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07-Jan-2010 16:20:00 GMT
South Africa vs England, 3rd Test, 5th day, Cape Town

England Escape in Thrilling Draw Against Africa

Cape Town: England's last-wicket pair dramatically saved the third Test against South Africa by surviving the last 17 balls.

The tourists appeared to be coasting through Ian Bell (78) and Paul Collingwood (40), but five wickets tumbled in 64 balls of high tension.

But after Graeme Swann had seen off six balls of Dale Steyn, number 11 Graham Onions heroically did the same to the final over, bowled by Morne Morkel.

England ended on 296-9 to keep their 1-0 series lead with one game left.

But the draw tasted just as good as a win for the large contingent of England supporters who had escaped freezing Britain for some South African sunshine - and got considerably more than they had bargained for.

For much of the day it appeared that the four-hour partnership between Bell and Collingwood would take the sting out of the final exchanges of the Test.

But the unexpected serenity which England's sixth-wicket pair had brought to proceedings quickly evaporated when Collingwood edged JP Duminy to slip.

Amazingly, Collingwood had been given out first ball by Tony Hill - but thanks to the referral system won a crucial reprieve. He and England capitalised to deny South Africa a victory they sweated blood for, but just could not achieve.

Collingwood's fans had twice seen him help save Tests in recent times. In the Ashes Test in Cardiff he had batted for 344 minutes on the final day, and he also stood firm at Centurion in the first match of this series while wickets tumbled at the other end. Both those matches had required England's number 11 to withstand the final few deliveries - and it was no different here.

Bell's contribution was every bit impressive as Collingwood's, even if he was not quite able to see England across the finishing line. Arriving at the crease 40 minutes after his partner, he batted impeccably in a 213-ball innings that will surely silence many of those critics who feel he can only play well in pressure-free situations.

Collingwood finally fell to the 188th ball of an innings of admirable self-denial that is all too rarely seen in the modern international game. Duminy, outbowling the main spinner Paul Harris, had him caught at slip by Kallis with little more than 13 overs remaining.

A brilliant catch from AB de Villiers at forward short-leg gave South Africa another breakthrough in Duminy's next over, as Matt Prior fell cheaply, and there was a huge scare in the one after that when South Africa claimed another catch close in that would have seen Stuart Broad make a sharp exit.

Brief scores
South Africa:
291 (Kallis 108, Anderson 5-63) and 447 for 7 declared (Smith 183, Amla 95)
England: 273 (Prior 76, Morkel 5-75) and 296 for 9 (Bell 78, Collingwood 40)
Result: Match drawn
MOM: GC Smith (South Africa)


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