England fight back on the second day of the third test at Edgbaston. Only 65 overs are possible on a rain-affected day, at the end of which South Africa reach 256-6, a lead of just 25.
It could have been an awful lot worse. Having been skittled for 213 in their first innings England walked out into the field with South Africa looking strong on 38-1. For over an hour the frustration grew, but with the score on 94 night watchman Paul Harris was caught by Alistair Cook off the bowling of Ryan Sidebottom for a dogged 19.
There's something not right about Sidebottom at the moment. He's not playing all that well (a fact which could be mitigated by his recent back trouble) but yet he still feels entitled to stomp around shouting at team-mates at every opportunity. In particular he continually berates Monty Panesar for his fielding issues. Sidebottom would do well to respect his team-mates just a little more, and remember that but for the grace of God he could well have ended up like his father, a one-cap wonder at test match level.
Back to the game, Hashim Amla joined Neil McKenzie at the crease but lasted only nine balls before he was brilliantly caught and bowled by James Anderson. The Lancashire quick is becoming one of England's most destructive and key players. If he's not bravely scrapping his way to a score in the mid-thirties with the bat after being hit on the head, he's ripping into South Africa's batting order and throwing himself around in the field for the cause. Today's effort was at least his third spectacular catch of the series, and if England had ten fielders like him they may have more control of the series overall.
Amla's departure left the score on 117 for 3, and triggered the arrival of Jacques Kallis. Yet it was opening bat Neil McKenzie who went next, falling lbw to Andrew Flintoff for 72. It was Flintoff's 200th test wicket and sparked one of the better bowling performances of Freddie's recent career. It also left South Africa on 135 for 4, still 96 runs behind England's first innings total.
Another rain delay and a poor weather forecast threatened to call a halt to proceedings by tea, but after an hour and ten minutes the Edgbaston crowd were rewarded for their patience. In a dizzying hour of hard-nosed test cricket, Flintoff squared up to Kallis in a battle of wills between two of the world's top all-rounders. It was Flintoff calling most of the shots, but Kallis played solidly to pass 50 for the first time in the series. Perhaps the biggest moment of the day came when Kallis looked plum lbw to a fearsome Flintoff yorker. To the bewilderment of the crowd, the commentators and this television viewer umpire Aleem Dar gave Kallis not out, a decision which only served to fire Flintoff up still further.
Shortly after, the Lancashire all-rounder thundered in another mesmerising yorker which ripped Kallis' off-stump clean out of the ground. There was no doubt this time, with Kallis heading back to the pavillion having made 64, and pushed the overall score on to 226 for 5.
Flintoff was not finished there, continuing to steam in like a man possessed, and gained further reward when AB De Villiers hastily wafted a short ball straight up in the air towards the square leg boundary. Sidebottom gratefully accepted the gift, and at 238 for 6 South Africa held a lead of just seven. Eighteen more runs were added by Ashwell Prince and Mark Boucher by the close at around 6.30, giving the Proteas an overnight lead of 25 with four wickets in hand going into day three.
To football now and David Bentley completes a £17million switch from Blackburn Rovers to Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs fans seem to have had nothing but bad news recently, with Robbie Keane's move to Liverpool and constant innuendo regarding the future of Dimitar Berbatov. Bentley is a class act who should offer Spurs genuine creativity out wide or behind the strikers, and it helps when a player comes in ranting about how he has always wanted to play for his new club. One wonders whether they knew that about him when he was on Arsenal's books.
As Bentley arrives at White Hart Lane Steed Malbranque departs. Malbranque is buying into Roy Keane's attempts to make Sunderland the new Spurs, and is no doubt relishing the prospect of a mid-table finish.
Just one question about all of this. If Bentley plays down the right, what happens to Aaron Lennon? England's brightest young thing after the 2006 World Cup, Lennon is becoming the Premier League's forgotten man. Go on Rafa, have a gamble.
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