(Adds quotes)
By Richard Sydenham
LEEDS, England Aug 5 (Reuters) – England failed to make a
breakthrough before rain forced the abandonment of play at 1715
(1615 GMT) on the fourth day of the second test at Headingley on
Sunday as South Africa reached 39 without loss in their second
innings.
Jacques Rudolph, opening in place of the injured Alviro
Petersen, was unbeaten on 21 while skipper Graeme Smith was on
17 as he continued to bat with a minor knee injury.
Thunder and lightning arrived just minutes after the players
left the field with the skies over northern England turning an
ominous dark grey. A minimum 45 overs were lost in the day.
““It was frustrating,” England’s Matt Prior, who hit 68,
told reporters. ““To get a small lead and to put South Africa
under some pressure it would have been nice to have had the
opportunity to pick up some wickets.
“”There are now only two results that can happen: a draw or
an England win. It can be hard sometimes to know you have got to
bat out a day, which is what South Africa have to do.”
It was a frustrating passage of play for England, who had
failed to capitalise on Kevin Pietersen’s exhilarating first
innings century that helped the hosts to 425 in reply to the
Proteas’ 419.
Smith survived a scare before lunch when England reviewed an
lbw appeal but it was rejected. Television replays showed the
ball would have bounced over the stumps.
Continued…
