South Africa v England Cricket Series 2008
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South Africa vs England Cricket Series 2008
South Africa will play 5 ODIs and one T20 followed by 5 Test matches during the England tour starting June 29, 2008.
Get the latest news of South Africa's 2008 England Tour →
Cricket Matches Schedule
- South Africa v Somerset, Practice Match at Taunton: 29 June 2008
- South Africa v Middlesex, Practice Match at Middx: 04 July 2008
- South Africa v England, 1st Test at Lord's: 10-14 July 2008
- South Africa v England, 2nd Test at Headingley: 18-22 July 2008
- South Africa v England, 3rd Test at Edgbaston: 30 July-03 August 2008
- South Africa v England, 4th Test at The Oval: 07-11 August 2008
- South Africa v England Lions, Practice Match at Leicester: 14 August 2008
- South Africa v England Lions, Practice Match at derby: 16 August 2008
- South Africa v England, Twenty20 at Riverside: 20 August 2008
- South Africa v England, 1st ODI at Headingley: 22 August 2008
- South Africa v England, 2nd ODI at Trent Bridge: 26 August 2008
- South Africa v England, 3rd ODI at The Oval : 29 August 2008
- South Africa v England, 4th ODI at Lord's: 31 August 2008
- South Africa v England, 5th ODI at Cardiff: 03 September 2008
South Africa vs England Cricket Series 2008
South Africa v England 3rd Test at Edgbaston
SA v ENG, 3rd Test, Edgbaston: South Africa wins third Test by five wickets, takes series (2-0)
August 03, 2008
Graeme Smith played one of the great rearguard innings Saturday as South Africa chased 281 to win the third Test by five wickets and capture its first series win over in England for 43 years.
The South Africa captain finished unbeaten on 154 at Edgbaston after putting on 112 for the sixth wicket with Mark Boucher (45 not out), who came in with the team in trouble at 171-5. Smith finished the game with a pull shot through midwicket off part-time offspinner Kevin Pietersen, holding his arms aloft in triumph as South Africa took an unassailable 2-0 lead in the four-match series.
Resuming after tea on 111-4, Smith survived an excellent leg-before-wicket shout from Monty Panesar when he shouldered arms to a sharply spinning delivery. Despite cutting and driving powerfully and hooking fiercely, Smith rode his luck at times, beating a run out opportunity on 78 when Ian Bell fumbled wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose's throw with the captain short of his ground. Smith then gloved a catch on 85 to Ambrose off Panesar, but the English fielders had little option but to give the batsman the benefit of the doubt.
A.B. de Villiers and Smith added 78 before Paul Collingwood caught De Villiers at first slip for 27 off Panesar to leave the tourists on 171-5. Smith and Boucher set about grinding down the attack to claim the team's first series win in England since 1965.
Earlier, England was dismissed for 363 with Paul Collingwood likely saving his Test career by scoring 135 after the team had resumed on 297-6. England had a bad start when Ambrose was bowled by Morne Morkel on the second ball of the day for 19. Ambrose and Collingwood had added 76 for the seventh wicket and the wicketkeeper's departure brought Ryan Sidebottom in. Collingwood and Sidebottom continued to frustrate the South Africa bowlers by compiling a 65-run partnership, before Sidebottom became Morkel's second victim of the morning when he gloved a catch to Hashim Amla at short leg.
Anderson was bowled by Kallis for 1, and Collingwood was out when his cut shot at Morkel was edged to Boucher. Smith and Neil McKenzie had to face a tricky 20-minute spell before lunch, taking the score to 11-0.
England then took four wickets in the second session for only 28 runs to leave the Proteas on 111-4 at tea, still requiring 170 for victory. McKenzie and Smith had made serene progress to reach 65-0 with few alarms. But Andrew Flintoff struck when McKenzie lost sight of a yorker that caught him flush on the toe and umpire Steve Davis gave him out lbw for 22.
Panesar then trapped Amla in front for 6, before Jacques Kallis on 5 became the third lbw victim of the innings when he also lost sight of Flintoff's full toss and was hit on the thigh. Kallis stood his ground in disbelief, but Davis raised his finger to leave South Africa on 83-3.
Ashwell Prince made 2 before James Anderson slanted a ball across to have him caught behind by Tim Ambrose to leave the tourists on 93-4.
The fourth Test starts Thursday at The Oval in London. South Africa won the second Test at Headingley by 10 wickets last week after the first match at Lord's was drawn.
SA v ENG, 3rd Test, Edgbaston: South Africa 314 & 283-5 beat England 231 & 363 by 5 wickets
South Africa vs England Cricket Series 2008
South Africa v England 3rd Test at Edgbaston
Score Card
England won the toss and decided to bat
231 all out (77.0 overs)
|
363 all out (98.2 overs)
|
314 all out (90.2 overs)
|
283 for 5 (80.0 overs)
|
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
|||
Strauss | hit wicket | b Nel | 20 |
67 | 3 | 0 |
Cook | c Kallis | b Nel | 76 |
125 | 12 | 0 |
Vaughan | c Boucher | b Nel | 0 |
1 | 0 | 0 |
Pietersen | c Prince | b Kallis | 4 |
9 | 0 | 0 |
Bell | c Boucher | b Ntini | 50 |
98 | 9 | 0 |
Collingwood | c Smith | b Kallis | 4 |
22 | 1 | 0 |
Flintoff | not out | 36 |
78 | 3 | 1 | |
Ambrose | b Kallis | 22 |
59 | 3 | 0 | |
Sidebottom | c Boucher | b Ntini | 2 |
4 | 0 | 0 |
Anderson | run out | 1 |
3 | 0 | 0 | |
Panesar | run out | 1 |
1 | 0 | 0 | |
Extras | 5nb 2w 1b 7lb | 15 | ||||
Total | all out | 231 | (77.0 ovs) |
|
|
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
|||
McKenzie | lbw | b Flintoff | 72 |
127 | 12 | 0 |
Smith | c Strauss | b Flintoff | 7 |
21 | 0 | 0 |
Harris | c Cook | b Sidebottom | 19 |
54 | 3 | 0 |
Amla | c and b | Anderson | 9 |
23 | 0 | 0 |
Kallis | b Flintoff | 64 |
114 | 9 | 0 | |
Prince | c Ambrose | b Sidebottom | 39 |
104 | 7 | 0 |
de Villiers | c Sidebottom | b Flintoff | 5 |
17 | 1 | 0 |
Boucher | c Vaughan | b Anderson | 40 |
49 | 6 | 0 |
M Morkel | lbw | b Anderson | 18 |
33 | 4 | 0 |
Nel | b Sidebottom | 0 |
4 | 0 | 0 | |
Ntini | not out | 0 |
2 | 0 | 0 | |
Extras | 6nb 35lb | 41 | ||||
Total | all out | 314 | (90.2 ovs) |
|
|
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
|||
Strauss | c Kallis | b M Morkel | 25 |
65 | 2 | 0 |
Cook | c Boucher | b Ntini | 9 |
12 | 2 | 0 |
Vaughan | c Amla | b Nel | 17 |
18 | 4 | 0 |
Pietersen | c de Villiers | b Harris | 94 |
136 | 13 | 0 |
Bell | c Boucher | b Ntini | 20 |
27 | 4 | 0 |
Collingwood | c Boucher | b M Morkel | 135 |
195 | 19 | 1 |
Flintoff | c Amla | b Harris | 2 |
4 | 0 | 0 |
Ambrose | b M Morkel | 19 |
80 | 2 | 0 | |
Sidebottom | c Amla | b M Morkel | 22 |
48 | 5 | 0 |
Anderson | b Kallis | 1 |
7 | 0 | 0 | |
Panesar | not out | 0 |
0 | 0 | 0 | |
Extras | 3nb 6w 8b 2lb | 19 | ||||
Total | all out | 363 | (98.2 ovs) |
|
|
Runs |
Balls |
4s |
6s |
|||
Smith | not out | 154 |
246 | 17 | 0 | |
McKenzie | lbw | b Flintoff | 22 |
56 | 3 | 0 |
Amla | lbw | b Panesar | 6 |
17 | 0 | 0 |
Kallis | lbw | b Flintoff | 5 |
7 | 1 | 0 |
Prince | c Ambrose | b Anderson | 2 |
14 | 0 | 0 |
de Villiers | c Collingwood | b Panesar | 27 |
57 | 3 | 0 |
Boucher | not out | 45 |
85 | 5 | 0 | |
Extras | 2nb 2w 9b 9lb | 22 | ||||
Total | for 5 | 283 | (80.0 ovs) |
|
|
Umpires: Aleem Dar, S J Davis
England: Cook, Strauss, Vaughan, Pietersen, Bell, Collingwood, Flintoff, Ambrose, Sidebottom, Anderson, Panesar
South Africa: Smith, McKenzie, Amla, Kallis, Prince, de Villiers, Boucher, M Morkel, Harris, Nel, Ntini