'It's all good clean fun'

It was a frustrating day for South Africa's cricketers, as they watched their prospects of a series-levelling victory recede with every passing over, but for Andre Nel, there was at least a silver lining. In his first Test since sustaining a severe injury to his lower back five months ago, Nel bustled in to record career-best figures of 6 for 81, and afterwards revealed his full character to the assembled press corps.

"You guys don't like me very much," claimed Nel. "But I play with heart and passion, and if people don't like my aggression, then so be it." His first eyebrow-raising act of the Test had been to rugby-tackle Matthew Hoggard during a warm-up on the rain-abandoned first day, but it was during a feisty tussle with Ashley Giles that Nel really got his blood up.

"It was all good, clean fun," said Nel, who attracted the attention of umpire Bucknor as he backed up his actions with words. "I bowled a terrible bouncer to Giles, who told me `I wasn't so mean now!'. But I replied: `Nice one big-mouth, we're on a flat wicket now, wait til I catch up with you in England next summer ...' It's aggressive, but fun. I'm allowed to say a few things, as long as I don't swear."

Although Nel conceded that the prospects of that series-leveller were bleak, he refused to abandon hope entirely. "There's still a small chance," he said. "England bowled us out in three sessions at the Wanderers, so you never know what can happen. I know its not the same wicket, but we still believe that if we can go out tomorrow, get quick runs and a lead of 200, there's a small glimmer of hope."

Although there is something of the pantomine villain about Nel's approach to the game - and he admitted that the chorus of good-natured boos he received from the Barmy Army had fired him up - there is a serious side to his game as well. And that had to surface when he suffered his back injury last year.

"It was disappointing, but everything happens for a reason," said Nel. "In that time, I've grown as a person and become more dedicated in life, and I've got smarter and wiser as a cricketer. I've learnt to control my aggression, which is a big step for me because I used to get carried away sometimes. Today was not the quickest wicket, so it was important to be patient and stick to our plans.

There was, however, still room for the spectacular in his performance, and the ball that dismissed Graham Thorpe - a searing leg-stump yorker - would have dismissed any batsman in the world. "That worked out nicely," he said afterwards, "I must confess, that's the best ball I've ever bowled in Tests."