OVER 17: ENG 65/3 Trott 22* Bopara 23*
This has been an excellent morning for South Africa, but Graeme Smith hasn't quite covered himself in eclat here. Having taken off his first spinner too early and introduced his second spinner too late, he's instinctively sent the field back with the Powerplay over, oblivious to the fact that England barely look like hitting Tahir off the square, let alone over the top. Suddenly there are gaps all over the place, and after swapping singles with Trott, Bopara tucks into a full leg-spinner on off-stump and strokes it through the covers for four. Lovely shot. Two more for a little nurdle into the leg side, and that's the 50 partnership from a not-disgraceful 72 balls. We are going to see spin at both ends, but Smith ignores Robin Peterson's figures of 4-2-4-3 and opts for the part-time leg-spin of Faf du Plessis.
This has been an excellent morning for South Africa, but Graeme Smith hasn't quite covered himself in eclat here. Having taken off his first spinner too early and introduced his second spinner too late, he's instinctively sent the field back with the Powerplay over, oblivious to the fact that England barely look like hitting Tahir off the square, let alone over the top. Suddenly there are gaps all over the place, and after swapping singles with Trott, Bopara tucks into a full leg-spinner on off-stump and strokes it through the covers for four. Lovely shot. Two more for a little nurdle into the leg side, and that's the 50 partnership from a not-disgraceful 72 balls. We are going to see spin at both ends, but Smith ignores Robin Peterson's figures of 4-2-4-3 and opts for the part-time leg-spin of Faf du Plessis.
OVER 16: ENG 57/3 Trott 21* Bopara 16*
Bopara's just getting into the game here. If one of these two is still in come, say, the 40th over, then by gosh England will at least have something to bowl at. Steyn leaks a wide down the leg side, while the two batsmen nudge singles. The highlight is a well-timed back-foot push by Bopara that runs away for two, and that's drinks. Steyn's figures currently read 4-0-21-0, which I thought were figures that had been copyrighted by Paul Collingwood. Evidently not.
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