The second Test has controversially been taken out of England's reach. By the close yesterday, Jacques Kallis, painfully and contentiously, and the irritatingly spry Jonty Rhodes had hauled South Africa to a position where, at 189 for four and with a lead of 266, Hansie Cronje will be considering a declaration some time this morning.
England had South Africa at 98 for four, and it should have been better. Kallis, who finished the day on 74, should have been out for 12.
It was an incident that soured the day. Pushing forward to Phil Tufnell at 49 for two, Kallis edged fast and low towards the ankle of the close-in gully fielder Chris Adams, who, responding with a tremendous reflex, took a wonderful left-handed catch close to the ground.
While the England players celebrated, Kallis stood his ground, and after perhaps two minutes viewing the available replays, the third umpire Dave Orchard was unable to confirm the catch and the batsman was able to continue. A subsequent replay shown by Sky clearly showed the catch to be clean.
The incident was inflamed further by the lack of adequate technology, which meant that the third umpire was able to see the South African television shots, but neither the Sky footage nor the dedicated square-on line decision cameras.
Later, the match referee Barry Jarman confirmed that the evidence available to Orchard was inconclusive. "But," he added, "it would be a marvellous thing if all the technology on the ground was available to the third umpire."
Kallis so far has played as ponderously for his unbeaten 74 as he did for his one in the first innings, batting for more than five and a half hours and sharing an unbroken fifth-wicket stand of 90 with Rhodes (35 not out).
In a perverse way, his sluggardly play has helped England's cause, whereas an hour of Lance Klusener could have nailed them to the floor.
However, time at the crease is important for a batsman out of form (how much has Kallis's knee injury restricted not just his bowling but his movement while batting?) and this could be the start of a resurgence at the right time. If he starts to get his timing and footwork right this morning, when South Africa will be pursuing a total they can declare at, England will have reason to feel even more aggrieved.
Cronje's puritan nature will preclude him being over generous (international captains rarely declare on anything other than their own terms in any case) and he is aware of the explosive potential lurking in the England middle order - Nasser Hussain, Alec Stewart, Adams and Andrew Flintoff - but he will be mindful as well surely that, at the Wanderers four years ago, sentiment mixed with arrogance on his part allowed Brian McMillan to complete a century, and England, miraculously were able to bat out time.
The general feeling, however, is that whatever target he decides to set, his lead ought already to be sufficient on a pitch that, when it comes to the final day (and in recent times we have not seen many England games go to a fifth day) promises to exhibit increasingly erratic bounce for the pace men, and the faster and straighter the bowler, the greater the variation.
In such circumstances, the main danger could come not from the feared Allan Donald nor Shaun Pollock, but the young peroxide-haired debutant, Nantie Hayward.
In the first innings, umpire Rudi Koertzen cost England dear by turning down a catch at the wicket when Mark Boucher had scored only 11, Klusener 82 and the score was 294 for seven. Trent Bridge and the name Javed Akhtar still cause South Africans to foam at the mouth, but Koertzen is paying back the debt.
