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SPORT: Joyous England defy the odds

By Rob Steen at The Oval

Financial Times

Sep 09, 2003

An unusual number of lusty roars have emanated from Kennington these past few days. Not even the greeting for Alec Stewart as he embarked on his final innings for his country, though, could match yesterday's full-throated acclaim for England. It is not every day that a side wins a game they had no earthly right to.

Forty minutes after lunch on the final day of one of the most remarkable matches ever seen on this ancient ground, England, quoted at 40-1 after South Africa had cantered to 362-4 on the opening day, became only the seventh side to win a Test after conceding 450-plus in the first innings.

Set up by the craft of Martin Bicknell and the pace of Steve Harmison, sealed by some meaty blows from Marcus Trescothick, the nine-wicket victory meant that England had levelled the series at 2-2. It was the first time they had come from behind in the last chapter of a five-Test series since spinner turned celeb Phil Tufnell teased out the West Indies on the same ground 12 summers ago.

The venerable scorebox on the gasholder side, charmingly old-fashioned in its non-digital sparseness but long the quickest and most reliable in the land, is due to be demolished as part of The Oval's winter's facelift. It could have wished for no finer adieu.

South Africa resumed on a sunny morning leading by 65 with four wickets standing, Mark Boucher and Shaun Pollock at the crease and the Met Office estimating a 60 per cent chance of showers. None of those three obstacles proved particularly troublesome, least of all the weather.

Both these batsmen have Test hundreds to their name - five between them, to be precise - but neither, it transpired, had the staying power required on a pitch displaying fewer signs of depreciation than a day-old Mercedes.

Bicknell's second over brought the first breakthrough; Boucher groping at a leg-cutter and edging to Stewart. The wicketkeeper's 277th and last Test dismissal was utterly in character - smooth, efficient, matter of fact. If England see his like again, the country will be extremely fortunate.

Enter Andrew Hall, a number nine who might bat two berths higher for almost any other side and England's tormentor at Headingley, where his swashbuckling 99 not out was decisive. Now, however, he seemed uncertain, and his first delivery, arrowed by Bicknell into his pads, found him flicking the ball in a gentle parabola to short midwicket. Bicknell bounded towards the catcher, Ed Smith, like a lamb that had just found its long-lost mother.

With two wickets falling in consecutive balls, Pollock decided attack was the sole option. Of the 22 added subsequently by him and Paul Adams, the impish spinner contributed none. But a false shot was inevitable and Pollock duly guided Harmison straight to Graham Thorpe at backward point.

Four overs later, Makhaya Ntini fended a short one from Harmison towards short leg, where Smith, demonstrating unsuspected agility, clasped the catch full-stretch to his left to end the innings.

Bicknell and Harmison both emerged with four victims and their most fruitful returns at this level but Trescothick ensured the man of the match award as England, needing 110, romped home at a rate of five an over.

The Somerset opener added an unbeaten 69 to his first-innings 219, edging the winning four with arguably his worst shot in more than 10 hours at the crease. Mark Butcher, his partner, embraced him with gratitude as much as joy.

Before his side took a deserved lap of honour, Michael Vaughan deployed the word "fantastic" with much the same enthusiasm as Mike Gatting, one of his predecessors as England captain, wielded the word "tremendous". The team's effort, Harmison and Andrew Flintoff, who was named man of the series, were all described as "fantastic". He may never utter it again with such conviction.

Find this article at:
http://search.ft.com/s03/search/article.html?id=030909000638

(posted 7507 days ago)

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