Harris puts England in trouble

14:45, Dec 18 2009

England faltered principally against Paul Harris as they reached 238 for seven at tea on an increasingly unpredictable pitch. Variable - mostly treacherously low - bounce seemed to be the main hazard on day three of the first Test at Centurion, as England replied to South Africa's 418. Yet in conditions which played to the obvious strengths of pace and seam, left-arm spinner Harris (four for 90) took the wickets shared between a solitary frontline slow bowler on either side to nine. Paul Collingwood (50), Andrew Strauss (46) and Kevin Pietersen (40) each hinted in turn at permanence. But it was hard work for all, on another searingly hot day, and the batsmen's efforts were always likely to be undermined by a tricky surface. The tourists knew they were in for an unequal battle after Strauss' ominous early departure to an unstoppable shooter from Makhaya Ntini. Story continues ADVERTISEMENT Jonathan Trott was content with survival, and when he finally tried to attack against Harris he paid with his wicket - down the pitch but missing a ball which just went on with the angle to hit leg stump. Pietersen was first to go in the afternoon - trying to smear an off-side drive off Morne Morkel but instead edging on to off-stump via a crooked bat. England's extra batsman Ian Bell, controversially selected at the expense of a fifth specialist bowler, could muster only five runs before his off and middle stump were disturbed as he embarrassingly offered no shot to Harris. Paul Collingwood continued to battle away but he lost another partner when wicketkeeper Matt Prior top-edged an attempted sweep shot off Harris and Friedel de Wet took the catch. Collingwood went on to reach his half-century but was unable to go on as Harris found his outside edge with a delivery which gripped on the surface.

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