South Africa beat England by 51 runs in the Lord’s Test match of 2012. Steven Lynch’s report first appeared in the 2013 edition of the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack.
At Lord’s, August 16–20, 2012. South Africa won by 51 runs. Toss: South Africa.
When a brainless run-out reduced England to 45-4 on the last morning, still 300 adrift, embarrassment loomed – and with it the tame surrender of the No.1 ranking in Test cricket. They did lose in the end, but only after a thrilling fightback which briefly persuaded an enthralled, engaged crowd that a miracle was possible.
Jonny Bairstow, playing because Kevin Pietersen had been dropped for textual impropriety, lit the blue touchpaper with a 41-ball fifty, Prior and Broad carried on the fight, and Swann sung freely. After tea, 61 runs cascaded from 41 deliveries, but just as Smith – captaining in a Test for a record 94th time – was beginning to look nervous, Swann was narrowly run out, after lashing five fours and two sixes. And, despite a manic episode when the swashbuckling Prior was caught in the covers, then reprieved just before reaching the pavilion because replays showed Morkel had overstepped, the frolics were about to end. Shortly afterwards, Prior really was out, and Finn went first ball, both victims of the bouncy Philander, who thus added a five-for to two vital batting contributions.
It had been a spirited retort by England, but victory was always tantalisingly out of reach, mainly because of the sort of self-inflicted wounds – especially run-outs and dropped catches – which typified their performances. The results meant a first home series defeat since the loss to South Africa in 2008, and their sixth in 11 Test matches anywhere since reaching No.1 themselves a year previously.
The last day provided a fitting conclusion to an absorbing match, conducted on a blameless pitch which, 17 days previously, had been the domain of Olympic archers. Around a third of the outfield had been returfed, after temporary stands were removed, with grass grown near Scunthorpe – an Olympian effort of their own from the groundstaff. Away from Lord’s, though, the build-up was dominated by the omission of Pietersen: many wondered how the 149 runs he had scored in the first innings at Headingley could be adequately replaced. Bairstow provided the answer, duly scoring 149 runs in the match, and batting with character and chutzpah.
The imbroglio clearly affected the tight-lipped England camp, however. Strauss, playing in his 100th Test – and captaining for the 50th time – admitted as much afterwards “It’s been a tough week,” he said, before reflecting on England’s poor run in 2012: We’ve lost a lot more than we would have wanted to. Whether it was because of a change of mindset – from being the hunters to the ones that are hunted – I don’t know.” Nine days later, he announced his retirement.
Controversy was temporarily forgotten though, as South Africa dipped to 54-4 after choosing to bat on an overcast first morning. Three of them went to Finn, who displayed a Glenn McGrath-like mastery of the Lord’s slope to defeat Amla, although the wickets fo Petersen and Kallis were less classical, both involving leg-side glances. Petersen’s bottom hand was probably still in contact with the bat handle when it was hit, but third umpire Rod Tucker’s decision to overrule his on-field colleague Kumar Dharmasena in the case of Kallie looked like a blooper: his bottom hand was indisputably off the handle when Finn’s rub-tickler cannoned into it.
South Africa overcame their indignation, regrouping through gritty contributions from Rudolph and Duminy. A maiden half-century from Philander took them past 300, before he became Prior’s sixth victim of the innings – and the second for Swann, restored to the side, complete with severe 1950s haircut, in place of Tim Bresnan. There were three wickets for Anderson, but Broad – in his 50th Test – was a little below his usual pace: England might have wished they have opted instead for Graham Onions, who was released from the squad after the toss, drove up to Trent Bridge, and took 9-67 for Durham.
Midway through the second day, England were also 54-4, before a rescue act of their own. Bairstow had been labelled susceptible to the short ball during the West Indies series, but survived a thorough examination from Steyn and Morkel. Tall and slender, though wide-shouldered, as if he’d left the coat-hanger in place, Bairstow played the natural attacking game, adding 124 with Bell to calm English nerves. Bell was well caught at third slip 10 overs before the close, but Bairstow survived, having mixed in the occasional fierce cut with his signature peachy on-drives. Next morning, though, he tried one too many after being tied down for 14 balls on 95, and was bowled by the impressive Morkel. England had been closing in on South Africa’s total; they seemed unlikely to get there when Anderson lobbed a catch to gully at 283. But to wild applause, the last pair inched them level, then just past: as at Headingley, they led by six.
South Africa were quickly back in front, though initial progress was slow. Smith hit only two fours in his first 61 deliveries before cutting Swann to the rope, then was lbw the next ball., Shortly afterwards came a match-changing moment: Amla flicked at a leg-side delivery from Broad, Prior covered the ground well but almost overshot the ball, which hit him on the base of the left palm and bounced away. Amla had two at the time and – though Broad was partly mollified when he trapped Petersen in front two deliveries later – he survived to score 119 runs.
Batting with the sort of calm, wristy elegance patented by Ranji, Amla did not give another chance. A devout Muslim, he celebrated the festival of Eid with his 16th Test century, ad and it was a surprise when, halfway through the fourth day, he was again castled by a superb delivery from Finn which this time went up the hill a little. By then de Villiers had also been dropped – on eight, when he chipped a simple chance to Anderson at short midwicket off Swann – and the lead was past 250.
De Villiers advanced to 43 before Strauss clasped his 121st Test catch, to pass the England record previously shared by Colin Cowdrey and Ian Botham. Finn also removed Rudolph during a fine spell of 3-14 from 29 balls. The previous evening, he had dismissed Kallis for 31, oddly his highest score in three Tests at Lord’s: it remained a statistical curiosity that, of Test cricket’s five leading run-scorers, only one (Rahul Dravid in 2011) had scored a century there. Kallis immediately reviewed the lbw decision, but had to walk off, disgusted by the DRS for the second time in the match (the snickometer, not part of the review process, later raised the possibility of a faint nick). Kallis cheered himself up by holding on to a couple of screamers in the slips – including one to end the match – and also took his 50th ticket against England to join an exclusive club.
Finn’s spell revived England, but hopes of a swift end – and a more realistic run-chase – were stymied by Philand, who made a forthright 35. Duminy, who survived for 141 minutes, was still there when Anderson, bowling well throughout for little rewards, wrapped things up with two late wickets. The first of them was his 50th in Tests at Lord’s. Only Ian Botham (69) and Fred Trueman (63) had more.
The targe of 346 soon looked far distant when Cook was struck in front, then Strauss – probably betraying the effects of an enervating week – let one go which was destined to flatten middle stump. The overnight 16 for two got worse when Bell was caught, after a juggle at first slip, and most of the ground groaned when Trott pushed towards wide long-on, but declined a perfectly feasible fourth run: Taylor, in only his second Test was stranded – “well stuffed by Trott”, lamented a watching Michael Vaughan.
There seemed no way back after that – and indeed there wasn’t, especially against a side as strong as South Africa, worthy claimants of the ICC Test mace. But England showed enough fight during a classic match, conducted almost throughout in sizzling temperatures, to show why they had been the previous holders.
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