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Tea England 183 for 4 (Pietersen 43*, Taylor 4*) trail South Africa 419 by 236 runs
Alastair Cook wasted a review when he was trapped lbw by Vernon Philander © Getty Images
Enlarge England still hold the No 1 Test ranking until and unless they lose this Test series, but the suspicion is growing that they will not hold it much longer. South Africa look purposeful; England slightly listless. Perhaps it is the draining feeling when a side knows that in the home conditions where it has normally been so dominant, it has finally met its match.
England reached tea on the third day 236 behind South Africa's 419 with six wickets left, having lost Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell on an afternoon session that finally gave way to prolonged sunshine. England made 103 in the session, a necessary rate if they were to get back into the match, but they also batted with a vulnerability rarely exhibited by South Africa.
Pietersen reached tea unbeaten on 43, a batsman who has stood down from one-day cricket because (however it is interpreted) he was playing more England cricket than he wished. If he proved to be England's saviour, administrators might be looking at shoelaces.
Strauss' laborious innings was ended with the fourth full over after lunch by Dale Steyn, who had repeatedly bowled too wide at him, but who finally found a more demanding line to force an outside edge, but Trott and Bell both departed to shots that they will regret.
Graeme Smith's catch at first slip, as Dale Steyn dismissed Trott for 35, came from a cross-batted carve at a length ball and worse was to when Bell, who had announced himself by lofting the legspinner Imran Tahir imperiously for a straight six, chased a curly outswinger from Jacques Kallis that swung wide and early.
It was an abysmal shot by Bell, one of the weakest of his 79-Test career, especially considering that his dismissal brought in James Taylor, on debut, only five minutes before tea. It did at least allow Taylor to make his first Test runs by the interval, an off drive against a long half-volley from Tahir that would have settled his nerves.
South Africa's bowling was patchy, but Morkel v Trott was an exercise in tomfoolery. Morkel habitually does a turn at the top of his run, whereupon he sets off with his back to the batsman. When he turned into his run, repeatedly Trott was not ready, but engrossed in some introverted pitch tapping, crease marking or mental ritual. Morkel occasionally turned more than once only to find that Trott was still in his own world, a world that involved facing a cricket ball after an outlandish length of time.
How much this was a deliberate attempt by either bowler or batsman to upset each other's rhythm, and how much it was merely a batsman and bowler out of synch, was hard to fathom. But Trott's ruminating, although strangely compelling.
This will never change unless the ICC introduces three lights - green, amber and red - on the crease, plus a countdown buzzer and he is automatically given out of the red light comes on. Then at least Morkel will not get so dizzy and a perfectly achievable rate of 15 overs an hour might occasionally met without the match dragging into overtime.
Alastair Cook was the one batsman to fall on the third morning as an engrossing passage of play was disrupted by yet another rain stoppage in one of the wettest English summers since records began.
It was fancy dress day at Headingley and, instead of the usual parade of Elvises, comedy Scousers and young men in drag, a frogman's suit would have been more appropriate as rain forced an early lunch after England had added 32 to their overnight score.
Cook fell lbw for 24, pushing forward to Vernon Philander, the sort of low-trajectory bowler with an ability to swing the ball at a good length who often succeeds at Headingley. He stayed around for an umpiring review, however, which predictably was entirely wasted when the ball was shown to be hitting middle, two thirds of the way up. There might have been a glimmer of hope that the ball was pitching outside leg but it was a wasted review.
Batting relationships, as well as the status of players within a side, can often be revealed by attitudes to reviewing decisions that even in real time seem to have a high probability of being out. Cook is not only one of the most valued wickets in the England side, which gives him a slightly greater claim to a review, he is also Strauss' heir apparent and the relationship between the two men is strong. It all tipped England into a review that Strauss must have agreed to against his better instincts.
Philander's contest with Cook was not the only intriguing aspect of the curtailed morning session. Strauss was tormented, as he has been so often by Morkel, who unlike Philander targeted the rib cage from around the wicket. Somehow Strauss survived without ever looking comfortable, collecting four leg byes off his shoulder as he sought to take evasive action.
Trott also had an nervous moment, on 5, when he edged Philander just short of Graeme Smith at first slip. But then Headingley caught one of the prolonged heavy showers that have been forecast and disconsolate spectators raised umbrellas or wandered behind the stands in desperate search of a TV to watch the London Olympics.
Alastair Cook wasted a review when he was trapped lbw by Vernon Philander © Getty Images
Enlarge England still hold the No 1 Test ranking until and unless they lose this Test series, but the suspicion is growing that they will not hold it much longer. South Africa look purposeful; England slightly listless. Perhaps it is the draining feeling when a side knows that in the home conditions where it has normally been so dominant, it has finally met its match.
England reached tea on the third day 236 behind South Africa's 419 with six wickets left, having lost Andrew Strauss, Jonathan Trott and Ian Bell on an afternoon session that finally gave way to prolonged sunshine. England made 103 in the session, a necessary rate if they were to get back into the match, but they also batted with a vulnerability rarely exhibited by South Africa.
Pietersen reached tea unbeaten on 43, a batsman who has stood down from one-day cricket because (however it is interpreted) he was playing more England cricket than he wished. If he proved to be England's saviour, administrators might be looking at shoelaces.
Strauss' laborious innings was ended with the fourth full over after lunch by Dale Steyn, who had repeatedly bowled too wide at him, but who finally found a more demanding line to force an outside edge, but Trott and Bell both departed to shots that they will regret.
Graeme Smith's catch at first slip, as Dale Steyn dismissed Trott for 35, came from a cross-batted carve at a length ball and worse was to when Bell, who had announced himself by lofting the legspinner Imran Tahir imperiously for a straight six, chased a curly outswinger from Jacques Kallis that swung wide and early.
It was an abysmal shot by Bell, one of the weakest of his 79-Test career, especially considering that his dismissal brought in James Taylor, on debut, only five minutes before tea. It did at least allow Taylor to make his first Test runs by the interval, an off drive against a long half-volley from Tahir that would have settled his nerves.
South Africa's bowling was patchy, but Morkel v Trott was an exercise in tomfoolery. Morkel habitually does a turn at the top of his run, whereupon he sets off with his back to the batsman. When he turned into his run, repeatedly Trott was not ready, but engrossed in some introverted pitch tapping, crease marking or mental ritual. Morkel occasionally turned more than once only to find that Trott was still in his own world, a world that involved facing a cricket ball after an outlandish length of time.
How much this was a deliberate attempt by either bowler or batsman to upset each other's rhythm, and how much it was merely a batsman and bowler out of synch, was hard to fathom. But Trott's ruminating, although strangely compelling.
This will never change unless the ICC introduces three lights - green, amber and red - on the crease, plus a countdown buzzer and he is automatically given out of the red light comes on. Then at least Morkel will not get so dizzy and a perfectly achievable rate of 15 overs an hour might occasionally met without the match dragging into overtime.
Alastair Cook was the one batsman to fall on the third morning as an engrossing passage of play was disrupted by yet another rain stoppage in one of the wettest English summers since records began.
It was fancy dress day at Headingley and, instead of the usual parade of Elvises, comedy Scousers and young men in drag, a frogman's suit would have been more appropriate as rain forced an early lunch after England had added 32 to their overnight score.
Cook fell lbw for 24, pushing forward to Vernon Philander, the sort of low-trajectory bowler with an ability to swing the ball at a good length who often succeeds at Headingley. He stayed around for an umpiring review, however, which predictably was entirely wasted when the ball was shown to be hitting middle, two thirds of the way up. There might have been a glimmer of hope that the ball was pitching outside leg but it was a wasted review.
Batting relationships, as well as the status of players within a side, can often be revealed by attitudes to reviewing decisions that even in real time seem to have a high probability of being out. Cook is not only one of the most valued wickets in the England side, which gives him a slightly greater claim to a review, he is also Strauss' heir apparent and the relationship between the two men is strong. It all tipped England into a review that Strauss must have agreed to against his better instincts.
Philander's contest with Cook was not the only intriguing aspect of the curtailed morning session. Strauss was tormented, as he has been so often by Morkel, who unlike Philander targeted the rib cage from around the wicket. Somehow Strauss survived without ever looking comfortable, collecting four leg byes off his shoulder as he sought to take evasive action.
Trott also had an nervous moment, on 5, when he edged Philander just short of Graeme Smith at first slip. But then Headingley caught one of the prolonged heavy showers that have been forecast and disconsolate spectators raised umbrellas or wandered behind the stands in desperate search of a TV to watch the London Olympics.