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31 July
2008 Cricket -
England Crumble Again England's
decision to make changes in a desperate effort to
bounce back against South Africa backfired badly
with another inept batting display in the third
Test, as reported by Ladbrokes. Having slumped to
a dismal 10-wicket defeat in the second Test at
Headingley to give the tourists a 1-0 lead in the
four-match npower series, England decided different
personnel were the key to an immediate fightback at
Edgbaston. But after
dropping Nottinghamshire's Darren Pattinson and
Stuart Broad to welcome back Paul Collingwood and
Ryan Sidebottom to their ranks, the only
improvement was a slowing up in the speed in which
England capitulated on the opening day. Dismissed for 203
in 52.3 overs - inside two sessions - at
Headingley, England at least took their innings
beyond tea this time before their innings was
brought to a close in farcical fashion for 231 in
only 77 overs. Bet now at
Ladbrokes Unlike the
previous Test, however, it was England who won the
toss this time and spurned the opportunity to set
the tone, with South Africa progressing to 38 for
one by the close of the opening day. The limp
performance is bound to increase the pressure on
both captain Michael Vaughan, who was dismissed for
a first-ball duck, and coach Peter Moores after he
has presided over an indifferent series of results
since taking over from Duncan Fletcher. Yet for the
majority of the opening session England, who have
posted a first-innings total of 400 only once in
the last 14 Tests, the changes appeared to have
worked with openers Andrew Strauss and Alastair
Cook laying the platform for a competitive total
with a 68-run partnership. But attempting to
force seamer Andre Nel off the back foot onto the
legside just five overs before the interval,
Strauss disturbed his stumps as he pushed off for a
single to earn South Africa an unexpected
breakthrough. Vaughan stepped
to the crease having come through an intensive
week's practice at Loughborough as he attempted to
improve a record of only 23 runs in the series so
far with growing pressure on his place in the top
order. The workouts at
the National Performance Centre proved fruitless
with Vaughan getting a thin edge behind - so thin
that wicketkeeper Mark Boucher did not even appeal
- after pushing loosely outside the off
stump. Kevin Pietersen
successfully blocked the hat-trick delivery but
fell just three overs later to all-rounder Jacques
Kallis, who initially appealed for lbw when the
ball thudded into his pads only for Ashwell Prince
to take the catch at cover. Umpire Steve Davis
confirmed he had given the batsman out caught, but
replays confirmed no bat was involved. It was England's
third wicket to fall in just 21 balls and any
momentum gained by winning the toss was lost
despite the best efforts of Cook and Ian Bell, who
were the only players to reach a
half-century. Bet now at
Ladbrokes The pair looked
to have stabilised the innings after sharing a
62-run stand after lunch with Cook threatening to
end his run of 13 Test innings without reaching a
century. But after
progressing to within 24 runs of three figures,
Cook became Nel's third victim when he edged low to
Kallis at second slip to bring Collingwood out to
the crease with England in desperate trouble at 136
for four. Without any
inkling of form - he averages 9.75 in Tests this
summer - Colllingwood knew this was his time to
deliver if his return to the England side was not
to be short-lived. He took 39
minutes to get off the mark, a sweetly-timed drive
for four through mid-off, but it was his only
scoring shot before edging to first slip off
Kallis. Bell fell for a
determined half-century just three overs later when
he edged Kallis behind, but Andrew Flintoff and Tim
Ambrose forged a useful 39-run stand by remaining
patient and watchful. Ambrose, another
player under scrutiny after averaging only 20 this
summer, played on to Kallis with the new ball only
six overs away and South Africa playing for time
until they could recall their quickest bowlers to
the attack. It started
another collapse, but this time totally of
England's making with Sidebottom edging behind to
leave Flintoff batting with the tail. He signalled his
intentions by pulling Makhaya Ntini for six over
midwicket and clubbing a four down the ground off
the next ball, but then appeared to lose his
cricket sense by contributing to two run outs to
end the innings. Flintoff called
James Anderson, who was celebrating his 26th
birthday, for a suicidal single and he was run out
by a direct throw from Prince at cover and then
Monty Panesar was run out off the next ball when he
attempted an ambitious two. Lancashire
all-rounder Flintoff was furious, but redeemed
himself slightly by dismissing captain Graeme Smith
with his second ball when he edged to
slip. But the tourists
ended the day firmly on top with their sights set
on a significant series win in England. Bet now at
Ladbrokes |
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