Live Test Match Blogging / Ed Hawkins / 02 August 2008 / 1

Wow! What a day! The third Test is beautifully balanced as it heads into a fourth day with both teams holding a great chance of winning. Talking you through the action and the betting fluctuations is Ed Hawkins. You can email Ed at hawkeyeview@hotmail.com

19.22 SA win by 5 wickets and win the series
Delight for SA, despair for England. With a game to spare the Proteas have their first series win in England since the 60s and England have now lost two of their last three home series. The dissection of England's performance begins now. They have fought bravely in this game but their first-innings flop has cost them. Paul Collingwood saved his bacon but Tim Ambrose's place must be under threat. Michael Vaughan's may be as well. Perhaps the selectors reckon the England captain's career has come full circle. He got the job as skipper after an awful England performance at Edgbaston in 2003, now he might lose it because of another below-par one.

19.02 243-5 Need 28 more runs to win
SA hit [1.01]. So close now to series glory. England are gone.

18.50 SA 239-5 Need 42 more runs to win
Last throw of the dice for England as Flintoff returns. If he fails to break this pairing England are broken themselves.

18.32 SA 221-5 Need 60 more runs to win
SA looking very cosy indeed. I think they will want to stay on and finish it tonight because England look beaten. Vaughan experimented with KP's bowling and gave away valuable runs.

18.09 SA 193-5 Need 88 more runs to win
"The one thing it's not going to be is a draw," says Sir Ian of Beef. Tremendous insight with SA needing under 100 for victory and England five wickets and a whole day still to go. This game could be done tonight. The scheduled finish is 18.30 but we could go on until the required number of overs per day have been bowled which would take us to 19.00. Then one of the sides could claim the extra half an hour if victory is in sight. SA [1.57] jollies.

17.54 SA 178-5 Need 103 more runs to win
Flintoff back on now. About time. He's had a rest for 45 minutes by my watch. That should mean he can fire at full pace. In other news England have asked for a different ball on the premise that is was out of shape. Don't believe a word of it. It wasn't swinging enough so they've pestered and pestered for a change and got their way. We saw a lot of this in the NZ series and usually a wicket was not far away. Smith has his century. Nasser Hussain has quite rightly said that until Smith is out, SA are not out of it.

17.40 SA 175-5 Need 106 more runs to win
England need quick wickets. So why is Flintoff not bowling? We know that Boucher has struggled to see the Flintoff Yorkers, like Kallis and McKenzie before him.

17.27 SA 171-5 Need 110 more runs to win
As soon as I pressed 'enter' on my last post, de Villiers edged Panesar to Collingwood at slip. England are favourites again at [1.88]. I don't agree with that. Smith is still there and Mark Boucher, an irritant to England in the past, joins him.

17.21 SA 170-4 Need 111 more runs to win
As well as the smell of danger, there are also the sounds. England must know they are in trouble because of the inane racket the Barmy Army are making. As soon as the action starts going the way of the opposition, the revellers lose interest and play with themselves, if you get my meaning. Smith needs only five for a century. As soon as SA get the runs required to double figures, expect to see England's heads drop as they come to terms with a home series defeat for the second time in two summers. Almost unheard of that.

16.50 SA 153-4 Need 128 more runs to win
Two match-turning incidents. Smith has survived twice. First, he was clearly out having almost punched the ball in the air into AMbrose's hands off Panesar. Next ball he swept out to deep midwicket where the ball fell inches from Strauss' grasp. South Africa win this game, and therefore the series, from here. They are [1.67]. The market has it spot on. And it's not often I say that.

16.38 SA 144-4 Need 137 more runs to win
Sniff, sniff. What's that smell? It's danger. Jeopardy in the air for England as Smith and De Villiers have put on more than 50 now. We were expecting a partnership but not one quite as assured as this. The main problem for England is that Smith is looking imperious, that scare against Panesar aside. Another is that England were reduced to 101 for four in the third innings but still made 314. South Africa were 93 for four. What's the difference? Well, nothing it seems. South Africa favourites at [1.74].

16.30 SA 138-4 Need 143 more runs to win
"I hope the umpires get a kick up the proverbial after this game, they've both had howlers," says Geordie Racer. "That could cost us the series. Even Graham Smith thought it was out!" Indeed Monty looked to have Smith leg before there. Hawkeye said it was hitting middle and off.

16.17 SA 131-4 Need 150 more runs to win
Bit of news just in. Surrey's Mark Ramprakash has his 100th hundred by reaching three figures in the Championship match against Yorkshire at Headingley. SA continue to build quite nicely. The experiment with Sidebottom looks to be over, though with Monty set to return to the attack.

16.05 SA 119-4 Need 162 more runs to win
We're back after the break. As I said before it expect Smith and AB de Villiers to punch on for a spell. Rather surprisingly Sidebottom has been given a go after lunch by Vaughan. Surely Panesar should have carried on? Sidebottom's pace has been down and he is running in as gingerly now as he was at Lord's in the second dig when it was revealed he had a back niggle. Oh well, what do I know?

15.45 SA 111-4 TEA
I fancy a bit of an SA partnership after tea. Even in tough batting conditions - which these probably aren't - there is always a stand. We can't expect wickets to fall with the regularity of the last four. Only 28 runs scored for SA.

15.26 SA 93-4 Need 188 more runs to win
England on the charge. Ashwell Prince gone now. Caught behind off Anderson. Justice because two balls ago Monty had him caught by Tim Ambrose from a glance off his glove. England as short as [1.4]. Tremendous stuff from England, if you'll excuse my glee. It's not patriotism by the way. It's punting.

15.19 SA 91-3 Need 190 more runs to win
Jacques Kallis was furious when given out. Not because he didn't think it was lbw but because he couldn't see the ball."I can't f****** it!" he screamed as the finger was raised. Thanks for that Jacques. SA complained on Wednesday about the ball coming from above the sightscreen when Flintoff was bowling from the Pavilion End. They wanted a sheet put above it. But the umpires can do nothing about it when the match has started because it is the same for both teams, aside from the fact that Flintoff is the only one who can exploit it. There is something SA can do, however. Order the out batsmen, physios, coaches and hangers on to go and sit in the stand behind that sightscreen. All dressed in white. Problem solved. And there's nothing in the rules to stop them.

15.10 SA 83-3 Need 198 more runs to win
The ball is reverse swinging for Flintoff. A real bonus for England that because they must break the Smith-Kallis axis quickly. These are the best two SA batsman and half an hour of the pair and...I'll stop that sentence and tell you that Kallis has gone. Amazing. He didn't pick the full ball from Fred as we warned earlier. It was a full toss in fact and hit him in the, er, unmentionables as he ducked right in front of the stumps. Leg before. England [1.88] favourites.

15.00 SA 78-2 Need 203 more runs to win
Monty has his man. Amla leg before to the arm ball. England were just beginning to look a little toothless but that wicket brings them back into the game. Here are the prices: England right into [2.66], SA [1.56]. Jacques Kallis the man in. He will be petrified of getting a yorker from Flintoff which he doesn't see.

14.36 SA 68-1 Need 213 more runs to win
McKenzie did not see it. He was cowering as if the ball was going to hit him and struck him on the toe bang in front. Forget the turn of Monty, England's greatest weapon could be yorkers from Flintoff coming from above the sightscreen at the Pavilion End. Amla in now. He will be tested with short stuff early on.

14.33 SA 65-1 Need 216 more runs to winFlintoff strikes! Neil McKenzie leg before. It's the yorker again. England [5.80] to [3.90].

14.22 SA 48-0 Need 233 more runs to win
Parallels with this Test and that epic battle between England and Australia at Edgbaston in 2005 are unavoidable. England could not afford to lose that match, either. Australia chased 282. SA are chasing 281. Andrew Flintoff was the key. He should be again. Interestingly Australia started as well as SA here. They were 48-0, too. The problem was they were soon 48-2 when Flintoff produced a memorable over to remove Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting. Similar in fact to the spell he bowled at Jacques Kallis on Wednesday night.

14.10 SA 40-0 Need 241 more runs to win
Turn, but more importantly, bounce for Panesar, which is a fillip for England. Expectancy is high for Panesar to bowl England to victory at Edgbaston because historically it spins there and this is the fourth innings. Turn is less crucial than bounce because it is far harder to play. Andrew Flintoff into the attack now from the other end. A lot rests with him for England.

14.00 SA 33-0
We can back England at [3.65]. Do so in relation to our earlier lay at [2.64]. A nice in and out trade for us all. Meanwhile Cherrene has asked: "Do you think that Collingwood should be brought back for the final Test on the strength of his recent and only successful innings of the series?" The short answer is: yes. The long answer is: it would take a hard and callous man to drop Collingwood after his century gave England a chance in this game. Not to mention stupid.

13.50 SA 17-0
We're back after lunch and keeping a beady eye on England's price. The longer the home side go without a wicket the bigger it should get. Not as obvious as it sounds, however, because they have the new ball and a failure to take a wicket in a 20-minute new ball spell is considerably more relevant than a 20-minute spell with say 30-over old ball. It is currently [2.66].

13.05 SA 11-0 LUNCH
A good burst by England that. Highlighted by the fact that the market did not budge. James Anderson bowled with pace and movement, passing the outside edge of Graeme Smith's bat twice. And there was some turn for Monty Panesar, too. My word this is going to be a tight match. SA need another 270.

12.48 SA 3-0
SA are off and running. Not much swing for England at the moment. There are 76 overs left today and that means we should have a finish by this evening. You can back the day four evening session on the Test Match End market at [3.3]. That's a pretty good bet.

12.35 England 363 SA need 281 to win Test and the series
A disappointing end to the England innings. Collingwood nicked one behind which meant he didn't have the chance to score quick runs. It has to be said that having been so close to a lead of 300 just a few wickets ago, England have come up a little short. That is shown on the market with SA [1.71] and England [2.48]. Still, a target of 281 is a tough, tough ask on any surface batting fourth in Tests. Remember how we were talking about the draw price coming right out again to around the 30s when England were bowled out? Well, we were wrong. It is twice that. A tremendous lay and back situation. You're welcome.

12.30 England 363-9
James Anderson did not last long. Out for three. SA now jollies at as skinny as [1.88]. Collingwood should throw the bat now. I reckon he should be wroth 20 runs hitting out before he chances his arm once too often.

12.20 England 363-8
SIdebottom has been removed for a priceless 22. A ball from Morkel got big on him - like his hair - and he gloved a catch to short leg. SA briefly returned to favourite status as Sidebottom was walking back to the pavilion. England leady by 280. Their next target is a lead of 300 - psychologically a blow for the visitors.

12.10 England 343-7
Controversy here. AB de Villiers has claimed a catch off Ryan Sidebottom at slip but the umpires have gone up stairs and ruled it bounced before going into the hands. It was similar to the Andrew Strauss 'catch' in the first-innings. It was probably out but as soon as the decision goes for a referral the batsman is safe. De Villiers is shaking his head. And that doesn't make any sense. If it wasn't for him we wouldn't have this nonsense of batsmen not taking the fielders' word in this series. Remember when he tried to claim a catch at Headingley when he quite obviously grassed it?

12.00 England 339-7
High noon. For the first time since Alastair Cook and Andrew Strauss's decent opening stand in the first innings, England are favourites to win the match. England [2.08], South Africa [2.10].

11.58 England 338-7
The draw price is on the move. Shortening all the time. After Ambrose was out it hit the 30s but now it is as skinny as [16.50] to lay. The only way this Test can be a draw is if we lose a whole day to rain. And that isn't going to happen. The forecast is for a few showers today and sun tomorrow. As soon as South Africa are batting the price will be in the hgih 30s again. So you could quite comfortably lay at the current price and then pop back for a few quid in couple of hours.

11.44 England 326-7
"Get in Colly. He did it for England, he did it for North East cricket, but most importantly he did it for the bottom hand brigade. Three cheers for the leg side!" That's Geordie Racer, who appears to be trying to get a job as Colly's PR, on his century. Consecutive fours for the great man has pushed England's lead up to 243.

11.33 England 316-7
England lead by 233. Statistically that is enough. No side has chased more than 211 batting fourth at Edgbaston. And the average all-out total is 196. That is not to say England are a bad lay. This game will surely continue to ebb and flow as will the odds.What is key is the weather. If the sun is out batting should be easy. If not, it will swing. That is the one thing we can be definite about as far as conditions go.

11.18 England 304-7
You can lay England at [2.64]. We'll have a bit of that because, as I said earlier, I don't fancy many runs for them this morning. Besides, in such a tight game as this there will be plenty of price fluctuations to allow us to trade out. England lead by 221 runs.

11.04 England 299-7
It hasn't taken long for SA to make the new ball work. Tim Ambrose bowled all ends up by Morne Morkel. Shame really because it didn't give us enough time to lay a bonkers price of [2.10] of 400 runs or more for England.I don't give England much hope of getting another 20 or 30 runs this morning.

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1. Cherrene | 02 August 2008

   Do you think that Collingwood should be brought back for the final test on the strength of his recent and only successful innings of the series?

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