England v South Africa - Fourth Test

The Oval, London

England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, KF Barrington, DI Gower, GP Thorpe, +AJ Stewart, IT Botham, FS Trueman, AV Bedser, DL Underwood, JB Statham.
South Africa: BA Richards, TL Goddard, *WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, DJ Cullinan, JN Rhodes, +DT Lindsay, MJ Procter, NBF Mann, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: Khizer Hayat (PAK) & CJ Egar (AUS)
Toss: England

With so much on the line anticipation was high at The Oval, and the fact that this was also the 200th ATG Test only added to the sense of occasion surrounding the game. South Africa maintained faith in the same XI that had started the previous three Tests, but England reconstructed their batting line-up after the debacle at Old Trafford; Hammond was dropped for the first time in his career, and Knott's recall lasted all of one game as Stewart came in for his first Test at home and his first as wicket-keeper.

At 2-1 down England needed to force the pace, but after Len Hutton won his third toss in a row we were treated to a soporific first day as the hosts crawled to a score of 193-3. Graham Thorpe took an incredible 105 minutes and 73 deliveries to get off the mark, and as tightly as the South Africans were bowling, there seemed little excuse for such a poor rate of production. The one bright spot was the performance of David Gower, who went on to record just the second century of his stop-start ATG career on the second day as England eventually posted a reasonable total of 377. Gower and Thorpe's 124 run partnership for the fourth wicket took all of 54 overs to put together, and England's bowlers now needed to show some bite in order to reignite their push for a series-saving victory.

Wickets fell at regular intervals in South Africa's reply as the visitors' batsmen again mostly failed to capitalise on solid starts, and it was not until Cullinan and Procter hooked up in a 114 run stand for the sixth wicket that the Proteas looked like they could get on top. With Graeme Pollock unable to bat due to a broken finger he sustained whilst fielding, Daryll Cullinan stepped up and justified the selectors' faith by moving serenely to 99, but then both he and Procter fell in consecutive overs to the new ball as England struck back. Cullinan's innings ended ingloriously when he patted a simple return catch back to Statham, and South Africa's total of 326 gave England a lead of 51 with two days play remaining.

England would now need to bat far more positively than they had in the first innings, but Adcock and Goddard were unerring in their persistence and the score slumped to a disastrous 97-6 as England fell apart on the fourth afternoon. Three wickets went down with the score on 86, and although Botham and Trueman - with an innings-high 43* - restored a little pride to the proceedings, a total of 174 provided South Africa with a target of 226 and over a day in which to get them.

Early breakthroughs from Trueman and Statham rocked the tourists though, and with the scoreboard reading 33-3 early on the final day - effectively 33-4 in the absence of Pollock - England had roared right back into contention. Cullinan and Rhodes had both endured a disappointing series up until this point, but Cullinan was clearly buoyed by his first innings here, and with Jonty Rhodes also finding his feet, South Africa took back control. The pair added 142 for the fourth wicket before finally being parted when Cullinan was run out by Hutton for 56, but Rhodes and Lindsay took the tourists to within 26 runs of victory before Trueman removed both partners in consecutive overs to England one last hope of salvaging the game and the series.

It was not to be for England, though. Rhodes' 94 had been enough, and Mike Procter ended the match in emphatic style by hooking Bedser into the crowd to hand the hosts just their second ever series defeat and to provide South Africa with a conclusive, and deserved, 3-1 series win. For the second match in a row England's second innings batting had let them down, but full credit to South Africa and their skipper, Hansie Cronje, who has now led his team to back-to-back victories in his first two series in charge.

1st & 2nd innings scorecards

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Scores
ENG 1st Inns 377 (Gower 146, Stewart 51)
SAF 1st Inns 326 (Cullinan 99, Procter 61; Statham 4-80)
ENG 2nd Inns 174 (Trueman 43*; Goddard 4-31)
SAF 2nd Inns 226-7 (Rhodes 94, Cullinan 56; Trueman 4-47)

SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 3 WICKETS


Man of the Match: DJ Cullinan

England v South Africa - Third Test

Old Trafford, Manchester

England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, PBH May, WR Hammond, GP Thorpe, IT Botham, +APE Knott, FS Trueman, AV Bedser, DL Underwood, JB Statham.
South Africa: BA Richards, TL Goddard, *WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, DJ Cullinan, JN Rhodes, +DT Lindsay, MJ Procter, NBF Mann, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: Khizer Hayat (PAK) & CJ Egar (AUS)
Toss: England

England's preparations for the third Test were disrupted by the withdrawal of Les Ames with a knee injury, but the wicket-keeping duties would remain in Kentish hands - or gloves - as Alan Knott was recalled to make his first appearance for twenty Tests. The remainder of the cast remained unchanged though, and England picked up from where they left off at Trent Bridge by dismissing South Africa for just 197 on a first day green-top after Len Hutton had won the toss and inserted the tourists.

South Africa's top order again failed to push on having all reached double figures, and on a pitch that was now easing up under some unusually pleasant sunny skies in Manchester, Hobbs and Hutton gave the tourists a lesson in batting with their twelfth century opening partnership for England. It was tough going early on, especially for Hutton who was dropped on 13 by Cronje off the bowling of Adcock, but the partnership had reached 155 before Hobbs was needlessly run out, and at this stage in proceedings England seemed set for a sizeable first innings total.

Hutton eventually reached a patient hundred, but from the relative strength of 257-4, the innings collapsed on a dramatic third morning. Botham and Donald had already exchanged pleasantries the evening before as the former launched a furious attack on the new ball, but Botham fell hooking early on day three and the innings fell away thereafter amidst a torrent of frenzied South African appealing that tested umpires Khizer Hayat and Col Egar to the limit. England were eventually all out for 299 as the last six wickets tumbled for just 42 runs, but the South Africans were in a real lather and a first innings deficit of 102 certainly put them at a distinct disadvantage at the halfway stage.

Richards responded with a quickfire 60 on the third evening, but by close of play the innings had stuttered to 145-4, and on a humid fourth day the malaise of throwing away a decent start continued to afflict the Proteas' batsmen. Statham was bowling beautifully on his home ground, and at 230-8 shortly after lunch, South Africa looked dead and buried. Denis Lindsay was now the Proteas' last hope, and with Donald digging in at the other end, he launched a furious assault on the English attack that would totally change the complexion of the game.

Botham and the hitherto impeccable Statham suffered the greatest punishment as Lindsay and Donald added a national record 85 for the ninth wicket, and Lindsay flayed his way to his second century of the series, eventually finishing undefeated on 125 out of South Africa's final total of 336. It had been an audacious assault, and a lead of 235 meant that the tourists maintained a strong foothold in the game. England have never successfully chased a target exceeding 200 in their ATG history, and when Hobbs departed for just his second duck in 92 innings, brilliantly caught by Procter at first slip in Donald's opening over, their task became that much more difficult.

Hutton endured another uncertain start but he survived, and on the final morning England looked comfortable on 85-2, 150 runs away from victory. Three wickets then fell in the space of three overs though, including Hutton, who received a poor lbw decision from umpire Egar when on 45, and it was suddenly panic stations in the home dressing room. The ball was swinging in the humid conditions, and England's capitulation was as dramatic as it was unexpected. The lower half of the batting card resembled something approaching binary code as numbers 6-11 gathered just four runs between them, and twenty minutes after lunch it was all over; England had been bowled out for 106, their lowest total ever, and South Africa had snatched an astonishing win by 128 runs, a win that puts them 2-1 up in the series ahead of the final Test at The Oval. A number of England's players must now be sweating on their places, both for that game and the upcoming Ashes tour, and South Africa stand on the verge of handing England what would be just the second series defeat in their ATG history.

1st innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Scores
SAF 1st Inns 197 (Cullinan 45)
ENG 1st Inns 299 (Hutton 102, Hobbs 78; Procter 4-87)
SAF 2nd Inns 336 (Lindsay 125*, Richards 60; Statham 4-82)
ENG 2nd Inns 106 (Hutton 45; Goddard 4-15)

SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 128 RUNS


Man of the Match: DT Lindsay

England v South Africa - Second Test

Trent Bridge, Nottingham

England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, PBH May, WR Hammond, GP Thorpe, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, FS Trueman, AV Bedser, DL Underwood, JB Statham.
South Africa: BA Richards, TL Goddard, *WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, DJ Cullinan, JN Rhodes, +DT Lindsay, MJ Procter, NBF Mann, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.

Debuts: Nil
Umpires: AR Crafter (AUS) & BL Aldridge (NZL)
Toss: England

It is often said that the hallmark of true champions is the ability to perform under pressure, and after three poor displays in succession England responded magnificently at Trent Bridge. Len Hutton won an important toss and elected to bat on a slow, low pitch, but at 196-5 on the first evening the innings could have easily fallen away, especially given the length of England's tail. Hobbs, May and, at last, Hammond had all made useful contributions only to depart when set, and it was now down to Les Ames to play the saver of lost causes role yet again. Graham Thorpe, in just his second Test, was still at the wicket when Ames came out, and it would take South Africa almost an entire day to prise the pair apart as they put together a stand of 214 runs, the second highest partnership for the sixth wicket in ATG history.

Ames was finally out just four short of a deserved century, but by this time the tourists' resolve had been all but broken, a state of affairs which was reflected in their fielding. In all, the South Africans shelled five catches over the course of the innings, the most crucial of which was Lindsay's fumbling of a regulation catch off the bowling of Cronje that would have dismissed Thorpe for 22. Lindsay's keeping was not up to scratch for the majority of the innings, and that particular miss was punished to the tune of 126 additional runs as Thorpe ground his way to a maiden hundred. It was not a thing of beauty, but Thorpe's eight and a half hour occupation of the crease had provided England with a solid foundation in the match, and it was now down to the bowlers to build on that foundation.

And build on it they did, bundling out the tourists for just 217 on the third day and allowing Hutton the luxury of enforcing the follow-on with a lead of some 267 runs. Richards and Goddard had given the Proteas a solid start with a 58 run opening stand, but the recalled Bedser unlocked the door by dismissing both Richards and Cronje then Underwood kicked it down as he ran through the middle order to leave the innings fatally compromised. Pollock, with his fifth consecutive knock of fifty or above, and Procter, with a fighting, undefeated 41, provided the only real resistance, and by the third evening South Africa were batting again and facing a real uphill struggle.

England's bowlers now had the bit between their teeth, and it was more of the same on the fourth day as South Africa's second innings became something of a procession. The tourists' batsmen all made starts but none could punch their way out of the twenties, with Jonty Rhodes' 28 providing the highest score as wickets tumbled at regular intervals. Trueman bowled with fire to claim three wickets, and Botham mopped up the tail with a four wicket haul that ended the innings with just 179 on the board, giving England victory by an innings with more than a day to spare and handing Hansie Cronje his first defeat as South African captain. The tables had been well and truly turned after the tourists' comprehensive victory at Lord's, and with the score now standing at 1-1, the stage seems set for what should be an even more competitive second half to the series.

1st innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Scores
ENG 1st Inns 484-9 dec. (Thorpe 148, Ames 96, Hammond 69, Hobbs 56, May 44)
SAF 1st Inns 217 (Pollock 54, Procter 41*; Underwood 4-43)
SAF 2nd Inns 179 (Botham 4-33)

ENGLAND WON BY AN INNINGS & 88 RUNS


Man of the Match: GP Thorpe

England v South Africa - First Test

Lord's, London

England: JB Hobbs, *L Hutton, PBH May, WR Hammond, GP Thorpe, IT Botham, +LEG Ames, FS Trueman, DL Underwood, JB Statham, RGD Willis.
South Africa: BA Richards, TL Goddard, *WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, DJ Cullinan, JN Rhodes, +DT Lindsay, MJ Procter, NBF Mann, AA Donald, NAT Adcock.

Debuts: GP Thorpe (ENG)
Umpires: AR Crafter (AUS) & BL Aldridge (NZL)
Toss: South Africa

England handed a debut to Graham Thorpe and a recall to Peter May in an attempt to shake up the batting after the drawn series against Pakistan, but it was the South African batsmen who made the early running at Lord's, with Richards and Goddard putting together an attacking 114 run opening stand. Richards looked nailed on for a century but played on against Underwood for 80, and midway through the afternoon session South Africa had stumbled to 175-5, with Underwood claiming all five for just 17 runs. Lindsay attacked the Kent left-armer after tea though, and with Pollock stroking a fine 76, South Africa's sixth wicket pair put on 119 in just 31 overs to reclaim the high ground. Lindsay eventually completed a fine century before providing the hugely disappointing Bob Willis with his sole wicket of the innings, and a total of 364 just about gave the advantage to the tourists on a pitch that was already beginning to misbehave.

England struggled in reply as a succession of batsmen got themselves in only to get themselves out, the one exception being Hammond who departed for his second successive duck when he was bowled by Goddard. Thorpe contributed 39 on debut before becoming one of four victims for the impressive Adcock, and once again it was left to Ames to prop up the tail, with his 42 top-scoring as the last two wickets pushed England's score to a disappointing 231 shortly after lunch on day three.

With batting becoming ever more difficult, South Africa's lead of 133 gave them a huge advantage at the halfway stage, and a wonderful century from Graeme Pollock took the Proteas just about out of sight on day four. England were able to chisel away wickets at regular intervals throughout South Africa's second innings, but Pollock was immovable and remained undefeated on 117 out of South Africa's 268-9 when Cronje declared at tea, his third century in his last four innings and the nineteenth of his ATG career. England now required a record 402 to win, and with the aid of bad light and good fortune - Hutton edged through the slip cordon no less than three times before he reached 20 - the score reached 53-0 at the close of the fourth day.

The draw was clearly going to be the limit of England's ambitions on the final day, but a disastrous morning session saw them reduced to 98-4 as Mann began to extract appreciable turn from a pitch that now resembled crazy paving. Hammond bagged an inglorious pair when Adcock removed his middle stump third ball, and last season's 'batsman of the year' has now produced a run of scores - 9, 1, 6, 0, 0, 0 - that reads more like a telephone number. Whether this proves to be Hammond's nadir remains to be seen, but with an Ashes tour on the horizon, England's selectors now have a difficult decision to make.

Hobbs and Botham knuckled down though, and England made it through a tense afternoon session without further loss, tea being taken with the scoreboard reading 173-4. South Africa thus needed to take six wickets in the final session, and when Goddard removed Botham and Ames in quick succession it was down to Hobbs to save England from defeat as Cronje took the new ball. Hobbs duly completed a most deserved century, but after more than six and a half hours his rearguard was finally ended when he edged Procter behind, and South Africa now had 15 overs to take the final three wickets.

Trueman and Underwood dug in, and both managed to survive for over an hour as the edges kept flying wide or dropping short of the increasingly frustrated South Africans. Adcock finally coaxed an lbw decision out of umpire Aldridge to remove Trueman though, and with Statham spooning a catch to Rhodes first ball, the last pair of Underwood and Willis would now have to bat out eight overs to save the game. Willis immediately survived a huge shout for lbw, but with just twelve deliveries remaining he nibbled at a wide one from Adcock, Lindsay made no mistake and South Africa had won by 177 runs. England had been thoroughly outplayed, and improvements will need to be made if they are going to be competitive in the second Test at Trent Bridge.

1st innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

2nd innings scorecards (click to enlarge)

Scores
SAF 1st Inns 364 (Lindsay 104, Richards 80, Pollock 76, Goddard 46; Underwood 5-56)
ENG 1st Inns 231 (Ames 42; Adcock 4-34)
SAF 2nd Inns 268-9 dec. (Pollock 117*)
ENG 2nd Inns 224 (Hobbs 107; Adcock 4-37)

SOUTH AFRICA WON BY 177 RUNS


Man of the Match: RG Pollock

England v South Africa - Tour Match

MCC v South Africans
Edgbaston, Birmingham
4 Day Game
Umpires: DJ Constant & BJ Meyer
Toss: South Africans

MCC: DL Amiss, *JM Brearley, MW Gatting, AJ Lamb, KWR Fletcher, P Willey, +PR Downton, JE Emburey, CM Old, GR Dilley, M Hendrick.
SAF: BA Richards, TL Goddard, *WJ Cronje, RG Pollock, DJ Cullinan, JN Rhodes, +DT Lindsay, NBF Mann, AA Donald, PS Heine, NAT Adcock.

South Africa warmed up for the Test series with what turned out to be a regulation draw against MCC, and the tourists will be very pleased with the form of their batsmen ahead of the series opener at Lord's. South Africa's first innings was dominated by Barry Richards, who made full use of a placid Edgbaston pitch to pummel a magnificent 178 at better than a run a ball. He missed out on recording a century before lunch on the first day by just five runs, and by the time he finally holed out to Fletcher off the persevering Hendrick, his opening stand with Goddard was worth 269 and we had not even yet reached the tea interval.

Goddard eventually fell an unlucky thirteen short of his hundred, but a fluent Cronje managed to join Richards in three figures, and of South Africa's top six, only Rhodes, with 12, failed to make an impact. MCC's reply was centred around a workman like century from Dennis Amiss on his home ground, but with the tourists' attack bowling far more tightly than their hosts' counterparts, and the manner of MCC's progress to a total of 357 did not make for particularly entertaining viewing. Donald managed to find some life in what remained a very flat surface, and Neil Adcock just about won his private battle with Peter Heine for a place in the Test team, although neither looked particularly threatening. South Africa's brief second innings simply served as further batting practice, and attention now turns to Lord's for what promises to be a keenly fought first Test.

Scores
SAF 1st Inns 500-5 dec. (Richards 178, Cronje 118, Goddard 87, Cullinan 50*, Pollock 42)
MCC 1st Inns 357 (Amiss 105, Gatting 58, Fletcher 58; Donald 4-98)
SAF 2nd Inns 136-5 (Richards 48, Lindsay 47)

MATCH DRAWN

Match Scorecards
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