Surprise debutant Darren Pattinson took his first wicket for England, but South Africa were still closing in on England’s first innings total in the second Test at Headingley yesterday.
The Australia-raised pace bowler, in for injured Nottinghamshire colleague Ryan Sidebottom, had the dangerous Hashim Amla leg before wicket for 38, but that was the only wicket the Proteas lost in the morning session.
At lunch, South Africa were 158 for four, a deficit of 45.
Ashwell Prince was 34 not out and A.B. de Villiers 7 not out. Former roof-tiler Pattinson, who turns 30 next month, was born in the English east coast fishing town of Grimsby, but was brought up in Australia.
It seemed he was heading for the same fate as now retired Gloucestershire pace bowler Mike Smith, whose Test career amounted to no more than a wicket-less England debut at Headingley.
But Pattinson, the fourth seamer deployed by England captain Michael Vaughan yesterday, made the breakthrough in his fourth over of the day when a full-toss hit Amla on the front pad.
It was a tight call for umpire Daryl Harper, with television replays suggesting the ball would have missed leg stump.
However, the Australian official eventually raised his finger to leave the Proteas 147 for four and end a promising stand of 67 between Amla and Prince, both of whom made hundreds in the drawn first Test at Lord’s. Elated fielders swarmed round Pattinson who, for all the controversy surrounding his selection, appeared to have been accepted by the rest of Vaughan’s men.
The wicket was the highlight of a spell which saw Pattinson take one wicket for 17 runs in six overs.
On Friday, Andrew Flintoff marked his return to Test cricket by helping get rid of two key South African batsmen on a controversial day when 13 wickets fell.
South Africa closed the opening day of the second Test on 101 for three, but the tourists may have ended the day in a worse position but for a flash-point involving Flintoff.
Amla chipped a Flintoff delivery toward Vaughan, who dived forward at mid-off and claimed a low catch.
Amla started to walk and was nearly off the field when he was told to remain in the middle by 12th man Andre Nel and Proteas coach Mickey Arthur.
Belatedly, the umpires called for a television replay and with the pictures unclear, Amla was allowed to carry on by TV official Richard Kettleborough with South Africa 76 for three.
“It all happened very quickly. Vaughan went up for the catch and the decision went against us,” Flintoff said. “You can’t blame Amla for stopping. The decision was made and you have to get on with it.”
Arthur said: “I’ve always been a coach that has advocated technology. If the ball bounces it’s not out. I’m 100 percent sure it bounced.”
Amla clipped the first ball after the resumption from Flintoff off his legs for four.
Flintoff though thought he had him caught down the leg-side by wicketkeeper Tim Ambrose for 13, but New Zealand umpire Billy Bowden signaled a no-ball.
The all-rounder, appearing in his first Test for 18 months after being ruled out by ankle and side injuries, was at first slip when he caught Neil McKenzie, whose marathon hundred helped draw the first Test at Lord’s, off fellow Lancashire quick James Anderson.
Then, coming round the wicket in a move the Proteas feared would pose problems for their left-handed batsmen, Flintoff removed southpaw skipper Graeme Smith, another Lord’s centurion, for 44 after the batsman, drawn forward, edged him to first slip Andrew Strauss.
Anderson, who finished the day with figures of two for 39, then bowled the experienced Jacques Kallis of the inside edge for just 4.
Earlier, South Africa fast bowlers Morne Morkel (four for 52) and Dale Steyn (four for 76) did the bulk of the damage after Smith, as he had done in the first Test where England piled up 593 for eight declared, elected to field.
South Africa-born Kevin Pietersen, who made 152 in his first Test innings against the Proteas at Lord’s, top-scored with 45 before edging a loose drive off Steyn to first slip Smith. The Proteas had already had a moment to savor when Vaughan, who made just 2 at Lord’s, edged a beauty from Steyn to Smith and was out for a duck.
It was not the way Vaughan, on his Yorkshire home ground, would have wanted to mark his 50th Test as England captain.
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