First it was 9.45am. Then 10.20am. Then 10.25am. Then 11am. The advertised start of the last day’s play in the second Test between South Africa and Australia at St George’s Park on Thursday kept being revised. The moment finally stopped slip sliding away at noon.
The rain that had taken more than three-quarters of the overs out of the first two days returned with a cruel vengeance on Thursday. The covers were dragged on and off umpteen times. At first because of the merest of drizzles, later for proper rain that the whipping westerly brought almost horizontally.
You could feel the frustration rise in South Africa’s ranks. Having been bossed in the first Test at Kingsmead, where Australia won by 214 runs last Tuesday, they had hewn a path towards victory in Gqeberha despite the weather and the fact that they were 97/5 at stumps on the second day. And now this. More rain, which was a relief for the drought-stricken Eastern Cape; less so for cricketminded Eastern Capers.
Conversely you could tension ease in Australia’s dressing room with each announced delay. South Africa needed six more wickets to win. The Australians needed 170 more runs to make the home side bat again. That would be the same bunch of Aussies who were bowled out for 99 on Wednesday, when 13 of their wickets crashed.
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