Day5: Kirsten sets a few records as South Africa and England draw
Durban - Having sorted out the tricky process of eliminating the "Y2K batting bugs" from his technique to the satisfaction of the national selectors, Gary Kirsten felt its was time to make a lasting statement for left-handed batsmen at Kingsmead yesterday.
In the process he became the third left-hander to score a double century in Tests at Kingsmead, the joint-South African record-holder with Daryll Cullinan on 275 and boosted his batting average as well.
It was the sort of endurance test which made his innings of 872 minutes the second longest in Test history. Although England's captain, Nasser Hussain, used nine bowlers, including himself, Kirsten's study in concentration and
hard work was rewarded when he rewrote several records in a South Africa second innings total of 572 for seven wickets.
While Cullinan expressed some disappointment that the record he had set in Auckland on the Eden Park "gluepot" in February this year had not fallen to his teammate, Mark Butcher, an occasional bowler, could not believe his good
fortune - or Kirsten his misfortune - when he bowled him around his legs after facing 641 balls.
Later the two had their picture taken on a sun-drenched field, shook hands, smiled and joked about the events of what had been, until the third new ball was roughed up, a tense affair.
Yet having played a major role in rescuing South Africa from possible defeat in this third Test of this Millennium Series, Kirsten will no doubt reflect on how his durability, under pressure, saved his side as well as his place in the Test side.
Just the sort of special role for a man who knows what it means to have to go through periods of worrying from where the next run is coming. When you reflect on the final outcome and the ensuring records, the precarious
position at the start of day is often glossed over. It was far from comfortable with Hansie and the Boys were only 41 runs ahead and much rested on Kirsten and Mark Boucher to at least try and present a brave front and try and set England some sort of target.
As the partnership gathered in character and courage and luck favoured the impudent style of batting Boucher occasionally indulges, confidence began to flow as the milestones were picked off and records knocked over.
Questions were also asked. How often did night watchmen score Test centuries? Was it possible what happened in Harare, where Boucher scored his second, was likely to happen again? It was all a matter of watch this space.
For England it was three days in the field, two of them a matter of hard labour after forcing South Africa to follow-on Tuesday afternoon. Members of the local branch of the Flat Earth Society speculated whether to hold their next annual meeting on the same soulless strip of turf. Kirsten's innings was marked down as the second longest in Test history.
Hussain admitted as much. He had to give his bowlers a chance. Dropped catches did not help their cause. Three went down on day four and a couple of critical ones on Thursday.
Boucher was on 66 and the score 369, only 159 ahead when Darren Maddy put down the sort of regulation caught and bowled chance that he went down on his haunches.
It may have been the turning point of the innings. Certainly not an offer Team England could have afforded to drop.
After that we had the almost incongruous sight of Kirsten racing for his second Test double century as Boucher kept pace for his third. At one stage even a spread bet on who would reach their landmark first would have created a touch of photo finish.
In the end Kirsten reached the 200 first when he steered Adams to third man with the first ball of the over, jogging through for a single and congratulations from all; Boucher played a similar wristy steer in the same third man direction.
When they were parted their 192 partnership for the fifth wicket had eclipsed the 184 set by Jonty Rhodes and Hansie Cronje at Lord's last year against England. Considering its worth yesterday, it was a match-saving effort.
There had been plenty of needle, too, with Darren Gough and Andrew Caddick firing them in, Boucher collecting a couple and Kirsten forced to do a bit of ballet which his brother, Peter, would have admired.
Kirsten joined Englishman Eddie Paynter, Graeme Pollock and Bill Edrich to score double centuries at Kingsmead with Paynter and Pollock left-handers. His 275 also makes him the highest run-scorer at Test level.
The other record Kirsten added to his list was the time spent at the crease: 872 minutes second only to Pakistan's Hanif Mohammad, whose 331 in the Bridgetown Test against West Indies in 970 minutes in 1957/58 being the
longest.
Not surprisingly, the South Africa selectors retained the same 12 for the New Year Test in Cape Town. How different it might have been had Kirsten failed and South Africa lost.