By Richard Sydenham
LONDON Aug 20 (Reuters) – South Africa were in pole
position to win the third and final test at Lord’s on Monday
after reducing England to 120 for four at lunch on the last day.
England, chasing an improbable 346 to square the series at
1-1 and avoid losing top spot in the world rankings to South
Africa, lost two wickets in the morning session after resuming
on 16 for two.
Jonathan Trott was 57 not out and Jonny Bairstow unbeaten on
43 after Ian Bell (4) fell without adding to his overnight score
and James Taylor (4) was run out.
West Indies, who scored 344 for one in 1984, are the only
team to have successfully chased a total beyond 300 in a Lord’s
test.
England also need to better their highest fourth-innings run
chase of 332 for seven against Australia in 1928.
Bairstow’s arrival at the crease added some aggression to
the home side’s effort. He has so far faced just 36 deliveries,
having struck a fighting 95 in the first innings.
Runs were not easy to come by earlier. Trott scored the
first boundary of the innings in the 17th over by slashing
Vernon Philander over the head of third slip off a thick edge.
When Bell tried to duplicate Trott’s positive intent, having
gone 11 balls without scoring, he edged Philander to first slip
Graeme Smith who held the catch at the second attempt.
That was 34 for three and the total soon became 45 for four
when Taylor sprinted for a fourth run that Trott had no interest
in.
Philander had figures of three for 14 in nine overs at
lunch.
(Editing by Tony Jimenez)
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