Controversial umpire calls halt Proteas

during the 1st One Day international Cricket match between South Africa and England at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein on 3 February 2016. ©Gerhard Steenkamp/Backpage Media

during the 1st One Day international Cricket match between South Africa and England at Mangaung Oval, Bloemfontein on 3 February 2016. ©Gerhard Steenkamp/Backpage Media

Published Feb 6, 2016

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Cape Town - Two controversial umpiring decisions halted the Proteas’ progress on Saturday as they ended on 262/7 in the second one-day international against England in Port Elizaeth.

Proteas captain AB de Villiers won the toss and elected to bat first at St George’s Park on a sunny day, but the pitch was a bit slow and didn’t allow the ball to come on to the bat.

That is why the dismissal of JP Duminy played a huge part in preventing the South Africans from getting close to the 300-run mark. Duminy had taken his time to get in on a difficult track alongside De Villiers, but the middle-order duo stuck it out to put on a 107-run partnership for the fourth wicket.

Just as they got going after De Villiers reached his 48th ODI half-century, the Proteas were rocked by the double blow of losing their captain and then Duminy within three balls.

De Villiers was finding his range and went on the attack after getting to his milestone in a welcome return to form after a lean run recently, hitting a sensational six off Chris Jordan as he dispatched the ball over midwicket by pulling off the front foot.

But in the next over, he went for another big hit off Ben Stokes, and Jordan took an outstanding catch as he ran back at midwicket and dived to catch the ball over his shoulder. De Villiers was gone for a well-played 73 off 91 balls (4x4, 1x6), and would’ve hoped that Duminy could take the Proteas to around 285-290.

The left-hander, though, was given out lbw to Reece Topley by umpire Johan Cloete on 47 (66 balls, 2x4). TV replays showed that the ball would’ve missed leg-stump, but Duminy couldn’t ask for a review as Quinton de Kock had used it already for an unsuccessful appeal against his lbw decision.

Another questionable decision followed soon after when Rilee Rossouw – who looked in good touch for a run-a-ball 11 – had to leave the arena. Rossouw “yorked” himself by coming down the wicket to Topley, and the ball squeezed past his inside edge. England thought he was out, but Cloete ruled otherwise.

On the review, it was inconclusive as to whether Rossouw had got a nick as the bat hit the ground simultaneously as the ball passed the inside edge, but TV umpire Chris Gaffaney from New Zealand somehow decided that it was out.

That slowed the Proteas innings right down as Farhaan Behardien battled to deal with the slow nature of the pitch and hit just one boundary in his 23 not out off 26 balls.

While Topley was the leading wicket-taker with 4/50 in nine overs of skilful medium-fast bowling, it was the spin of Adil Rashid and Moeen Ali that really tightened the screws for England.

Incredibly, off-spinner Moeen bowled a maiden to Duminy in the 33rd over of the innings, and recorded figures of 0/41 in his 10 overs, while leggie Rashid went for 43 runs in his 10 overs for the wicket of Faf du Plessis.

So, slow bowlers such as Imran Tahir, Duminy and Behardien could have critical roles to play with the ball to take the pace off during the England innings.

Earlier, the in-form De Kock couldn’t repeat his splendid innings of 138 not out in the first ODI in Bloemfontein in Wednesday as the sluggish nature of the pitch made life difficult for the Proteas batsmen.

De Kock hit four boundaries in his innings of 22 off 33 balls, but when he tried to swing Stokes over the leg-side, he was trapped lbw and the review didn’t save him.

Hashim Amla (4) was the first to go, bowled by a beauty from Topley that moved into the right-hander and hit the pads before ricocheting on to the stumps.

Faf du Plessis continued his return to form with a relatively energetic innings on this track. He played with greater fluidity than his teammates and took the fight to the England attack. But he was undone by the spin of Rashid as he played for a googly, with the ball not turning into him. Du Plessis (46 off 48 balls, 4x4, 1x6) tried to work it to the leg-side, but got a leading edge to Jordan at first slip.

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