NOTTINGHAM, 18 August 2003 — South Africa, chasing 202 for victory, had struggled to 63 for five when bad light prematurely ended the fourth day of the third Test against England yesterday. The touring side, 1-0 up in the series, gave themselves hope of an unlikely victory by bowling out England for 118 in their second innings, fast bowler Shaun Pollock providing the inspiration with figures of six for 39.
But England’s four-pronged seam attack responded to the challenge, removing Graeme Smith, Jacques Rudolph, Herschelle Gibbs, Boeta Dippenaar and Jacques Kallis to leave South Africa in trouble at 50 for five. Just as in the first innings, however, Neil McKenzie and Mark Boucher proved saviors for their side, digging in for nearly an hour to add 13 runs in the deepening gloom before the umpires offered them the chance to leave the field.
It was another intriguing day of fluctuating fortunes at Trent Bridge. England, who lost Marcus Trescothick to the first ball of their innings on Saturday, needed a solid start, but Pollock soon produced an unplayable delivery that Michael Vaughan, on five, could only edge to wicketkeeper Boucher.
Nasser Hussain joined Mark Butcher and the two first-innings centurions battled through testing spells by Pollock and Makhaya Ntini. Pollock’s removal from the attack, however, prompted a collapse. Andrew Hall ripped out Butcher’s off stump with his first ball, and the bustling all rounder trapped Ed Smith lbw with his next delivery.
Alec Stewart tamely edged a routine Kallis outswinger to Boucher and Hussain, fresh from scoring his 13th Test century in the first innings, looked fortunate to survive a shout for lbw by Pollock. The former captain battled his way to 30 in just under two hours when he was finally trapped lbw by Pollock, but Flintoff lifted Kallis for a huge six over long-on to raise English spirits.
The big all rounder also fell for 30, though, carving Pollock tamely to Gibbs at backward point. Ashley Giles played a few defiant strokes but after he fell for 21 Pollock wrapped up the tail, claiming his 299th Test wicket when he ended the innings by getting James Anderson lbw. It was his 15th five-wicket haul in his 73rd Test.
South Africa captain Smith, with 656 runs in the series, was first man out for five, lbw to James Kirtley, who dismissed Rudolph in identical fashion two balls later. Gibbs made a breezy 28 before he top-edged an attempted pull off Steve Harmison to Giles at mid-on, and Dippenaar completed an unhappy match when he clipped Anderson straight to Ed Smith at mid-wicket to leave South Africa reeling at 41 for four.
Kallis resisted stubbornly for 13 before he was bowled off the inside edge by Anderson, leaving McKenzie and Boucher to survive a number of concerted lbw appeals as they lived to fight another day.
Meanwhile, confidence was high in both the England and South Africa camps after another engrossing day. “It is a vital stage in the series and a really important day for us tomorrow,” said Pollock.
“England will be really happy to have taken five wickets,” added Pollock. “But when things get down the final straight it’s all about pressure and who deals with it.”
England fast bowler James Kirtley was also looking positively at the final day after his side fought back from a disappointing second innings with the bat. “We’ve done really well out there,” he said.
Police Investigate Extortion Claim in Warne Sex Case
Meanwhile, police are investigating a complaint of extortion against the woman at the center of the sex scandal involving Australian leg-spinner Shane Warne.
A private investigator hired by the complainant, Gavin Varejes who is an associate of Warne’s in Johannesburg, said he expected the woman, Helen Cohen Alon, to be charged.
“We’ve laid a complaint with the police and they are investigating it,” Warren Goldblatt said from Johannesburg yesterday.
Lanka Test Player Arrested After Car Accident
Sri Lankan Test player Kaushal Lokuarachchi escaped serious injury but was arrested after a fatal car accident on Saturday morning, police said in Colombo.
Lokuarachchi, 21, lost control of his car after returning home late from Colombo, crashing past a bus stand, through a wall and into a roadside house.
