philander had been having a miserable tour in a country where they were expected to contribute to a champion Saffer attack.
A battling Strauss could not cheat death at the hands of Steyn this time, unlike the first test, and feel in the latter's 6th over, edging straight to the keeper. In walked Hildreth, making his debut in place of the silky but not so steely Bopara, whose England career now seems to be well and truly over.
He signalled his intentions with a fierce square cut off Steyn off his first ball. With Bell continuing in his dour, determined mode, the pair raised hopes with a fire-and-isabgol partnership, that took the score to 65, when Steyn produced another unplayable ball which Bell could only fend off to short leg , in the 10th over of his spell, in a piece of what could have been called inspirational captaincy by Smith, except that he ran his best bowler aground, and Steyn bowled the rest of his spells a shadow of his ferocious self, thus letting England escape to safety.
The rest of the Saffer bowlers continued to demonstrate the difference betwen a great bowling attack that their opponents are and the bowling attakc with one graet bowler that they are. Hildreth exploded with a 45 ball 50 by Lunch, ably supported by a battling Prior, who, after a quiet summer against Windies, and a blob in the first test, struggled but hung on to take England to Lunch at 126/5.
　
The first over post lunch saw Steyn come back with his breath partly restored, and he immediately struck, clean bowling Prior. 132/6.
It was at this juncture that England found the true reservoirs of their spirit, talent and greatness as in walked Bresnan, blunting a tiring Steyn with a straight bat and a stout heart. He protected Hildreth ably from Steyn, and Hildreth made hay at the other end. "It was like facing Australia at one end, and Ilford 2nd XI at another", he would paraphrase a famous statement from the past, later in the press conference, adding insult to Saffers' injury.
Hildreth gained in confidence, depositing Tahir for 3 straight sixes, and ferociously cutting and pulling the errant Philander and de Lange. Kallis bowled a few tight overs from the Steyn end, but was blunted by Bresnan who perhaps thought that he was facing the Ilford 2nd Xi from the same end he had faced the Ausralian attack a few minutes earlier.
England progressed serenely to 213/6 by Tea. Hildreth had to endure a nervous 20 minutes as he walked off at 99*
　
Post-Tea, Steyn came for his third spell, and once again, refreshed by the partial rest, struck with a vicious snorter, climbing even on the portly Bresnan. Bresnan could only swung wildly and depart caught and bowled by a roaring Steyn. An inspired Steyn produced the ball of the series to Broad next, taking his middle stump to the boundary, almost. A petulant Broad, however, referred the dismissal to the third umpire, and couldnt believe himself, when the OUT sign was flashed. His profane outburst that resulted, ofcourse, will not attract the match referee's attention, Nor should it, Broad is God.
After a couple of streaky boundaries, Swann fell to Tahir, stepping out and swiping at a leg break that actually turned, which seemed to surprise Swann. 238/9. Hildreth meanwhile had reached his debut century.
It looked like South Africa had eventually fought back and that England looked like folding up for 250. But then, they forgot who was the #11 batsman of England was. James Anderson, the regular nightwatchman of England, with a stellar history of stickin around inconveniently for the opponents. And stick around, he did, as Hildreth faced, for the first time in the match, the bulk of Steyn overs. To his credit, the young man survived a fierce spell, by the skin of his teeth, and managed to take England to 287/9 by the end., with the Saffers looking deflated.
Mike Selvey of Guardian hit the nail on the head, when he said that England could declare here and win the next 2-3 series by an innings without batting again.
　
End of Day 1
　
　
　

Wah!! absolutely brilliant...