Smith and South Africa rattled as England stick to their slow Trott in Durban

By Paul Newman

Leisurely stroll: England's Jonathan Trott takes his time against South Africa in Durban


Jonathan Trott took some ever-so-measured steps on Sunday towards making another big impact on this series and, at the same time, got right up South Africa’s noses.

Trott has been welcomed back with open arms to the country of his birth, certainly relative to the treatment still meted out here to team-mate Kevin Pietersen

Leisurely stroll: England's Jonathan Trott takes his time against South Africa in Durban

Yet he is in danger of turning himself into home captain Graeme Smith’s new bete noire with his precise and, South Africa insist, calculated routine of keeping bowlers waiting before he is ready to face up.

He was at it again on Sunday at a pivotal moment of this second Test when, after Andrew Strauss had launched a gung-ho counter-attack, he arrived at his own snail’s pace to repel Morne Morkel, Dale Steyn and Paul Harris until bad light ended the second day prematurely under the full glare of the Kingsmead floodlights.

Trott, who painstakingly makes his mark and takes guard several times, survived to see England through to 103 for one in reply to South Africa’s 343 but has incurred the wrath of his old mate Smith and, if South Africa have anything to do with it, umpires Aleem Dar and Ameish Saheba.


Captain Marvel: England skipper Andrew Strauss smashed a quickfire half ton on day two in Durban


‘It’s getting pretty frustrating but it’s something we’re dealing with,’ said South Africa batsman AB de Villiers. ‘The umpires are aware of our feelings and I think we’re at the point where it may get him into trouble. It affects the bowlers’ rhythms. Smithy has had a word with Trott and I think he’s listening.’

That remains a contentious point. Trott, who is clearly happy to ruffle some illustrious feathers, has cocked a deaf ear to South African grumbling so far and may feel that if he gets under their skin he is doing his job.

Certainly the way he twice unfurled a classic cover drive in his unbeaten 17 suggests that he is continuing to be calm and unhurried at the crease.

‘He’s always taken his time, which I can vouch for having shouted abuse at him from slip in county cricket,’ said spinner Graeme Swann, who was again England’s top wicket-taker in conditions that should have suited the seamers far more.

‘I can understand South Africa’s frustration but I don’t think he’s taking too long. It’s just that it’s been highlighted now and everyone is looking for it.’

Trott’s go-slow was the final twist in another absorbing chapter in the ‘game of chess’ England selector Ashley Giles rightly predicted this series would become.


Swann in: Graeme Swann is congratulated after taking his fourth wicket


The disappointingly small crowd of 7,000 or so, who turned up to watch the second day under leaden Durban skies, saw South Africa score at least 50 more than England would have hoped when they resumed on 175 for five, thanks to an impressive last-wicket assault on Swann by Dale Steyn.

But they then watched Strauss repair the late damage inflicted on his bowlers with a magisterial array of strokes against wayward South Africa bowling. His dominance seemed certain to bring a second consecutive Test century at Kingsmead until Morkel came round the wicket to conquer him.

England at last made the decision review system work for them, after four squandered calls in Centurion, when Swann successfully overturned Saheba’s decision to rule Mark Boucher not out.


The real Dale: South African paceman Dale Steyn thumps another boundary on the way to his swashbuckling 47


But then it backfired yet again when Hawk-Eye’s ‘infallible’ eye confirmed the judgment of Dar and Saheba to uphold not out decisions against De Villiers and Morkel. That meant that when Indian official Saheba ruled Makhaya Ntini not out playing no stroke to Swann at the start of South Africa’s last-wicket stand of 58, England had no recourse to the technology that would almost certainly have vindicated their review. It would cost them dearly.

So brutal was Steyn’s assault on Swann that he smashed him for three long sixes and, when Jimmy Anderson tried to end his fun, Steyn cut him off the back foot for four with the execution of a specialist batsman.


Gloomy Sunday: The floodlights were on throughout much of the day's play at Kingsmead


In such conditions, South Africa’s score was worth at least 50 more, but Strauss so dominated his opening stand with Alastair Cook that he reached his 50 while his under-pressure partner had jogged along to eight.


South Africa coach Mickey Arthur had ‘harsh words’ with his bowlers during a half-hour break for bad light and drizzle, and when they returned Morkel produced a beauty to castle Strauss and bring Trott, slowly, to the crease.

Just as happy to be there with Trott at the close was Cook who, while becoming the youngest Englishman to play 50 Tests at 25 years and one day, desperately needs a big score here.

Cook may have started slowly but he quietly found his feet and launched Harris for four over cow corner with his new slog-sweep shot that he experimented with in one-day cricket for Essex last summer. He remains in situ on 31 and on Monday needs to convert that score into his first half century - and more - in 11 Tests.

South Africa’s biggest worry comes in the form of Ntini, controversially preferred here to Friedel de Wet - the star of the home side’s late push for victory in Centurion.

Ntini is looking more and more a spent force. He managed just three expensive overs - Strauss striking him for three fours in four balls - before being banished to the boundary. Ntini’s continued place in the side is going to come under increasing scrutiny, even if he is just 10 short of 400 Test wickets.

source: dailymail