Though England have enjoyed much the better of the second Test against South Africa at Cape Town, they finished the fourth day feeling slightly nervous that a fourth-innings rearguard could deny them victory.
Joe Root declared with England on 391-8 and leading by 437, setting South Africa a would-be world record 438 to win in 145 overs. Though the wicket of Zubayr Hamza in the penultimate over of the day will have eased their worries, they will still know that no team has proved so adept at batting to save a Test match in recent times as South Africa.
Four times in the last 10 years they have batted more than 120 overs, or four sessions, in the fourth innings, keeping their run rates heroically low on some occasions and coming desperately close to sealing huge run chases at others.
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Here are South Africa’s four longest fourth-innings rearguards since the start of 2010:
South Africa v Australia, Adelaide 2012, 148 overs
Faf du Plessis had already impressed on debut, making 78 in the first innings as South Africa narrowly avoided the follow on. But rapid first-day centuries from David Warner, Michael Clarke, and Michael Hussey left Australia plenty of time, and when they declared their second innings, South Africa needed to bat nearly five sessions to secure a draw, and after 21 overs, with South Africa six down and du Plessis in again, the game looked gone.
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Faf du Plessis’ rearguard Test debut century saved South Africa[/caption]
120 overs later, du Plessis was still there, and with a little help from AB de Villiers (33 off 220) and Jacques Kallis (46 off 110), somehow South Africa survived. Peter Siddle claimed a lionhearted 4-65 from 33 overs, and Nathan Lyon toiled through 50 overs at less than one run per over, but the hosts couldn’t finally claim those final two wickets.
South Africa v India, Johannesburg 2013, 136 overs
The rearguard that almost became something more. After being bowled out for 421, South Africa needed a world-record 458 in 136 overs. Thanks to that same pair of du Plessis and de Villiers, who each made centuries, they ended just eight runs short. At 402-4, South Africa were favourites to win it, but after three quick wickets the Proteas shut up shop, settling for a draw that was still quite an achievement in itself.
South Africa v Australia, Cape Town 2014, 134.3 overs
Another battling Cape Town effort, though from an English omen point of view, they will be happy that South Africa came up short on this occasion. With a high-quality, hard-fought series poised at 1-1, twin hundreds from David Warner set South Africa a theoretical 511 to win in 139 overs.
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Though they didn’t get close to the runs required, the hosts got within five overs of saving the series, with de Villiers the main man once more. He ate up 228 balls for his 43, and with each of Hashim Amla, du Plessis, JP Duminy, and Vernon Philander facing between 99 and 109 balls, the Proteas edged close.
On creaky knees, Ryan Harris had the final say, bowling Morne Morkel and Dale Styen in the space of two balls to seal a win which took Australia to No.1 in the world.
South Africa v India, Delhi 2015, 143.1 overs
Sheer bloodymindedness from South Africa, who had already gone 2-0 down with one to play to see their proud record of not losing series away from home end, but still batted for almost two days in an attempt to salvage pride in the final game of the series.
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As ever, de Villiers starred, blocking out 297 balls and still not making a half-century. Amla scored 25 off 244 balls, with the pair adding just 27 runs in a partnership that occupied 42.1 overs. Their eventual run rate finished just under a run an over, but they couldn’t quite see the draw over the line. Ravichandran Ashwin claimed a heroic five-for in 49.1 overs, while Umesh Yadav finished with frankly ridiculous figures of 3-9 in 21 overs.
