CRICKET:THERE WERE no dramatics at Lord's yesterday, no sudden hat-trick-induced collapses or last-ditch collywobbles, and no uncertain trickery from a pitch in its death throes. Instead, the first Test came quietly to a close at 4.50pm when the captains agreed on the draw that had seemed likely since Graeme Smith and Neil McKenzie blunted England with their opening stand on Sunday.
By the end, with South Africa 393 for three, Hashim Amla had added his name to the list of centurions in this match with an unbeaten 104, having survived with considerable aplomb England's attempt at Bodyline (or Beardyline) on the way.
McKenzie's marathon had come to a tired halt at 138 after more than nine hours' devotion to the cause.
Only Jacques Kallis failed, yorked for 13, out of the blue, by Ryan Sidebottom, but that just seems to make it more likely he will make the bowlers pay over the next three matches.
The teams, particularly the England bowlers, now have all of three days to recuperate and shrug off aches and pains, which include Sidebottom's stiff back and the left ankle that Stuart Broad jarred in the bowlers' footholds in the final session.
It is a madcap cricket world these days.
South Africa have not emerged unscathed, however, for McKenzie strained a groin during his innings, which required the use of a runner at the end, while their bowlers, so far off the pace during England's solitary innings, will have no match practice in which to make amends by locating lengths and lines appropriate for Test cricket in England.
Quite how England intend to staff their 11 for the second Test remains a matter of conjecture, despite the return of Andrew Flintoff.
The retention of Tim Ambrose means the dropping of a batsman, with Paul Collingwood the one likely to make way for Flintoff, weakens the potential batting horribly despite the Durham man's run of bad form.
If the match was dull in its second half, then it was fiercely fought in a creditable spirit with achievement duly recognised by opponents.
But the ending was a mess, an unfortunate mixture of artifice and cock-up.
In the knowledge that games going nowhere can end at the start of the last hour, which is to say 5pm, the umpires contrived to manufacture bad light at 4.40pm, a nice wheeze that brought derision from the crowd and was spoiled only by the inconvenience of the sun coming out: the umpires were forced to call the players back for a further two overs.
At this stage, the clock having moved on to 4.50pm, the teams once again shook hands and the stumps came up.
"We had a gentlemen's agreement," said Smith by way of explanation, which means his side had not declared, the only way, given the 10 minutes between innings, that play could end earlier.
Had he done so of course, England, gentlemen or not, could have opted to chase the tantalising target of 48 to win in 19 overs. If that was the case, and England didn't then bat, could the ICC, in their wisdom, deem England to have refused to play and forfeit the match? And then call it a draw in a year's time?
As he obviously didn't declare, by what playing condition were the sides able to come to a bilateral agreement to up-sticks and go? And if they could, why didn't they do it yesterday and save everyone the trouble?
Guardian Service
At Lord's
Overnight: England 593-8 dec(I Bell 199, K Pietersen 152, S Broad 76, A Cook 60; M Morkel 4-121) South Africa 247 (A Prince 101; M Panesar 4-74) and 242-1 (G Smith 107, N McKenzie 102 no).
South Africa - Second Innings
N McKenzie c Ambrose b Anderson 138
H Amla not out 104
J Kallis b Sidebottom 13
A Prince not out 9
Extras (b8 lb8 w5 nb1) 22
Total (3 wkts, 167 overs) 393
Fall of wickets: 1-204, 2-329, 3-357.
Did Not Bat: AB de Villiers, M Boucher, M Morkel, P Harris, D Steyn, M Ntini.
Bowling: Panesar 60-15-116-0, Pietersen 7-1-21-0, Sidebottom 30-9-46-1, Anderson 32-7-78-2, Broad 26-7-78-0, Collingwood 11-4-37-0, Cook 1-0-1-0.
England drew with South Africa.
