Highlights:England vs South Africa 1st Test, Day 4 – 22 July
July 22, 2012
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Highlights:England vs South Africa 1st Test, Day 4 – 22 July
England vs South Africa Highlights 1st Test Day 4 2012. England vs South Africa Day 4, 1st Test Cricket Highlights 22 July 2012. Watch Eng vs SA Highlights 1st Test Day 4 2012. South Africa v England Highlights 1st Test played at Oval on 22 July 2012. South Africa Tour of England 2012.
Graeme Smith is due to leave England before the second Test to attend the birth of his first child but, as he marked his 100th Test with a century, his wife, the Irish singer Morgan Deane, joked on Twitter that her waters had broken already.
Smith, who will return in time to lead South Africa again at Headingley on August 2, laughed it off and said he tries not to read all her posts these days. “She’s very impulsive, I’m trying to calm her down a bit,” he said. “She’s been very supportive though, considering she is going to give birth so soon.”
If there was doubt about Smith’s abilities as a batsman and leader, they have surely all been squashed. His 25th Test hundred was also his seventh against England, fifth in England and made him the seventh player to have scored a century on a landmark 100th Test.
Although Smith expects a tighter effort from England, he was bullish in his assessment of whether South Africa has what it takes to win. “We need to respect our opponent, they have the ability to bounce back,” he said. “But we want to have a chance to push for a victory. I believe we have the ability to win, if we set the game up right. If we give ourselves the chance to bowl out England, I believe we’ve got the armoury to do that.”
David Saker, England’s bowling coach, called the pitch “subcontinental” and expects it to deteriorate, which could set the stage for the legspinner Imran Tahir to ignite his South Africa career. Smith was hopeful that would be the case. “It is quite dusty and quite dry. There is a turn available and it will be a good opportunity for Imran to get in,” he said. “His form looks pretty solid. I don’t want to put too much pressure on him but, on day five, if we are bowling for the win, he will have to play a prominent role.”
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