England v South Africa: Headingley Test day five report

South Africa celebrate

Headingley (fifth day of five): England drew with South Africa

For a time at least, the final day threatened to be one of the most exhilarating ends to a Test match for a while.

After England finally got amongst the wickets and Graeme Smith declared South Africa’s second innings with a 252-run lead with 37 overs left, Andrew Strauss sent Kevin Pietersen out to bat at No.1 in his stead – looking to pull off one of the quickest run chases in history with the one man in the world most capable of pulling it off.

But the dream lasted three overs in reality, after a blistering start from Pietersen tempted him too far, and Strauss, Alastair Cook, and all those that followed batted too carefully to encourage any different result. 

It was declared so as time ran out, with England requiring 123 runs with dix wickets remaining. Jonathan was in and finished at 30 and Ian Bell on three, and it will go down to the final game at Lord’s in just over a week’s time and boy will it be a cracker – one match to decide the No.1 Test side in the world.

Indeed the match did look destined for a draw after two further rain delays before lunch on the final day, and with Strauss refusing to deviate from their typically defensive-looking field. On a day in which taking wickets was far more imperative that conserving runs, with two innings still to get through when play began, England took only one after 37 overs of impotent seam work.

And yes it was Pietersen. Coming in as the only spin option in the side with Graeme Swann dropped for this Test, he trapped Jacques Rudolph lbw with a superb turning delivery just minutes before a later scheduled lunch break of 1.30pm, after Rudolph had reached his half-century mid-morning too.

After the rain delays, Pietersen carried on taking wickets, dismissing Smith for 52 shortly after the restart and then Hashim Amla for 28 to put South Africa 182-3. And he inspired Stuart Broad into life, the chief culprit of a flat seam performance from England in Leeds, who suddenly took five wickets. Perhaps, with the dropping of Swann a failure and his return meaning one of the seamers must be dropped at Lord’s, Broad felt his place threatened but he was on a hat-trick at one point after dismissing AB de Villiers and JP Duminy in back-to-back deliveries.

After then removing Vernon Philander (six) and James Anderson providing a magnificent bowl and catch to get rid of Dale Steyn (three), Broad ended the innings at 253-9 declared, with the wicket of Morne Morkel (10).

And so Strauss finally made the bold move everyone was waiting for, inspired by Smith’s attacking declaration, and sent Pietersen into bat but after his dismissal the bravery faded. Matt Prior or one-day genius and newcomer James Taylor could have come in and continued a hot pursuit, but instead the usual order was maintained and Test match batting remained.

Kevin Pietersen ready to end England career

Lyall Thomas

Follow Bettor.com cricket on Twitter

Like Bettor.com cricket on Facebook