DURBAN, South Africa (Reuters) – Ian Bell scored the most significant century of his Test career yesterday as England took a stranglehold on the second Test against South Africa.
Bell, whose place was in jeopardy after failing to reach three figures in 19 matches and 17 months, stroked 141 in England’s 575 for nine declared in their second innings.
South Africa then slumped to 76 for six and go into the final day still 156 runs in arrears.
“It was definitely a career-saving century. I knew I was under the pump and I needed an innings to save my place after not scoring a hundred this year,” Bell told reporters.
“I felt fluent and it was nice to take my form from the nets out into the middle.”
At the other end of the emotional spectrum, South Africa strike bowler Dale Steyn said yesterday was the worst day of his career.
“It was the worst day of my cricket career, that’s the brutal, honest truth. We’re in a deep hole, we’ve got ourselves into this predicament, but cricket is a very funny game, we’ll wait to see what tomorrow brings,” he said.
“We’ll have to see if we can stick it out and try and get out of the mess we’re in.
Such a massive lead allows you to bowl at the stumps and be more attacking. It allowed England to bowl a lot straighter and fuller whereas for us it was more a case of trying to dry up the runs because if you attack the stumps and the ball doesn’t swing or shape nicely, then you’re going to end up chasing leather.”
PRAISE FOR BROAD
Bell, 27, was chiefly responsible for England’s daunting lead after batting for five hours, facing 227 balls and hitting 10 fours and a six.
“We’ll be all ready and raring to go from ball one tomorrow. But it’s not the type of pitch where you can chase it, we have to put the ball in the right place and not make things too complicated,” he said.
“As long as the weather holds, we’ll just need to be patient and you can guarantee South Africa will come back hard at us, you always expect that.”
Bell praised England pace bowler Stuart Broad, who took three wickets in 14 balls including the prized wicket of Jacques Kallis (3).
Broad was struck for six consecutive sixes by India’s Yuvraj Singh in his last match at Kingsmead at the 2007 Twenty20 World Cup.
“We actually joked about the six sixes before the game and that sort of thing doesn’t faze him at all. Stuart will run in for England all day, he’s just got that sort of character,” Bell said.
With his height and the length he bowls, he’s tricky for any batsman, a bit like Glenn McGrath. The top of off stump is the hardest place for a batsman to be asked questions.”
