Jon Cardinelli reflects on the big moments that shaped day three of the Test at St George’s Park.
BATSMAN OF THE DAY
Dale Steyn deserves this accolade for the manner in which he dominated the opposition bowlers. That cameo of 58 off 28 balls included six fours and five sixes, and provided the South African innings with the impetus it desperately needed.
BOWLER OF THE DAY
Morné Morkel was the most consistent of the bowlers on show. Apart from being the quickest on the day, he was one of the most accurate, and received due reward in the form of Devon Smith and Deon Johnson’s wickets.
SHOT OF THE DAY
Dale Steyn was in a ‘swing and hope’ mood after lunch. That said, some of the shots he produced were right out of the top drawer. The best of the lot was the drive over extra cover for four. Steyn backed away to the leg side to give himself room, and then hit through the line of the delivery. Any top order batsman would’ve have been proud of the result.
DELIVERY OF THE DAY
Jerome Taylor conjured a magical ball to confound AB de Villiers. The South African supremo failed to get into a good position, and was beaten when the full length delivery moved away from him. The result was an uprooted off-stump as well as a massive breakthrough for the West Indies.
CALL OF THE DAY
Hashim Amla’s decision to declare just five overs after lunch. This call was made easier thanks to Dale Steyn’s quickfire 58.
FAIL OF THE DAY
The West Indies bowlers’ collective showing after lunch. The visitors were excellent in the morning, but proceeded to undo all this good work in the five-over period after lunch. They leaked 48 runs and allowed the Proteas to regain the initiative.
MILESTONE OF THE DAY
Dale Steyn reached his half century in just 26 balls, and in doing so broke the Test record for the fastest 50 at St George’s Park.
STAT OF CONCERN
While Dale Steyn was effective with the bat, he was less successful with the ball and finished day three with figures of 0-36. The Proteas will hope this is not a trend. While Steyn picked up six wickets in the second innings of the previous Test at Centurion, he went wicketless in the first.
ON DANGEROUS GROUND
Leg-spinner Imran Tahir was handed an official warning for running on the pitch. Should Tahir transgress on two further occasions, he will not be allowed to bowl for the rest of this innings, and the South Africa attack will lose an important weapon.
WEATHER WORRIES
More rain is forecast for Monday and Tuesday, which means we’re unlikely to get in the allotted overs on days four and five. South Africa will need to strike early on day four if they’re to remain in a position to win this Test.
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