Captain Andrew Strauss defied a lively South African attack to steer England to 88 for one at stumps on the second day of the first Test Thursday. South Africa made 418 in its first innings and claimed an early wicket when Friedel de Wet had Alastair Cook caught behind for 15 but the host failed to make another breakthrough. Strauss reached the close on 44 not out with Jonathan Trott on 18 after South Africa's last five wickets had added 138 runs and England off-spinner Graeme Swann completed his third five-wicket haul in Tests. The host resumed in the morning on 262 for four and England removed Jacques Kallis for 120 and JP Duminy for 56, both caught in the slips by Paul Collingwood, to reduce South Africa to 330 for six at lunch. Graham Onions dropped Mark Boucher on 25 at fine leg off Stuart Broad and the wicketkeeper had moved on to 49 when he was caught at short-leg off Swann, one run short of his 30th test half-century. Morne Morkel used the umpire decision review system to overturn an lbw appeal by Swann but he edged Onions to wicketkeeper Matt Prior for 13. The obdurate Harris hung around stubbornly for two hours and collected four boundaries in his 38 while De Wet celebrated his debut by getting off the mark with a superb cover-drive for four off Swann. Onions eventually found a way through Harris' defences to bowl him via the inside edge and De Wet had reached 20 when Swann spun a delivery past his bat to trap him lbw and complete figures of five for 110. Onions was the most successful of the fast bowlers with three for 86. Cook was deceived by a De Wet delivery angled across him and edged a simple catch to Boucher but Strauss looked in good touch and struck six crisp fours. ‘Referrals will improve game' World cricket's leading administrator has said the controversial Umpire Review System will ultimately lead to better decision-making and may even improve the spirit in which the game is played. The system, which allows teams to challenge the on-field officials' decision by seeking to have it overturned by the third, television umpire, is designed to ensure obvious mistakes are corrected. But in the ongoing Australia-West Indies there have been a number of occasions where the system has appeared unable to provide sufficient certainty, with the third umpire sometimes over-ruling the men in the middle on the basis of questionable evidence. However, ICC president David Morgan said the sport could no longer ignore the march of broadcast technology.
