S. Africa forces draw in first test

Source: Agencies  |   2008-7-15  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

SOUTH Africa forced a draw in the first test against England yesterday by batting through the final day at Lord's in London.

When play was called off South Africa was 393 for three in its second innings after being asked to follow on on Saturday evening.

Neil McKenzie batted more than nine hours for his 138 and he was joined on the Lord's honors board by Hashim Amla, who was unbeaten on 104.

Captain Graeme Smith, the other batsman in the top three of the order, was out for 107 yesterday.

Following McKenzie's departure in the afternoon session, Ryan Sidebottom raised his team's hopes when he comprehensively yorked Jacques Kallis for 13.

First innings century-maker Ashwell Prince was not out on nine.

Prince survived a chance on two off Stuart Broad to Alastair Cook diving to his right at gully.

McKenzie batted with Smith as a runner in the final stages of his marathon innings.

A team spokesman said McKenzie had strained his right groin but added that the medical staff was hopeful he would be fit for the second test starting at Headingley in Leeds on Friday.

England captain Michael Vaughan kept attacking fields in place and experimented briefly with a version of leg theory with James Anderson bowling around the wicket with six fielders on the leg side.

Spinner Monty Panesar, who took four wickets in the first innings with his turns, bowled a series of deliveries outside the leg-stump searching for some bowlers' rough, which the batsmen were happy to simply pad away.

Anderson finally broke through when an indifferent delivery outside off-stump drew an equally limp response from the exhausted McKenzie who nicked the ball tamely to wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose.

Kallis, South Africa's most prolific batsman, failed for the second time when he was completely beaten by Sidebottom's in-swinging yorker.