For South Africa, apart from the nagging weather and bleak light conditions, the only thing annoying them is Jonathan Trott's prolonged time wasting efforts on a truncated day.
dale steyn
The second Test of England's tour of South Africa saw a rather gloomy day in progress. But the brightest prospects for the hosts were the steadiness of AB de Villiers and the vibrant batting of Dale Steyn.
Reducing South Africa to 175 for five, England may have expected to have the hosts eating out of their hand. But Mark Boucher and AB steadied the rocking boat with a sixty-three run partnership for the sixth wicket to thwart England hopes. Morne Morkel made himself a nuisance for a while as well as AB raised his half century.
But the frustration turned into annoyance when Steyn raised a fifty-eight run partnership with Makhaya Ntini for the final wicket. It took South Africa from nine down for 285 to 343 all out. In between were struck some fine blows, three tremendous sixes coming off the bat of Steyn who could have fooled anyone about his not being a specialist batsmen with a forty-seven that should have been his half century for his entertaining display.
England may have suffered further had the South African bowlers bowled a tight line. But with too many freebies on offer, Andrew Strauss could not decline. The England captain scored a half century in a seventy-one run stand for the first wicket with Alastair Cook before Morne Morkel brought the England comfort to a halt.
To annoy them more, Jonathan Trott failed to mend his ways, disrupting Steyn's rhythm at least three times.
South Africa were beginning to find their length after tea but then the skies opened up and then, the light began to fade away, tired with the day's antics, leaving England poised at 1 down for 103 at stumps on an eventful second day.
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