England Three Down, Need Another 237 to Save Test
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20 Monday, March 26, 2018 SPORTS South Africa’s Morne Morkel finished the game with his five-wicket haul (Pic courtesy: AFP) Australia captain Steve Paine laments Smith fined and banned Australian for one Test for his role in ball tampering capitulation Cape Town tand-in Australia captain Tim Paine described a “bizarre, strange and horrible” 24 hours that culminatedS in his side suffering a 322-run defeat to South Africa. Australia have been engulfed in a ball- tampering scandal which prompted regular captain Steve Smith and his deputy David Warner to resign earlier on Sunday and could claim more casualties in the coming days as Cricket Australia S. Africa launch an internal review. That process is likely to be watched closely by the Australian public, who have been dismayed by sportsmen they once revered turning to cheating to get an advantage. “It’s been a bizarre, strange and horrible 24 hours,” Paine told reporters after the heavy defeat in Cape Town. rout “It was extremely difficult, though that is certainly no excuse for what you saw in the last 45 minutes. We are still the Australian cricket team, we are expected to put up a better effort than what we did today, but it was in some trying Australia circumstances.” (Reuters) Cape Town of the match. Bancroft sparked a collapse in scandal, which means he will ustralian cricket’s day of The Australians had already which all ten wickets fell for just miss the fourth and final Test shame ended in a crushing woken to bruising criticism 50 runs in 19.3 overs and 99 in Johannesburg, starting on A322-run defeat by South Africa from their own chief executive minutes. Friday. on the fourth day of the third and prime minister, as well as Bancroft fell to a direct During Smith’s short stay at Test at Newlands yesterday. Set condemnation from around the hit from midwicket by South the wicket, two wickets fell off an unlikely 430 to win, Australia cricket world. African captain Faf du Plessis successive balls from left-arm were bowled out for a paltry 107, It followed the admission after being called for a risky spinner Keshav Maharaj, with with fast bowler Morne Morkel by Smith and young batsman single by Warner. Three overs Usman Khawaja caught at slip taking five for 23. Cameron Bancroft that they had later Warner edged Kagiso off a ball that went straight on It was a fittingly dismal end deliberately tried to change the Rabada to AB de Villiers at third and Shaun Marsh prodding one Tim Paine to the match for Australia after condition of the ball on Saturday. slip. which turned and bounced out they were caught up in a ball- The day seldom got any better. Both Bancroft and Warner of the rough to short leg. tampering scandal on Saturday Tim Paine and his bowlers were booed as they left the wicket The collapse continued which sent shockwaves through could not stop South Africa from but the near-capacity crowd’s when Mitchell Marsh and Pat BRIEF SCORE the sport. taking their second innings total jeers grew in volume when Smith Cummins fell to successive short- Skipper Steve Smith was to 373. walked out -- and there were pitched balls from Morkel. subsequently banned for one Embattled opening batsmen more boos after he was caught at Mitchell Starc was hit on the South Africa 311 (Elgar 141*, de Villiers 64, Cummins 4-78) match by the ICC, just hours Bancroft and Warner weathered gully off Morkel for seven. helmet by another bouncer from and 373 (Markram 84, De Kock 65, De Villiers 63, Philander after he and vice-captain David a challenging 70 minutes before It was Smith’s last appearance Morkel. Two balls after a lengthy 52*, Cummins 3-67, Hazlewood 3-69, Lyon 3-102) beat Warner had stood down from tea at the start of their second in the series after being banned delay he gloved another lifter to Australia 255 (Bancroft 77, Morkel 4-87, Rabada 4-91) and their positions for the remainder innings before the run-out of for one match for his role in the short leg. (AFP) 107 (Morkel 5-23) by 322 runs England three down, need another 237 to save Test Auckland over. After medical treatment Test and then have another ew Zealand snapped up he shaped up to face the last crack in the twilight-to-dark three wickets yesrerday, ball of the day and was caught period. includingN that of Joe Root with behind by wicketkeeper BJ The innings was only into the last ball of the day, to pin Watling. its third over when Trent Boult down an England side battling New Zealand had declared had Alastair Cook caught down to salvage a draw from the first their first innings on 427 for the leg side by Watling for two. Test. eight, with Henry Nicholls But the devastating swing At stumps England were 132 unbeaten on 145 to show the bowling from Boult and Tim for three, still needing another pitch held no demons. But Southee that saw England 237 runs on the final day to save England were in immediate crumble for 58 in the first the Test in Auckland. trouble as they faced a target of innings lost its zing quickly in Danger man Root was on 51, 369 to avoid an innings defeat. the second. BRIEF SCORE his 38th half-century in Tests, The timing of the Instead, it was Neil Wagner when he was smacked on the declaration gave the hosts 50 with his barrage of bouncers England 58 and 132 for 3 (Stoneman 55, Root 51) trail New Zealand 427 right index finger by a flyer minutes to bowl at England in the final session who struck Henry Nicholls of New Zealand from Trent Boult in the last before dinner in the day-night next. (AFP) for 8 dec. (Nicholls 145*, Williamson celebrates his century 102) by 237 runs (Pic courtesy: espncricinfo).