South Africa v England: 2nd Test, Day 4 - Ten Drops Cost England the Chance to Win

 

South Africa v England: 2^nd Test, Day 4

Ten Drops Cost England the Chance to Win

 

January 5^th 2016

 

England probably needed two wickets in the first hour to keep the match alive. When no wickets fell in the morning session, the match seemed dead. However, with three wickets in 45 balls after Lunch and both not-out batsmen dismissed, there was just a chance of some excitement. South Africa’s tail has had all the consistency of melting ice cream over the last year and there seemed no reason to fear the batting of Bavuma, the last recognised batsman, who South African fans have condemned as a failed batting experiment.

One more wicket and there was a real chance that England could have taken a lead of 120-130 with four sessions left and had a chance to declare mid-morning on Day 5, setting 300+ to win.

Bavuma had other ideas. With Chris Morris, he added 170. Morris fell just before parity was reached, but Temba Bavuma – dismissed by many in South Africa as a “racial quota” pick – became the first black South African to score a Test century. In doing so, as Tatenda Iaibu did in Zimbabwe, he struck a major blow for the indigenous players on whom the future of South African cricket must depend, given that, like rugby, the national side remains white and Afrikaner-dominated.

When Hashim Amla declared finally, with a fourth new ball approaching, Bavuma had his century, the deficit was just two runs and South Africa were the only side who could still win.

At the Close, with six overs gone, the lead is now 18 and, bar an almighty England brain-fade in the morning, England will, most likely, bat out the day. Alistair Cook would not even consider a declaration half an hour before Tea and a chance at knocking over a couple of wickets. After all, 1-0 after two Tests suits England. Romantics will dream of England being 280 ahead around Tea, declaring and having a final burst at the South Africans, but a tired attack would not thank Alistair Cook for trying this.

It could all have been so different. The TMS team counted no less than ten chances missed. One of the most crucial was the dropping of de Villiers on 5, off Jimmy Anderson. Had it been taken, South Africa would have been 96-3 and in real trouble and maybe things would have turned out differently both for him and for England. Whether or not the decision to pick Anderson was the correct one, is open for discussion: he was extremely economical (1-77 from 35 overs), but lacked bite with the new ball. It is a “glass half full” question: Jimmy Anderson will be better for the overs (if there is no injury relapse) and one does wonder if Chris Woakes would have been any more effective on this surface.

Only one of the ten chances missed was a sitter, but you would expect half or two-thirds of the chances to be taken most times. Had that happened, Geoff Boycott believes that England would have won the match: it is hard to disagree with him.

The momentum in this series was all with England for the first seven days. Thanks to dropped catches and South African obduracy, the last two have been massively with South Africa. If this represents a shift for the rest of the series England, facing a stronger attack and a side that has recovered some of its confidence, may face a mighty struggle not to lose the 3^rd Test. It is essential that Alistair Cook and England have a good final day to re-establish some authority. Ideally, Cook will get a fifty and Hales a century in a bore draw and then, on to Johannesburg.

Day 4 to South Africa

Key Player on Day 4: Temba Bavuma

Key Player on Day 5: Kagiso Rabada. The leading wicket-taker in the match, a couple of early wickets for him would cause real nerves in the England camp.