Headingley stalemate as not even Pietersen can force England’s win

The phenomenon of Headingley ‘81 – the cricketing equivalent of Our Lady of Akita – has created the conviction that anything is possible following the Botham and Willis-inspired victory against Australia.

The reality, of course, is invariably different, for such sensations are never the norm.

Marvels like those happen once in a lifetime; they cannot be magically summoned to order.

Alas, in this summer of weeping skies rather than weeping statues, there was no miraculous climax to the Headingley Test, although it was not for want of trying by England and South Africa.

Just when it seemed the match was fizzling out like a faulty firework, with South Africa 182-2 in their second innings, a lead of 176, the game dramatically exploded into life.

Seven wickets fell for 76 runs in 16 overs, five of them to Stuart Broad in the space of 37 balls.

When South Africa immediately declared on 258-9, leaving England to make 253 in 39 overs, there was just an outside chance that wonders were afoot.

But having promoted Kevin Pietersen to open their second innings with Alastair Cook, England’s hopes incurred an instant blow when Pietersen perished to the opening ball of the fourth over. He spliced an attempted pull off Vernon Philander to mid-on, where Imran Tahir claimed a comfortable catch.

Pietersen had bludgeoned three off-side fours from the opening over of the innings bowled by Morne Morkel.

His cameo was like a typical English summer – good while it lasted but over in a flash.

England, however, continued to show interest, despite an asking rate of 6.48 which rapidly soared to fanciful proportions.

However, after Andrew Strauss patted back a full toss to JP Duminy and Alastair Cook got a leading edge to cover, England’s hopes effectively ended when Matt Prior was run-out following a mix-up with Jonathan Trott, the pair hesitating over a second run to backward square-leg.

At that stage, England were 
106-4, needing 147 from 19.2 overs.

They battled through to reach 130-4 when the teams shook hands at 7.32pm, with six overs left un-bowled, as Headingley witnessed its first draw in Tests since 1996, and only its third in 28 Tests.

There had seemed only a remote chance of some captivating cricket when South Africa began the final day on 39-0, a lead of 33.

Apart from a couple of false shots from Graeme Smith, which landed agonisingly short of fielders, there was nothing to suggest South Africa would claim the win they needed to clinch the three-match series 2-0, or that England would force a dramatic leveller.

The meandering mood was heightened when the first of two rain delays forced the players from the field.

Jacques Rudolph had advanced from an overnight 21 to 47 and Smith from 17 to 27 when the covers came on after 40 minutes, keeping the players off for the same amount of time.

When the action resumed, Rudolph went to a half-century from 92 balls with nine fours on the ground where he spent five years playing for Yorkshire.

It was not his most aesthetically pleasing innings but one of his most ferociously determined; England tested Rudolph’s courage as much as his technique.

One short ball from James Anderson struck the left-hander on the shoulder as he attempted to take evasive action.

Another vicious delivery, this time from Steven Finn, drew an unconvincing edge for four through the slips.

But on the ground where he made 55 and 10 on his only other Test appearance here in 2003, Rudolph was unable to claim a century that no Yorkshire supporter would surely have begrudged him. For the second time in the match he was undone by Kevin Pietersen’s second ball of the innings, adjudged lbw for 69 in the last over before lunch, a decision confirmed on video review.

For the second time in the match also, the South Africa opening stand was curtailed at 120 from the second delivery of the 38th over, the sort of quirk statisticians love.

It might have been curtailed in the previous over, but Anderson dropped a tough chance low at second slip off Tim Bresnan when Smith had scored 42.

Having made a quite brilliant 149 in the England first innings, Pietersen seemed intent on trying to produce a Botham/Willis-esque performance rolled into one – no doubt returning figures of 8-43 to boot.

He managed a second wicket with his occasional off-breaks four overs after lunch when Smith, having scored 52 from 116 balls, was adjudged caught at short-leg by James Taylor.

To call it a controversial decision would be an understatement; Smith appeared to strike the ground with his bat rather than the ball. The South Africa captain called for a review only for television umpire Asad Rauf to decide there was insufficient evidence to overturn Steve Davis’s on-field verdict.

Anderson spilled a standard slip chance when AB de Villiers, on 23, edged Pietersen when the total was 165, but Pietersen’s third wicket was not long coming.

Seventeen runs later, Hashim Amla slapped a full-toss to Alastair Cook at cover on a day when Pietersen achieved his best Test figures of 3-52.

When Broad replaced Pietersen at the Rugby Stand end, South Africa’s innings went into freefall.

The Nottinghamshire man struck with his fourth ball, having de Villiers lbw for 44 to a delivery replays showed was missing leg-stump. Broad’s next ball was of full length and cleaned up JP Duminy lbw; eight balls later he pinned Vernon Philander as South Africa staggered to 223-6.

Broad, thrillingly inspired, claimed his fourth wicket when Jacques Kallis was caught behind off the glove while attempting evasive action.

Anderson then showed what a fine fielder he really is by diving to his left to take a brilliant catch off his own bowling to remove Dale Steyn.

Broad claimed his sixth five-wicket haul in Tests when Morkel slapped him to Cook at mid-wicket, at which point South Africa’s declaration threw the cat among the pigeons.