LONDON, 1 August 2003 — South Africa captain Graeme Smith piled on the agony for England on the opening day of the second Test at Lord’s here yesterday.
Left-hander Smith, after scoring 362 runs in the drawn series opener at Edgbaston, was 80 not out at stumps with South Africa 151 for one. That left the Proteas just 22 behind after they dismissed England for a meager 173, Michael Vaughan’s first day as England Test captain proving to be one to forget for the Yorkshire batsman.
Fast bowler Makhaya Ntini took five for 75 while lively paceman Andrew Hall, recalled on his 28th birthday, had three for 18.
Smith, dropped on eight by former captain Nasser Hussain, batted for three hours, faced 135 balls and hit 12 fours.
Gary Kirsten was nine not out at the close. Together with Western Province teammate Herschelle Gibbs, Smith put on 133 for the first wicket. The consolation for England was that this was nowhere near the 338 they shared at Edgbaston. Gibbs made an untroubled 49 before he played on to fast bowler Stephen Harmison having faced 96 balls and hitting five fours.
Earlier, Vaughan lost the toss on a green-tinged pitch. But the bulk of the wickets fell through poor batting and little went right for England on a day when even their physiotherapist twisted an ankle. Darren Gough, England’s number nine, top scored with 34 in an innings where only Vaughan, with 33, also made it past thirty. Gough’s last wicket stand of 55 with new-ball partner James Anderson, who made a Test best 21 not out, revived England after they slumped to 118 for nine. Smith scored a single off his first ball to become the fastest South African to 1,000 Test runs, reaching the landmark in 17 innings compared to Eddie Barlow’s 21.
But Smith, at 22 South Africa’s youngest ever captain and who made a national record 277 at Edgbaston, should have been out for eight when he drove Anderson to Hussain at cover, where the simple catch was floored
England, not learning from Edgbaston, gave Smith far too many deliveries on his legs not that the home batsman showed much greater intelligence.
Vaughan and all-rounder Andrew Flintoff (11) both gifted Ntini their wickets by falling into obvious hooking traps.
England, 94 for five at lunch, lost their sixth wicket five balls after the resumption when Alec Stewart (seven) miscued a pull off Ntini and Paul Adams took a diving catch.
Hall, who had been at English county Worcestershire before replacing Charl Willoughby, took two wickets in five balls as England’s middle-order faltered.
He bowled Hussain (14) with a delivery that nipped back between bat and pad.
And four balls later 73 for three became 77 for four when Hall made Anthony McGrath (four) check a drive straight to Gary Kirsten at mid-off. Vaughan then hooked Ntini and was caught by substitute fielder Neil McKenzie at deep fine leg to lave England on 85 for five. England were quickly in trouble after the toss when opener Marcus Trescothick, batting with a right index finger fractured while fielding at Edgbaston, went for six after playing on to Ntini.
