South Africa's attempts to desperately win the fourth and final Test of England's tour of South Africa to square the series saw the first day go according to plan at the Wanderers in Johannesburg.
morkel and sa celebrate kps wicket
On a cloudy day with the threat of rain looming, South Africa made the bold decision to go with five bowlers, all fast, leaving their lone spinner. Call it brave but it was a move that paid dividends because South Africa went a step braver to field two uncapped players in Wayne Parnell and Ryan McLaren to step up the pace attack.
But it was the Morne Morkel-Dale Steyn combination that once again proved too much to handle. While Steyn gave the hosts the big breakthrough off the first ball of the innings by trapping the England captain, Andrew Strauss, Morkel stuck into the top order to send England reeling at four down for thirty-nine.
Morkel was quick to latch onto the troubled Jonathan Trott and it can be questioned what Kevin Pietersen was doing pulling so early into his innings. Perhaps the most controversial decision of the day was the dismissal of Alastair Cook who was given out lbw and despite England asking for the Umpire Decision Review System (UDRS) which showed Morkel had perhaps overstepped the white line, Cook's decision remained unchanged.
Ian Bell and Paul Collingwood threatened to build up resistance but South Africa were not in the mood to let go of the stranglehold. McLaren gave South Africa the breakthrough with his first international Test wicket by dismissing Collingwood for forty-seven and it opened the door ajar again.
Bell was cleaned up by Steyn for thirty-five and it was not very long before Steyn was facing the prospect of another five wicket haul, his twelfth in thirty-six Test matches, making his figures rather impressive.
England's batting was perhaps a combination of a disciplined South African attack combined with a diffident English mindset that had the visitors caving in on day one.
Rain took away the better part of the tea and post tea session but the South African openers, South African captain, Graeme Smith, and Ashwell Prince showed the reward for patience and playing on the front foot by seeing out the period of twelve overs with twenty-nine runs on board for no loss.
Now South Africa would do better to seize another day if they do not repeat the frame of mind England took the bat in their hand.
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