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By Tom Fordyce
ENGLAND SECOND INNINGS
0905: Eng 144-3
Morkel again, charging into the stumps like a runaway crane - short, lifty, zipping past Anderson’s outside edge. That one’s onto the hips, and Anderson draws the first cheers of the day from the England fans by turning it away to long leg for two. 322 runs for victory…Duncan Fletcher on TMS: "Bounce is more critical than turn sometimes for the spinner, and Paul Harris has got a couple to bounce sharply already."0901: Eng 142-3
Paul Harris will have a dart, his sleeves rolled high, his tousled mop bleached at the tips like the third member of Black Lace. Ooof - big turn, and Trott is beaten by that. Boucher yelps and flings the ball into the air hopefully.0857: Eng 141-3
Another old-fashioned scorcher at Newlands, the outfield a rich green, the sky an unblemished blue, Table Mountain a massive dun presence just beyond the boundary. Casual controlled cut from Trott for two to move to 31. Just 84 overs left to survive.From Keith Edwards, TMS inbox: "Christchurch, 1983 - England lost by an innings, making 82 and 93. I think we’ll do without the ‘C’ word, shall we"0853: Eng 139-3
For some reason, Anderson is playing with the expansive ease of one of the great attacking left-handers - big drives outside off, feet anchored - it’s like Banger never went away, with the difference that Anderson hasn’t laid willow on a single one. From Rob, Kingston, TMS inbox: "Re 0826: Calcutta is properly called Kolkata… So England’s record in towns/cities beginning with C is safe. Unless we’ve lost in Christchurch, Canterbury, Chennai, Colombo, Cuttack, Chandigarh, Centurion, Chittagong, Chester-le-Street or Cairns."0848: Eng 139-3
Morkel, all arms and legs - well there’s some torso and head in there too, to be fair - full, outside off, and Trott leans into that to take a three to deep extra cover. Morkel doesn’t mind - he’s have a pop at Anderson now - and the nightwatchman responds by aiming a Richie Richardson drive at one wide of off. Easy now, Jimbo.From Rebecca in Zurich, TMS inbox: "Sorry to dampen the ‘C’ theory, but what about Colombo"0843: Eng 135-3
Steyn, an energised anger smeared all over his chops - well played Jimmy, up on the toes and dabbed away to point for a scampered single. Trott gets forward and blocks before turning one off the pads for another single. We’ll get 'em in singles, as George Hirst famously said. In 1902. 263 needed to win on that day, and after being 48-5 England knocked them off. It does happen, you know… From Nicholas Agg-Manning, TMS inbox: "Think Rourke’s Drift was a very honourable draw - we certainly did not lose it - but we did the one-dayer staged the day before at Isandlwana…"0839: Eng 133-3
Morkel now, the big danger-man on this track, you’d think - tall, cantering in - oh, that’s a dirty brute of a delivery, jagging back in at blistering pace and cannoning straight into Trott’s crackerjacks. Even the stony-faced Kallis at slips allows himself a small wince. Trott, rattled and teary of eye, wafts at one that straightens outside off and nearly thins through to Boucher. 332 needed for the win…From Gary Jones, TMS inbox: "Morning and sorry to be a prophet of doom but my daughter has a purple crystal ball thing you ask a question to, shake and it gives you the answer in a lit up triangle on its screen. So I asked it if England would win or save the Test and it replied “I don’t think so, silly”. Assuming it must not have mis-understood my question I tried again and added a bit of extra info on Trott’s average and Swann’s purple patch of late. It answered “smelly feet”. 0833: Eng 133-3
Here we go - Jonathan ‘They Shall Not Pass’ Trott, accompanied by James ‘They Probably Will At Some Stage’ Anderson. Big noise from flag-waving fans around the ground - it’ll be Dale Steyn to come tearing in… straight, defended doughtily by Trott. 539 balls to go - knock 'em off, boys, knock 'em off. Single dinked away to leg, and the chase is on. Ish.0826: A possibly spurious ‘fact’ from a colleague to my right: England have never lost a tight Test in a town/city beginning with the the letter ‘C’. Cardiff. Centurion. Erm, Colchester. Who said Calcutta0820: The great rearguard actions of all time - Cardiff '09, Jo’burg '95, Rourke’s Drift - hold on, did we lose Rourke’s Drift0816: Come on - I was never going to miss this, was I0815: No sooner had I typed those words than in walked the man himself. So while he divests himself of associated pieces of snow-repellant apparel, let me remind you of the situation - England are 1-0 up in the series and need to bat through the final day to keep that lead heading into the final Test at Johannesburg, while South Africa need seven wickets to even things up. Alternatively - and don’t get too excited at this stage - England need to score another 334 runs for the greatest victory since Test cricket began. 0810: Oh the weather outside is frightful, but the fire is so delightful, and since some of you have no place to go…yes, it’s the final day of the Cape Town Test, so clean those fingernails and prepare to chew. Mr Fordyce isn’t here yet, but a search party has been sent out from TVC and I expect the witty wordsmith of W12 to be with us shortlyThis article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.