Cricket / Ed Hawkins / 31 December 2009 / Leave a comment Bet Now View Market

England should not need long to wrap up an incredible victory over South Africa in Durban to take a 1-0 lead. Ed Hawkins takes us through to the finish.

09.31 England win by an innings and 98 runs
Under the shadow of Table Mountain, odd things happen to touring sides. South Africa are virtually unbeatable there. They have lost only three there since 1970. England, unsurprisingly, have lost their last three at Newlands. In those statistics are two good reasons why everyone should remain grounded; Andrew Strauss, Graeme Smith and bettors. It was only a game ago that it was England who were collapsing under pressure. But, as ever, England were not as bad as that scorecard suggested or South Africa as good. The truth is always somewhere between the two. We'll be back for the third Test on Sunday.

09.20 England win by an innings and 98 runs
It is a very English reaction to victory, but Mike Atherton reckons South Africa are a side you write off at your peril. "Even with this crushing victory, I don't see this being one way traffic through to Johannesburg." Agreed. South Africa will not take this defeat lightly. They are a proud lot, live for sport and there is a strong sense among the players that they represent the people. the latter won't allow the former to produce another insipid effort.

09.09 England win by an innings and 98 runs
Graeme Smith: "The collapse was down to England performing really well, the pressure they put us under. England outplayed us through the middle part of the Test. We've got to learn and look at ourselves. Batting first was the right decision, our total wasn't a bad effort. With the ball we didn't create pressure, a loose start with some wayward bowling, and we didn't recover."

09.04 England win by an innings and 98 runs
Andrew Strauss: "That's not far off the best performance I've seen by an England side, certainly away from home. The series is still alive and we've got lots of work to do in Cape Town and Jo'burg. We've got to keep our feet on the ground and we won't be patting ourselves on the back."

08.52 England win by an innings and 98 runs
England may make changes for the Cape Town Test, which starts on Sunday. Paul Collingwood's dislocated finger could keep him out and that gives the tourists a headache of sorts. Set on playing six batsmen before the tour started, England do not have a reserve specialist. They could call up Joe Denly, who is in South Africa with the development squad, or Michael Carberry. But otherwise they will have to go with allrounder Luke Wright. He would give them extra options with the ball but he is no Colly with the bat. Far from it in fact.

08.42 SA 133, England win by an innings and 98 runs
Graeme Swann gets his five wickets in the end, trapping Daye Steyn leg before. Fully deserved. He was the inspiration for England, the fulcrum on which the game turned on its head. A mad and bad hour from South Africa yesterday has condemned them to defeat and it is worth wondering how it will affect them with two matches to play. But the story is England. They've managed to take 20 wickets for only the fifth time in their last 16. A fine effort on a wicket which looked so flat for so long.

08.41 SA 129-9
Makhaya Ntini is the last man in for South Africa. Lap it up, pal. As this is the last Test of the decade, it is perhaps fitting that it draws to close with one of the players of the decade surely making his final appearance. Ntini, in his 101st Test, is likely to be dropped for the New Year's Test in Cape Town. After failing to take a wicket and going at more than four an over, Ntini is expected to make way for Friedel de Wet. Ntini has had a good run, though. He made his debut in 1998 and was a constant menace to batsmen throughout the noughties, averaging 28 and taking 380 wickets.

WICKET 08.35 SA 129-9
P Harris c Broad b Anderson 36

08.22 SA 120-8
With England set to go 1-0 up, a word of warning. South Africa are a tough side to beat at home. Since 1992 (30 series) only five sides have won there; four brilliant Australia outfits and a very good England side in 2004-05. With such an impressive record, it should not be a surprise that South Africa have had to come from behind before in a series on home soil to win. They have recent history. Last year, West Indies went 1-0 up but were beaten 2-1 and two years before that, India had their tails up only to succumb. England are as short as [1.59] for a series win with South Africa [6.20] and the draw [3.00].

08.14 SA 109-8
Boucher, ever the competitor, refused to walk for a clear glove behind to Prior, therefore making England use the referral. After that, he wasn't around for long. England have used their review options much better in this Test than in the last one, although they missed out a few balls ago when Dale Steyn was leg before and they decided not to go upstairs.

WICKET 08.05 SA 108-8
M Boucher c Prior b Broad 29. England [1.01], the draw [50.00]

07.57 SA 96-7
Swann's dominance in this series has been something of a surprise. Yes, his record was good enough to suggest he would trouble the South Africa batsmen but few spinners have shone in the Rainbow Nation. With 13 wickets and two Tests to play, Swann only needs eight wickets to surpass the great Shane Warne, the only spinner to take 20 wickets in a series there in the last 20 years. Indeed, a select few have taken 13 wickets or more in a series. Warne, as well as the 20 he claimed in 2002, twice took 15 wickets, Anil Kumble took 18 in 1992, Muttiah Muralitharan 16 in 1998, Danish Kaneria 15 in 2007 and, er, Matthew Hart from New Zealand took 15 in 1994.

07.41 SA 87-7
Once again Graeme Swann strikes in his first over. It's uncanny how many times he does that. Morkel had nowhere to go and was just not at the races this morning. Two balls before Andrew Strauss put him down at slip. Four wickets then for Swann in this Test and 13 in the series.

WICKET 07.38 SA 86-7
M Morkel lbw b Swann 15. England [1.03], the draw [26.00].

07.30 SA 76-6
Welcome to the fifth day of a Test match which for four of them, looked to be heading for a draw. Then, in one crazy, whirlwind hour, everything changed. South Africa, gripped by blind panic, dithered and fumbled until someone found the red button and then then slammed it hard. England will win today. The hosts trail by 153 runs and only Morne Morkel and Mark Boucher stand in the way of England reaching the bowlers. England [1.07] and the draw [13.50].