England staring Test victory in face

A YEAR on since their last Test win abroad, England's cricketers look likely to repeat the feat against South Africa in Durban. Providing the fickle weather does not intervene, they have two days in which to win this third Test and level the five-match series.

South Africa are 22-0 after their second innings was curtailed by bad light and rain.

The slow foxtrot of the first two days was followed yesterday by the quickstep of Andy Caddick's seven wickets for 46 runs. The haul was a career best return for the 31-year-old fast bowler, and it forced South Africa, dismissed for a paltry 156, to follow on. They had not done that since the 1966-67 season, a gap of 74 Tests.

Caddick, using his considerable height to great effect, took wickets in his third, fourth and fifth overs, to remove South Africa's top three batsmen. All were caught behind by wicket-keeper Alec Stewart. Later, Caddick's twelfth over produced three wickets in five balls, although a late rally by Shaun Pollock, with 64, lessened South Africa's eventual deficit.

Afterwards, Caddick said: "I thought I bowled well, but I felt I did that in the last Test as well without having the wickets to show for it. It seems that some days batsmen edge them and some days they don't."

Regarded in the past as a misfit, Caddick has only recently been taken into English hearts. If England win, he may have the freedom of their houses as well.

Match report, page 20