Struggles continue for England as Petersen provides platform

Hot on the heels of their humiliation at the Oval, England once more struggled to justify their hard-earned status as world No.1 If defeat by an innings and 12 runs in the first Test was not bad enough, the second Test started unpromisingly too.

After winning the toss and electing to field, England watched South Africa score 262-5 as the tourists seek the victory that would snatch their No.1 crown.

Andrew Strauss’s decision to bowl seemed thoroughly bewildering.

Not only was Headingley bathed in golden sunshine, a stark contrast to the summer’s default setting of heavy rain, but the pitch was hardly coloured with menace.

Granted, a few tufts of green were visible, but gone are the days when a captain would automatically inset his opponents at Leeds.

Perhaps Strauss reasoned he had little alternative.

He had opted for an all-seam attack, after all, as England dispensed with a spinner for the first time in Test cricket since the corresponding game in 2003, thereby ending Graeme Swann’s run of 43 consecutive appearances.

But the suspicion that Headingley has a habit of messing with England’s thinking (this was the ground, after all, where they infamously selected Darren Pattinson for the corresponding match in 2008) was quickly confirmed as South Africa openers Graeme Smith and Alviro Petersen set about creating a promising platform.

Petersen, who came into the match under pressure having scored only 121 runs in 12 innings in all cricket since a century for Essex against Glamorgan at Cardiff three months ago, batted with confidence and no little skill.

Smith, who brings such qualities to his innings against England with remarkable consistency, was the perfect foil as the partnership prospered in helpful conditions.

There were just two moments of concern during a morning session that brought 84 runs and no wickets.

Petersen, on 29, was badly dropped by Alastair Cook at second slip off James Anderson when the total was 34, the sort of catch Swann would snaffle in his sleep.

And, four runs later, Smith, on six, was caught at first slip by Andrew Strauss off Steven Finn only for umpire Steve Davis to signal dead ball.

Finn had accidentally disturbed the stumps at the non-striker’s end in the throes of delivery and, having done so three times earlier to spark protest from the batsmen, he was reprieved.

Not until 2.30pm was the partnership broken.

Smith, having scored 52 from 92 balls, clipped Tim Bresnan firmly off his pads and was caught by Ian Bell at backward square-leg.

It was a soft dismissal and Smith glanced to the heavens as he forlornly left the field.

Thus England had their first wicket against South Africa for 497 runs and more than 10 hours, with Hashim Amla and Jacques Kallis having added an unbroken 377 for the fourth-wicket at the Oval, where the home team managed only two wickets in the entire match.

Moments later, the old cliché about buses and two coming along at once was being dusted off as Amla was culpably and calamitously run-out.

It happened like this …

Petersen drove Broad into the covers where Jonathan Trott misfielded.

The ball ran out towards Bresnan on the boundary and, as the batsmen hesitated over a seemingly straightforward third, Bresnan beat Amla’s amble to the non-striker’s end.

It appeared the only way England were likely to dismiss Amla, who had scored a South Africa record 311 not out in the opening Test.

Nine over later, England struck again.

Jacques Kallis was splendidly caught by Cook low to his right off Anderson after the batsman bottom-edged an attempted cut.

As sunshine gave way to choking cloud, lifting the spirits of the England bowlers, Kallis’s wicket had the air of a turning point.

He had announced his arrival with a blaze of boundaries: insouciantly on-driving his first ball from Broad to the foot of the pavilion before striking three fours in four deliveries off Bresnan.

But there is far more to South Africa than Kallis and Amla.

Petersen, whose duck at the Oval stood out like a blackboard in a snowstorm amid a total of 637-2, was not in a mood to miss out this time as he set about stabilising the innings once more.

His fourth Test century was soon in the offing, reached with a powerful pull shot off Broad in the direction of the East Stand and warmly applauded by a near-capacity crowd.

AB de Villiers, who had not been needed to bat at the Oval, felt his way into form with some solid defence and the occasional flourish.

He had grafted his way to within three runs of a half-century when he was undone by Broad and the second new ball, chopping on to a delivery he did not need to play, moments after being dropped off the same bowler by Anderson at second slip - a difficult chance low to his left.

Petersen, on 119, had a slice of luck when Finn had an lbw decision overturned by umpire Davis when replays showed the ball was bouncing over the top, but he picked up a deserved wicket before the close when he bowled nightwatchman Dale Steyn.