CAPE TOWN, (Reuters) – Seamers Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn took three England wickets each to lift South Africa on the second day of the third test yesterday.
England, replying to the home team’s 291, reached 241 for seven at the close thanks to battling knocks by Alastair Cook, Ian Bell and Matt Prior.
Cook fell just after tea for 65, paddling Morkel to midwicket, and Prior and Bell added 41 for the sixth wicket before Bell cut the nagging seam bowling of Jacques Kallis straight to backward point.
Bell made 48 in nearly three hours at the crease and Prior, who survived several anxious moments, completed his 12th test half-century two balls before the close. He finished unbeaten on 52 with Graeme Swann on five.
South Africa, resuming on 279 for six, lost four wickets for 12 runs in a dramatic collapse in the morning.
“We’re probably marginally ahead and if we can knock over their tail tomorrow like they did to us this morning and then get through the new ball ourselves, we’ll feel really on top,” centurion Kallis told a news conference.
“It can be quite tough in the morning at Newlands and that sort of collapse can happen against the new ball. England bowled in the right areas and made it very tough for us.”
Kallis fell to the first ball he faced, the second of the morning, when he edged a superb away-swinger from Graham Onions to wicketkeeper Prior for 108.
SHARP CATCH
Steyn also failed to add to his score of 26 when he edged James Anderson’s first ball of the day into the slips, Jonathan Trott taking a sharp catch.
Anderson gained reward for his top-class swing bowling when he dismissed Morkel, Swann taking a superb diving catch at second slip, and Friedel de Wet for ducks to complete fine figures of five for 63.
England were quickly in trouble when captain Andrew Strauss edged a flat-footed drive at an away-swinger from Morkel to be caught behind for two.
Cook and Jonathan Trott took the score confidently to 36 before Steyn struck twice in his third over.
Trott, who had cruised to 20, chopped a delivery into his stumps and, two balls later, Kevin Pietersen sent an ambitious drive straight back to the bowler who reacted sharply to take a one-handed catch.
Paul Collingwood was the only wicket to fall in the afternoon session, trapped lbw by Morkel for 19.
“We’re disappointed we didn’t bat like we did in (the second test in) Durban but credit to South Africa because they never let us off the hook,” said Cook.
“You have to give credit for the way they bowled, there weren’t many bad balls and they put us under constant pressure.”
South Africa are 1-0 down in the four-match series having lost by an innings in the second test last week.
