Duminy finds valuable form ahead of Tests

Somerset 312 for 8 dec (Trego 104, Tsotsobe 3-46) and 50 for 1 drew with South Africans 282 for 9 dec (Amla 64, Duminy 53, C Overton 3-59)
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Mark Boucher's enforced retirement was the main talking point of South Africa's first outing in England but their two-day tour match against Somerset provided some valuable practice as well. Half-centuries from Hashim Amla and JP Duminy on the second day and another workout for the bowlers ensured all 13 players named for this match had time in the middle.

AB de Villiers replaced Kallis at the start of the day, which was delayed by an hour due to rain, and looked threatening. He took advantage of any wayward deliveries and hit five boundaries before getting an inside edge against Peter Trego.

Compared to the rate at which Trego and James Hildreth scored on Monday, Amla and Duminy batted at a fairly sedate pace, especially in the early stages of Duminy's innings. He was presented with many deliveries wide of off stump and duly left them. His first shot in anger was a cut off the back foot that was parried over the cover boundary by the fielder. His second, a flick over midwicket off left-arm spinner Jack Leach, went for six and seemed to settle him.

Amla showed his usual patience against good lines and lengths from an improved Gemaal Hussain and a disciplined Craig Meschede. He was also accomplished against spin and played an important guiding role with Duminy, who has had problems against slow bowling in the past. Together, they added 53 before Amla was bowled by Leach the ball before lunch.

Duminy blossomed after the interval. He took on Leach, in particular, but lost partners at the other end. Craig Overton gave the South African lower order problems when he bowled Vernon Philander and had Dale Steyn caught behind off the next ball. His hat-trick ball was to Robin Peterson, who survived and went on to score a flawless 33.

Morne Morkel chipped in with a well-played 38 before being caught in the deep, by Craig Overton off his brother Jamie's bowling, but Imran Tahir lasted only three balls before being out lbw to George Dockrell. With Kallis not returning South Africa declared and their bowlers had a chance of another run.

Philander and Steyn opened with the same discipline they had in the first innings and Philander had an early success when he removed Arul Suppiah, who completed a pair, on the stroke of tea. South Africa did not use Morkel again with the ball, after he conceded more than six runs an over in the first innings, and opted for spin instead. Tahir and Peterson took them to close and Tahir grew in confidence, offering more flight and guile than he has done in the recent past. The teams shook hands ten minutes before the scheduled close with Alex Barrow and Nick Compton at the crease.