Neal Collins

Putting things straight... just written this for a South African magazine while watching Andy Murray struggle in Australia

STRANGE being a sports writer in London as we gear up to the World Cup in South Africa in June. You read all these stories about a country you know so well and think... how can these guys be writing that? How can they pretend to know what's going on, what's gone on? Where's their perspective? But you have no choice.

This week Martin Samuel - the best-paid sportswriter in England, and something of a heavyweight in my world (left, with yet another trophy for his writing) - wrote a piece in the heavily conservative Daily Mail talking about how dangerous the Rainbow Nation is, about how nobody would dare walk down the road to a restaurant. Oh, and he complained about the shanties on the way to the airport and had a go at "PC journalists" who held a different view.

He's a bright lad Martin, but he'd just joined 'let's knock Africa' brigade led by the snobbish private school types in London who dominate the media and push it towards the fascist fringes.

The BBC's Andrew Harding does little better in his scare-mongering piece, which includes a visit to Hillbrow in Johannesburg http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/8479845.stm. Still, at least there's a positive closing sequence. But all this talk of flak jackets and videos of violence. What about London, with the Olympics coming up in two years? No stabbings in our capital? Couldn't foreign journalists do the same kind of muck raking.

Then there's Uli Hoeness, the arrogant German saying he never liked the idea of a World Cup in South Africa. How about flying him out there Rich? Let me take him around the country, see the stadia, witness the miracle?

I'm fuming. I've just spent six weeks in South Africa covering the absorbing Test series from which England escaped with a highly-fortunate draw. Martin had been here a week. I had a long chat to him while we watched England warm up for the last Test at the Wanderers. Didn't seem right or fair to produce a piece like that.

I'd told him my experiences. Centurion, Durban, Cape Town, Johannesburg... I walked everywhere, didn't hire a car. Wandered along the beach front in Durban, celebrated with the masses on Long Street as the New Year dawned in Cape Town, drank with old friends at the Radium Beer Hall in Orange Grove. Never a problem. The country improves every time I visit.

But the international media - apparently even the bright ones like Sammy - prefer to focus on the crime figures, African poverty, political corruption... even the tragic shootings in Cabinda, where Togo's team bus was attacked before the African Cup of Nations. But Cabinda, I keep telling everyone, is further from Johannesburg than Moscow to London. It's always been a troubled area.

I've been on 702, Sky News and opened lines of communication to Rich Mkhondo, my old university mate, at the World Cup communications office. Somebody has to redress the balance. Somebody with a knowledge of South Africa, a feeling for the country. But somebody offering enough detachment to come up with an objective view. And having an English accent helps too.

If you look at my blog, nealcollins.co.uk/blog, you'll see my arguments, my musings on the subject - and my visit to England's hidden training camp in Rustenburg with exclusive pictures. You may also read about where the other big European teams are staying - the German hotel in Erasmia has only just got around the building their training ground while the Italians will be preparing on a local high school pitch specially re-surfaced for their billionaire footballers. It's my way of helping fans find their feet when they get to South Africa in June.

And perhaps you'll find my first novel, A GAME APART, of use too. It's based largely on what I witnessed myself as a student, footballer and very junior sports journalist from 1979 to 1985.

But it takes us right up to date with current events, to the point when England are about to kick off against the USA at the Bafokeng Sports Palace on June 12.

Since leaving the country in something of a hurry during the Apartheid years, I have made numerous return visits to South Africa to cover the Lions rugby tour (1997), the cricket World Cup (2003) as well as a three-month England cricket tour (1999/2000) before the most recent Test series. My father still lives there and we visit, as a family, at least once a year, travelling widely and without fear other than when we come across big cats and rogue elephants in the game parks.

These frequent trips have, I hope, given me a special insight into a fascinating nation, so unique in Africa… and the world, when you consider how quickly it has changed.

In all my years resident there from 1970 to 1985, and on over two dozen subsequent visits, I never been mugged or car-jacked, or even rudely spoken to by a black man, though my university days were marked by constant conflict with the police, which reflects itself in the book I guess.

Some of my South Africa friends are outraged by it. One, my old head boy from school in Verwoerdburg (now Centurion) suggested I mentioned the betrayal of the Boers and said his wife couldn't finish the book, it was too vitriolic. But that's what journalists are isn't it? Vitriol is our merchandise.

And the events detailed in the book are largely factual, but condensed... names and places have been altered, some may feel they recognise themselves in certain of the characters, but in truth the characters are a compilation of the people I have met, the life I experienced. It's not just about football. It's about women, beaches, resettlement camps, brutality, national service. The whole gamut.

I judge nobody who lived in South Africa at that time, where so many were forced into certain roles by the incredible pressures of a violent, divisive society. A lot of the publicity surrounding the upcoming World Cup has been negative, with the focus on crime and corruption in South Africa since democracy arrived in 1994.

My perception is very different to that... I believe the country has changed massively for the better in 16 short years. I’ve waited all that time to let my memories loose, and the World Cup seems an appropriate time to produce a novel which will help people to remember exactly what the Rainbow Nation has been through in the last 20 years. My memories, my distortions in terms of time and emphasis, will annoy some, please others.

All I ask is that the reader recognizes this is how a young Englishman might have viewed the South Africa I grew up in. A strange but beautiful country riven by cruelty and mistrust and headed for a bloody revolution… until the release of a certain Nelson Mandela in 1990.

That South Africa is now in a position to bid for a major sports event, let alone host an operation of this scale, is little short of a miracle given what I lived through there. And that really is the point. For those who visit the country, for those who view it on a television screen, for those who read about it in the newspapers, I hope to offer some perspective.

Apartheid, like the Holocaust, should never be forgotten, swept under the carpet. Otherwise somebody will simply repeat the process. And that must never be allowed to happen.

Labels: a game apart, apartheid, cape town, daily mail, durban, England in Johannesburg, fascist, martin samuel, media, poverty, right wing, snobbish

Flower blooms at 7am the morning after... and issues a warning to South Africa

ENGLAND boss Andrew Flower issued a clear warning to South Africa before Thursday’s final Test in Johannesburg, insisting: “We aren’t going to The Wanderers to draw the series, we’re going there to win this thing 2-0”

After yesterday’s miraculous draw in the third Test at Newlands, Flower (and Ian Bell, right) emerged before 7am London time at the team’s plush new headquarters on Cape Town’s waterfront to say: “We showed a lot of fight to save two Tests here and we won in Durban.

“Fight is something we like to have in our dressing room. It’s integral to what we want. But every England side inherently has fight because the players are representing their country.

“We want to go on to bigger, better things with this team.”

Flower, talking as a “table cloth” of cloud drifted over the magnificent Table Mountain behind him, praised the fantastic four-hour partnership between Paul Collingwood and Ian Bell which provided the platform for England’s great escape yesterday – and he had kind words for No11 bat Graham Onions, who stood firm for the last over, just as he had at Centurion in the first Test.

Flower said: “Colly is a typical British bulldog, he’s great in the dressing room and he has lots of energy. Now he is using his experience and he is battle-hardened to play against the best sides in the world.

“Belly followed his big 100 (140) which helped win the match in Durban with a match-saving innings (78) yesterday It’s good to see him playing with confidence.”

Described as “a legend” by captain Andrew Strauss yesterday, “Bunny” Onions came in for further praise from Flower as he followed his 19-ball last-man-standing epic at Centurion with 17 balls of desperate defiance yesterday. Flower said: “Bunny’s been in some difficult situations and he’s come through it. He’s had very little luck with his bowling on this tour but he’s proved he can bat when it matters.

“That’s testament to him and the thousands of balls he’s had thrown down at him Phil Neal and our coaching staff. Battling our way to two draws, refusing to lose, that has to be great for English cricket.”

The only slight blemish? The form of Kevin Pietersen, who scored 0 and 6 in front of booing fans at Newlands. Flower said: “Everybody has blips in Test cricket. I’m confident he’ll come back. But he contributed to this draw in the field and in the dressing room.

“I wouldn’t say he’s a special case, everybody is a special case in our squad, in the nicest sense of the word. They all have their unique problems but we deal with everybody the same way. I have every confidence in Kevin.”

Of the ball-tampering allegations against Stuart Broad and Jimmy Anderson, repeated over two days by the South Africans, Flower said: “Our bowlers did nothing wrong. They have great talent at bowling reverse swing on coarse tracks here. We shall continue to do exactly what we always do.

“Has this changed the relationship between the two sides? There’s always a little bit to say to eachother in a series as close as this. But it’s fine. Was it an attempt to unsettle England? You’ll have to ask them that.”

Labels: andy flower, cape town, cricket test series, england in south africa, fourth test decider, graham onions, ian belll, Paul Collingwood, the wanderers

Boycott furious as Kevin Pietersen sings "My Way"

AND now, the time is near, England have to face the final curtain... eek. Not Frank Sinatra, not now at the climax of the crucial third Test at Newlands, where England face defeat on the final day.

No, if it’s “My Way” echoing through the stands as the table cloth of cloud creeps over Table Mountain, it has to be sung by Kevin Pietersen, who got out last night just when his adopted nation needed him most.

The old batting sage “Sir” Geoffrey Boycott is tired of KP’s eternal anthem. When he got out last night, taking any gloss off a stirring opening partnership of 100 between captain Andrew Strauss (46) and Alastair Cook (55), the chase for 466 in 146 overs was rendered hopeless.

England resumed on 132-3 and nightwatchman Jimmy Anderson lasted for a long-than-expected 45 minutes before he was brilliantly caught off his boot by Ashwell Prince off the eternally fortunate South African spinner Paul Harris.

Capetonian Englishman Jonathan Trott is on 36 and has been joined by Paul Collingwood, who knows a thing or two about stubborn resistance. England are 153-4 with Collingwood surviving a dodgy catch on review off his first ball. Phew. But this will be over by tea-time and we'll go to The Wanderers on Thursday for the decider with the four-match series locked at 1-1.

This is what former Test batsman Boycott had to say about petulant Pietersen’s problems after scores of 0 and 6 at Newlands: “He’s walking at the ball instead of taking a big stride. By the time he plays at the ball, he’s lunging at it, falling over. If you watch carefully, it makes him play across the line. His right side comes round. His right arm comes round.

“I can explain it but he’ll probably take no notice of anybody. He just says: ‘That’s the way I play,’ and then carries on. It’s nonsense. If you’re 6ft 4in and as talented as him, you have to use that stride properly, you don't shuffle. He stands up with a stiff left leg, walking all over it. It’s a very poor defensive shot.

“Getting booed is no excuse for not playing forward. Coming back after his operation is no excuse. If he’d listen, it would help. I love him to bits. He has all the talent in the world. But he never listens to anybody. That’s all I’ve got to say.”

Boycott got in a real stew on the South African Broadcasting Corporation’s television coverage when Pietersen was out lbw last night. “No, no, no,” he shouted, furious after KP had survived one lbw dismissal on a review only to be rapped plum in front a couple of balls later by a delirious Dale Steyn.

As Collingwood and Trott fiddle while England’s 1-0 series lead burns after the heavy roller was on this morning (above), Pietersen sits in the dressing room with no role to play. The Sun said he threw beer on the fans after his first innings failure. England deny emphatically that he did anything of the sort. But the pressure is on. It’s not as if he isn’t our best batsman, our highest ranked Test run-getter.

At Centurion, where he ran himself out suicidally on 81 and nearly cost England the draw, he looked comfortable when all about him were jumpy in both innings. At Kingsmead, he looked supremely confident but never produced the big one as England won by an innings and 98 runs.

In the field, he is the least competent of England’s fielders. And with Paul Collingwood suffering with his bad back and dislocated finger, he’s been thrown the ball for a couple of overs of off-spin but never looks like the change bowler he was as a youngster in Durban, where they considered him a bit of an all-rounder.

Anybody else showing his apparent lack of focus, his ability to get out to bad shots, his lacklustre performance in the field, would be in the firing line, the sacrificial lamb before the decider at The Wanderers next Thursday. But not KP. Not against the land of his birth.

As Boycott says, we love him to bits. But please KP, offer us hope for Johannesburg, or this series is going down the u-bend.

Labels: cape town, england in south africa, fourth test decider, jonathan trott. kevin pietersen, sir geoffrey boycott, the wanderers, third test defeat

England battle against the inevitable as Broad puts his foot in it

ENGLAND refused to accept the inevitable in Cape Town today, getting rid of two major South African obstacles on the fourth morning of the crucial third Test.

But Andrew Strauss's weary men are still staring defeat in the face as the hosts, despite the loss of Graeme Smith (183) and Jacques Kallis (46) moved on to 397-4 at lunch, a crushing lead of 415.

Though it may be impossible to rule out anything after Australia's unbelievable victory over Pakistan in Sydney this morning, England need something pretty spectacular to escape a series-levelling defeat here.

The highest winning fourth innings score at this ground on the slopes of Table Mountain is 334-6, made when Australia beat South Africa in 2002... though the West Indies managed 354-5 when they held on for a draw at Newlands in 2004.

Still, considering their hopeless position, England's seamers - pilloried on the front page of the local Cape Times for causing a "BALL TAMPERING FURORE" this morning - plugged away.

The morning session saw just 85 runs off 24 overs as South Africa failed to produce the expected pre-declaration acceleration.

England's first success came with the departure of captain Graeme Smith for a magnificent 183. And his final denouement came courtesy of what was later revealed to be a Graham Onions no ball.

Smith chose the perfect time to produce his best of the series so far, hitting 25 fours in a six-and-a-half hour match-turning knock which lasted from 11.14am yesterday to 11.13am today before he skied one to the reliable Paul Collingwood at fine leg. Of course, if he'd risked a review, the Onions over-step would have been spotted, and he would probably have batted all day.

But such slices of good fortune were rare for England, who had to wait a further ten overs before removing the obdurate first innings centurion Kallis for 46. This time it was Anderson who claimed the scalp, caught behind by Matt Prior to make it 376-4, a lead of nearly 400.

AB De Villiers and Ashwell Prince stuck together until lunch without the expected fireworks. Clearly the South Africans think they will only need four sessions to get rid of England and level the series at 1-1 before the final Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg next Sunday.

You can't blame the batsman formerly known as Prince for his reticence. He had been scuppered for golden ducks in his last two innings against England and scrambled to lunch with a tip-toed five off 11 balls while De Villiers did the job with more aplomb, scoring 32 off 45.

The only England seamer without a wicket so far is Stuart Broad. Ironic really. It was his foot (see above) which caused the so-called furore this morning.

He chose to stop a drive with his studded boot just after lunch yesterday, saying afterwards he was too tired to bend over and retrieve it in temperatures approaching 40 degrees.
The South Africans saw it differently. They replayed footage of the incident on television again and again, added a bit of Jimmy Anderson ball-picking and came up with screaming allegations of ball tampering, which they referred to match referee Roshan Mahanama.

South African coach Mickey Arthur said after the last Test - which England won by an innings and 98 runs - he couldn't work out how Broad had produced the reverse swing which saw his side capitulate. He clearly thinks he knows now, and as I speak, the South African Broadcasting Association are apparently searching for footage from Kingsmead to prove further tampering.

But as England boss Andy Flower said when told of the allegations: "This amazing amount of reverse swing gained from Broadie standing on the ball clearly hasn't worked."

The ICC are set to release a statement saying they will not take any action over South Africa's concerns and Geoff Boycott's exclusive assessment in the loo downstairs? "Ball tampering? There's nothing going on at all. The umpires looked at the ball and found nothing. It's just a media thing."

Labels: ball tampering, cape town, england in south africa, graeme smith, icc statement, jimmy anderson, neal collins at Newlands, stuart broad

The heat is on... and England lose their grip in Cape Town

ENGLAND were brutally batted out of the third Test at Newlands today as South African captain Graeme Smith produced his first century of the series in the Cape Town heat.

Backed-up in a record second wicket partnership by Hashim Amla, who scored a ton in the opening Test at Centurion, South Africa had no trouble building a lead of nearly 250 as they attempt to level the series at 1-1 with one to play.
The tourists, struggling to stay in the game for two days, started this morning 50 runs behind as they attempted to engineer a win that would seal a series victory.
But hopes of building a first innings lead were soon dashed when paceman Morne Morkel struck in the first over of the day to remove Graeme Swann and James Anderson in consecutive balls.
Despite the defiance of Matt Prior, who top-scored for England with 76 off 118 deliveries, the tourists were still 18 runs shy of South Africa’s total when their first innings ended.
Swann claimed the early wicket of struggling opener Ashwell Prince (15) but Smith (103 off 170) and Amla (89 off 133) guided South Africa to 224-1 midway through the final session as England wilted in the sun.

It might be difficult to appreciate on television in freezing Britain, but the 40 degree heat here is a serious factor. Ryan Sidebottom, the unselected seamer sweating in the nets (above) behind the main stand, has just told me: “This is the hottest we have ever known. Durban gets humid, but the heat here is unbelievable today.”

And former South African paceman Fanie De Villiers agreed: “It’s dangerous. Ten minutes in the sun here is like two hours in the British summer sun. I really worry about the Barmy Army out there with their shirts off. We could see plenty of them in hospital tonight. That’s how bad it is.”

Swann, forced to sweat through over after over in England's four-man attack, was second only to Australia’s Mitchell Johnson in the Test wicket-taking stakes last year with 54 victims and showed his value again here today.

The Nottinghamshire spinner made it 17 wickets in the series when he trapped Prince (15) lbw. He tried a desperate referral to third umpire Aleem Dar claiming he may have got a touch, but he was soon on his way, with England’s hot and bothered fielders offering some choice advice as he departed with the score 31 — that’s South Africa’s best opening partnership of the series so far, by four runs.
Resuming on 241-7 England lost Swann after three balls before Jimmy Anderson suffered his first ever golden duck, both falling to the superb Morkel, who ended with five for 75 off 22 overs.
But wicketkeeper Matt Prior, on 52 overnight, refused to buckle and — with Durham’s Graham ‘Bunny’ Onions at the other end — eventually fell for 76 when he edged Dale Steyn, the world’s top-ranked Test bowler, onto his stumps.
By then, he and Onions had reduced the lead from 50 to 18, and it was still anybody’s game.
Meanwhile, England have strongly denied allegations that Kevin Pietersen threw beer over a fan, who abused him.
England’s media manager Andrew Walpole said: “Neither Kevin Pietersen nor any of the other England players were involved in any kind of incident.
“There was no beer thrown from our balcony. There was absolutely no truth in the story. We are very angry and we are in contact with the ECB lawyers in London over this story. It is complete rubbish.”

Should England not win the match then it is set up for a series decider with the fourth Test starting in Johannesburg next Thursday.

Labels: cape town, england in south africa, graeme smith, graeme swann, hashim amla, neal collins at Newlands, summer heat

England under fire from sun and The Sun, but emphatically deny KP threw beer at fans

ENGLAND came out fighting this morning after Kevin Pietersen was accused of throwing beer over South African fans.

While Andrew Strauss’s men fought for survival on the hottest day in Cape Town this summer, back home in freezing England they were under attack in The Sun newspaper after they ran a story headlined: “KP in beer fling fury at fans.”

Though today’s edition of The Sun will not be available in South Africa until next week, it is clearly flagged up in the on-line edition and has created a stir with over 5,000 Barmy Army fans in Cape Town for the closely contested third Test.

England’s media manager Andrew Walpole, a former Daily Mail journalist, told me: “Don’t go near that story, Neal. It’s a complete fabrication. Neither Kevin Pietersen nor any of the other England players were involved in any kind of incident.

“There was no beer thrown from our balcony. A freelance gave The Sun the story and we told them last night there was absolutely no truth in it.

“We are very angry and we are in contact with the ECB lawyers in London over this story. It is complete rubbish.”

But the story has been picked up by many of the cricketing web sites and respun, which will make life hard for the under pressure Pietersen, who was born in South Africa but chose to play for England.

The Sun quote a local fan, Socrates Georgiades, 37, as saying: " It was great to see him get out for a duck so we decided to give him some stick and sang 'Pietersen is a knob' a couple of times.

"Jonathan Trott and the other England boys were laughing at us. You could see they were treating it as good-natured banter. But Pietersen got nasty and retaliated by throwing beer all over us.

“Clearly the pressure is getting to him. Pietersen should have taken it on the chin. The Barmy Army do this sort of thing the whole day."

Jon Etheridge, the Sun journalist whose name appeared on the story, told me: "It was filed by a freelance and he's standing by it. But I think we're taking it off the website and it would be very out of character for KP. He's been on a charm offensive throughout this tour."

Pietersen has certainly taken more stick in Cape Town than he did in the drawn first Test in Centurion or during England’s huge win at his former home ground in Durban after Christmas.

And though the former captain has scored a few runs – including a fine 81 in Centurion which was ended by a suicidal run-out – he has succeeded in getting himself out again and again in this series just when he looked set to dominate. Yesterday’s second-ball duck came at a particularly bad time for England, who slumped to 36-3 with his dismissal.

Matt Prior’s unbeaten 76 helped push the tourists to within 18 of South Africa’s first innings 291 this morning and the ever-reliable Graeme Swann, toiling in the heat, dislodged an unhappy Ashwell Prince lbw for 15.

Prince, who had earlier survived on a referral after being given out caught behind, went to the television umpire Aleem Dar again but the electronic finger was firmly raised and South Africa were 31-1, 58 ahead with nine wickets in hand.

By lunch, they had moved on, worryingly, to 56-1 with Smith on 22 and Hashim Amla 14. The local Red Cross are saying "our biggest fear is a death in the crowd" as the temperatures soar.

Labels: beer, cape town, fans, jonathan trott. kevin pietersen, summer heat, The Sun

Matt finish adds gloss to a tough day for England

THE trusty trio of Matt Prior, Ian Bell and Alastair Cook were left to pick up the pieces today as England struggled for survival under the blazing sun in Cape Town.

After a rip-roaring start with the ball, Andrew Strauss's men, 1-0 up in the four-match series, slumped to 73-4 and 174-6 as first Cook (65), then Bell (48) and finally Prior (52 not out - he reached his fifty off the penultimate ball of the day) urged their ailing team towards the South African total of 291.

By the close of a dramatic second day, England are 241-7, still 50 behind, with Stuart Broad, 25, the last man out.

Graeme Swann, the England spinner who can bat a bit (he's only got five but he got a Test best 85 in Centurion) keeping Bell company against a South African attack showing far more urgency than they managed in the innings defeat in Durban after Christmas.

Bell finally buckled after 121 balls, falling just two runs short of a brave half-century. Essex opener Cook kept his head on an incredible morning when the sound of wickets falling echoed constantly off the dramatic cliffs of neighbouring Table Mountain.

Cook, who scored a much-needed century in Durban, survived the loss of current leader Andrew Strauss, the fiddling Jonathan Trott and the reckless Kevin Pietersen before losing a fourth partner in Paul Collingwood with the score a wobbly 73-4.

But Cookie didn’t crumble and when he was joined by Bell, who also produced a much-needed 140 at Kingsmead, the South African attack hit the wall. Bell needed 14 balls before he scored his first runs – a four off Morne Morkel – and he produced his second scoring shot off his 37th ball. Hardly sparkling stuff.

But they survived a torrid session before tea to frustrate the South Africans, who were skittled for 291 this morning. Cook was finally out – Morkel’s third victim – caught by Ashwell Prince off a weak pull shot after 136 balls and nearly four hours of resistance.

England's chances of building a lead are diminishing rapidly. The South Africans were 127-5 at one stage and rallied around centurion Jacques Kallis. Prior needs to do the same with Swann, Graham Onions and Jimmy Anderson at the other end.

But at least this Test has returned to some sort of sanity. At the start of this dramatic day, the cliffs of neighbouring Table Mountain were echoing to the sound of clattering wickets.

South Africa lost four in the first 17 balls for 12 runs to slump from 279-6 to 291 all out. If all Tests went the way of this morning’s first four overs we’d see all four innings completed by lunch-time on day one with just over 100 runs on the board.

But Jimmy Anderson’s five wicket haul was soon forgotten as captain Strauss fell first over to Morkel for two. Trott stayed for 36 balls before he was bowled by Dale Steyn – the world’s top ranked bowler who doesn’t even open for South Africa any more – for 20. The eternally disappointing Pietersen lasted just two balls before Steyn completed a neat caught-and-bowled duck. The first seven wickets of the day had all belonged to men born in South Africa.

And when Morkel finally got rid of Collingwood, lbw, for 19 off 44 balls, England were in deep trouble at 73-4. Cook showed them how to do it, refusing to nibble outside the off-stump and relying largely on the odd flick around the corner to add to his tally. Just twice in 136 balls he actually played with any force on the off-side, and he had to wait until the arrival of non-spinning Paul Harris to slap two fours and raise the tempo with Bell often becalmed at the other end.

But with the wicket offering little, the South Africans, particularly Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn, the world's top ranked Test bowler, never let England get comfortable as Cook, Bell and Broad were winkled out. And that's why England spent all day on the back foot - apart from the first 17 balls.

Tomorrow they're promising further heat, with temperatures rising into the 40s. South Africa may just be in the right place at the right time by lunch tomorrow, and we could head for the final Test at the Wanderers in Johannesburg on January 14 with the series locked at 1-1.

Labels: Alastair Cook, cape town, england in south africa, graeme swann, Ian bell, matt prior, newlands

Day Two: Seven South Africans fall. One Englishman. And this is a friendly track.

THERE have been very few days like this in Test cricket. Newlands echoed to the clatter of seven South African wickets before lunch and one Englishman after the break. And this, the experts assured us this morning, is a good batting track.

Day two of the third Test began with the last four South Africans dismissed for 12 runs in 17 balls. Three further South African-born Englishmen, Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, fell as the tourists attempted to make headway on a supposedly friendly 22-yard-strip which has turned fiendish overnight (but the fans love it, see lunchtime picture).

Incredible. If all Tests went the way of this morning’s first four overs (five wickets, 23 balls, 14 runs), we’d see all four innings completed by lunch-time on day one with just over 100 runs on the board.

As it is, a semblance of normality has returned to this wonderful ground, nestled beneath the cliffs of Table Mountain. Alastair Cook’s on 31 and Ian Bell has just arrived at the crease. England are 74-4, still 217 behind, after losing Johannesburg-born opener Andrew Strauss for two, Cape Town-born fiddler Jonathan Trott for 20 and Pietermaritzburg-born waster Kevin Pietersen, brilliantly caught and bowled by Dale Steyn for a duck.

Paul Collingwood, batting with the left index finger he dislocated during the triumphant second Test in Durban, became the first English-born player to fall today, plumb lbw to Morne Morkel for 19 off 44 balls just after lunch.

England captain Strauss became the fifth victim of the day off the final ball of the first over of England’s innings, bowled by the excellent Morkel. It was a dreadful, flat-footed attempt at a drive which deviated firmly into the gloves of Mark Boucher.

But the real fireworks had already come and gone with the real South Africans.

Jacques Kallis? Gone to his first ball of the day on his overnight 108. Dale Steyn? He shuffled off cricket's mortal coil at the start of the next over. Morne Morkel lasted three balls, Friedel De Wet four. South Africa were all out for 291, 17 balls after resuming with their overnight 279-6. Incredible stuff.

South Africans were talking about their side getting to 350 with chanceless centurion Kallis and promoted paceman Steyn looking solid for 17 overs and 64 runs last night.

But this morning they were confounded on a day which, surprisingly, dawned bright and clear, without the usual 'table-cloth' of cloud rolling over Table Mountain.

After Steyn's opening leg bye off Graham Onions' first ball of the day, Kallis, the 34-year-old man mountain of South African batting who averages nearly 70 at his old home ground, may have been hoping to move close to a double century here.

But he received an unplayable snorter from the Durham seamer, got the edge to one that nipped away off a length, and Matt Prior took the catch amid much jubilation - 280-7. Big, big wicket.

Then came Jimmy Anderson's first ball of the morning from the other end. Kerpow! Steyn was gone, brilliantly caught in the slips by Jonathan Trott, playing on his old home ground.

The eighth ball of the day saw the demise of Morne Morkel, who was supposed to be able to bat a bit, again sensationally caught, this time at second slip by Graeme Swann, who dropped South African captain Graeme Smith so badly yesterday.

And we only had a wasteful Onions over to wait before last man Friedel De Wet went lbw to complete Anderson's five-wicket haul - even a last-gasp review couldn't save him.

Anderson ended with 5-63 after a fairy-tale morning which offered a return of seven balls, three wickets for one run. It doesn’t get much better than that.

Labels: cape town, england in south africa, kevin pietersen, morne morkel, neal collins at Newlands, second Test

Seven wickets in a morning. All South African. An incredible morning

THERE have been very few mornings like this in Test cricket. Newlands echoed to the clatter of seven South African wickets - three of them playing for England - before lunch. And this, former captain Nasser Hussain assured us this morning, is a good batting track.

Day two of the third Test began with five victims in just 23 balls for 14 runs. Two further South African-born Englishmen, Jonathan Trott and Kevin Pietersen, fell as the tourists attempted to make headway on a supposedly friendly 22-yard-strip which has turned nasty overnight.

Incredible. If all Tests went the way of this morning’s first four overs, we’d see all four innings completed by lunch-time on day one with about 100 runs on the board.

As it is, a semblance of normality has returned to this wonderful ground, nestled beneath the cliffs of Table Mountain. Alastair Cook’s on 27 and Paul Collingwood has got 14. England are 64-3 at lunch after 22 torrid overs, still 227 behind, after losing Johannesburg-born opener Andrew Strauss for two, Cape Town-born fiddler Jonathan Trott for 20 and Pietermaritzburg-born waster Kevin Pietersen for a duck.

England captain Strauss became the fifth victim of the day off the final ball of the first over of England’s innings, bowled by Morne Morkel. It was a dreadful, flat-footed attempt at a drive which plopped into the gloves of Mark Boucher.

But the real fireworks had already come and gone with the real South Africans.

Jacques Kallis? Gone to his first ball of the day on his overnight 108. Dale Steyn? He shuffled off cricket's mortal coil at the start of the next over. Morne Morkel lasted three balls, Friedel De Wet four balls. South Africa were all out for 291, 17 balls after resuming with their overnight 279-6. Incredible stuff.