South Africa v England, Day 5:
South Africa’s Tame Surrender
December 30th
2015
“Moeen simply isn’t good enough”
Having had AB de Villiers missed, albeit off a tough stumping chance yesterday, it took Moeen Ali just three balls to put matters right. In nineteen balls from Steve Finn and Moeen Ali, South Africa lost Faf du Plessis, AB de Villiers and Bavuma and slid from a healthy 136-3 to a desperate 136-6 and Moeen had removed two of the three remaining recognised batsmen, including the one that all South Africans genuinely believed could bat through the last day and lead his side to a draw at worst, or even victory.
After AB de Villiers took a single off the fifth ball of Finn’s seventh over, between them Finn and Moeen produced 30 dot balls and three wickets – a total of 33 consecutive scoreless deliveries from the two bowlers seen as England’s most expensive; deliveries that ripped the heart out of South Africa. Four wickets fell for two runs in thirty-six balls. Any way you look at it, the South African capitulation was meek in the extreme.
Moeen’s spell was an astonishing 10-7-4-3, while Steve Finn at the other end was a willing and brutal henchman whose figures were only slightly less impressive.
It was all a far cry from the previous evening when South African fans were boasting that 280 to win on the last day was not going to be very many and that England would be sleeping nervously. As in the first innings, a single wicket led to the South African batting imploding in the most astonishing manner.
Since the New Year’s Test against West Indies, when South Africa made 421, their best completed innings has been 248 v Bangladesh. Seven times they have been dismissed for 185 or fewer and in the other two innings they reached the giddy heights of 214. There has not been a single century partnership and only two centuries: one of them against the hapless West Indians. Their average completed innings score in their last seven Tests has been 167.
In that sequence, South Africa have lost four and drawn three. It can at least be argued that rain saved South Africa from likely defeat in two of those draws (one against India and one against Bangladesh) and helped to massage some of the side’s deficiencies: the third match featured so little play that no conclusions whatsoever can be drawn about it.
Quite apart from the fact that there are rumours of open revolution around the South African team (there are suggestions that AB de Villiers has threatened to retire unless someone else keeps wicket, that Dale Steyn is close to retirement after a series of injury problems, that Hashim Amla may be sacked for the Third Test if he does not resign first), there is even a suggestion that Graeme Smith could be persuaded out of retirement, presumably as a replacement captain!
As many as six members of the side for the 1st Test are likely to be either unavailable or are in danger of losing their place. And even the good news – for example, Dane Piedt’s admirable second innings bowling – comes with a substantial caveat, namely that he was by far the least economical bowler on either side (Ben Stokes, at 3.2 runs per over was the only other bowler with an economy of over 3 on either side) going at 4.2 an over, almost double Moeen’s 2.3. While Piedt had the consolation of six wickets, he conceded almost as many runs as Abbott and Morkel did combined in nearly twice the number of overs that he had bowled. In other words, his wickets have been bought at a price and he has not been able to seal up an end to help relieve the pressure on the weakened seam attack.
In contrast, Moeen, despite concerted attempts to hit him out of the attack, has 13 First Class wickets so far on the tour – one more than Steve Finn – at an average of 16.8 and an economy of 2.8. With the ground at Newlands expected to help spin, Moeen’s form looks set to give England a big advantage in the 2nd Test.
Purists scratch their heads and wonder why he is playing, but Moeen has a Bothamesque ability to make things happen, even if he is bowling a consignment of liquorice allsorts.
While South Africa are wondering who to play, England seem likely to have to drop someone to make room for Jimmy Anderson. The betting is that it will be Chris Woakes who, although taking only a single wicket right at the end of the match, was tight, economical (only Stuart Broad on either side had better economy in the match) and bowled well. There could even be a case for saying “sorry Jimmy, there are no vacancies yet”, although a fully fit Jimmy Anderson would add potency to the new ball attack.
Whatever happens, England cannot afford an Ashes-like “one good match, one bad one”. South Africa are down right now and taking a count; they cannot be allowed back into the contest.
Day 5 to England
Key man of the day: Moeen Ali
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