Honours even as South Africa square series
Morne Morkel took three wickets in seven balls as South Africa swept
to a series-levelling victory on the fourth day of the fourth and final
Test at the Wanderers Stadium on Sunday. South Africa won by an innings
and 74 runs when England were bowled out for 169 in their second innings
in the last over before lunch. Only Paul Collingwood stood firm for
England, scoring 71 on a morning during which seven wickets fell for 121
runs.
Morkel finished with four for 59. He and Dale Steyn shared 14 wickets
in a match dominated by the fast bowlers. They also shared the man of
the match award. England captain Andrew Strauss admitted: “Graeme
(Smith) and his team didn’t give us a sniff in this Test match.”
England went into the match 1-0 up in the series after winning by an
innings and 98 runs in the second Test in Durban. The first and third
Tests in Centurion and Cape Town were drawn, with England nine down in
their second innings on both occasions.
South African captain Graeme Smith said: “I’m proud of the way the
guys performed in this Test match. We were under pressure coming into
this game.
“We got close in two of the games but credit must go to Andrew and
England for their resilient performances in Centurion and Cape Town and
the way they played in Durban.”
Strauss said he was disappointed with the way his team had performed
in their final match.
“But I’m very proud of the way the team performed over the ten weeks
we’ve been here. To win the one-day series was a huge achievement and to
halve the Test series against one of the best teams in the world.” South
African wicketkeeper Mark Boucher and England off-spinner Graeme Swann
shared the man of the series award.
Collingwood batted aggressively at the start of the day, scoring most
of the runs and taking most of the strike as he and Kevin Pietersen
added 36 runs in 40 minutes to the overnight total of 48 for three.
South African newcomer, left-arm fast bowler Wayne Parnell, made the
breakthrough when Pietersen chased a wide delivery, slanting away from
him, to be caught behind by Boucher for 12.
It completed a disappointing series for the South African-born
Pietersen, who scored 177 runs in four matches at an average of 25.28.
Ian Bell made only five before he was Morkel’s first victim of the
day, fending a sharply-lifting delivery to Jacques Kallis at second
slip. Two balls later Matt Prior was out without scoring when an
attempted hook looped off a top edge and Graeme Smith was able to run
back from first slip to take the catch.
JOHANNESBURG, AFP |