LEEDS, England, (Reuters) – England failed to make a breakthrough before rain forced the abandonment of play at 1715 (1615 GMT) on the fourth day of the second test at Headingley yesterday as South Africa reached 39 without loss in their second innings.
Jacques Rudolph, opening in place of the injured Alviro Petersen, was unbeaten on 21 while skipper Graeme Smith was on 17 as he continued to bat with a minor knee injury.
Thunder and lightning arrived just minutes after the players left the field with the skies over northern England turning an ominous dark grey. A minimum 45 overs were lost in the day.
““It was frustrating,” England’s Matt Prior, who hit 68, told reporters. ““To get a small lead and to put South Africa under some pressure it would have been nice to have had the opportunity to pick up some wickets.
“”There are now only two results that can happen: a draw or an England win. It can be hard sometimes to know you have got to bat out a day, which is what South Africa have to do.”
It was a frustrating passage of play for England, who had failed to capitalise on Kevin Pietersen’s exhilarating first innings century that helped the hosts to 425 in reply to the Proteas’ 419.
Smith survived a scare before lunch when England reviewed an lbw appeal but it was rejected. Television replays showed the ball would have bounced over the stumps.
Apart from a couple of edges that failed to carry through to the slips the South African openers held their own.
“”It’s a pity about the weather,” South Africa bowler Morne Morkel said. “”The key thing for us is to bat well in the first session (on Monday) and look at it from there. Hopefully the weather will be good.”
Earlier yesterday, Pietersen had resumed on 149 with the team on 351 for five.
England had hopes of passing South Africa’s first innings and taking a significant lead, but Pietersen was out to the second ball of the morning – lbw to Morkel without adding to his overnight score.
Pietersen’s effort threatened to turn the test on its head on Saturday with a counter-attacking innings that carried England away from potential danger at 173 for four.
It was his 21st test hundred and came from 214 balls.
