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Bowlers put South Africa on top at Headingley

18/07/2008

South Africa held the advantage after the first day of the second Test at Headingley after bowling England out for 203 before replying with 101/3.

Pacemen Dale Steyn and Morne Morkel were the stars of the show for South Africa as they took four wickets apiece. Only Kevin Pietersen (45) and Ian Bell (31) showed any kind of resistance for England.

South Africa openers Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie cruised to 76/0, before three late wickets for England gave them a grip on the game.

In a thrilling day at Headingley, things started in sensational fashion as England decided to give a Test debut to Nottinghamshire seamer Darren Pattinson, who had only played 11 first-class matches.

South Africa skipper Smith then won the toss and decided to bowl under cloudy overcast conditions. It was a brave decision from Smith after he had done the same thing at Lords and England went on to rack up 593.

Smith wouldn't have liked what he saw first up as Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss looked comfortable. But South Africa got a lucky break when Cook was out to a poor umpiring decision. The England opener was given out caught down the leg-side, but replays showed the ball came off his thigh guard.

England captain Michael Vaughan's troubles against Steyn continued as he went for a duck, edging behind an away-swinging ball straight into the hands of Smith.

Strauss (27) was the next man to go as he edged a rising Morkel ball to Mark Boucher and England found themselves 70/3 at lunch.

First Test centurions Pietersen and Bell looked in great form again, both hitting a number of crunching boundaries. But both fell to poor shots as first Pietersen went hard at a wide Steyn ball and edged to Smith, and the Bell dragged-on from a Jacques Kallis delivery.

England were in all sorts of trouble at 150/6 as Tim Ambrose (12) failed again. The enigmatic Andrew Flintoff then strode in for his first Test innings in 19 months. But he could only manage 17, before slashing a wide ball from Steyn to Boucher.

Stuart Broad (17) and James Anderson (11) added some vital late runs, but a total of 203 was a poor effort from England.

The sun came out as soon as South Africa started to bat and they took advantage of the better conditions as Smith (44) and McKenzie (15) started well.

Anderson got the breakthrough as he got McKenzie to edge behind to Flintoff. The all-rounder then got Smith, who was caught by Strauss.

England were in buoyant mood and Anderson then bowled the out-of-form Kallis for four.

Things could have been a lot better for England as Hashim Amla was caught by Vaughan off the bowling of Flintoff. But as the batsman walked off, his team-mates got him to return to the crease, and the third umpire decided that Vaughan hadn't caught the ball cleanly.