Harry live from Joburg Pt3

Last updated: 16th January 2010

After a promising start to the days play in the cricket, where I had the pleasure of watching our boys take two early wickets, the England team struggled and now have an almost impossible task in trying to save the fourth Test match and win the series.

The situation was eerily similar and little better at the golf where at various points early in the third round two Englishmen (David Lynn and Danny Willet) held the lead but by the end of play there was only the Sheffield Whizz Kid left in the top eight.

In fact 35 Englishmen started the Joburg Open but that number was whittled down to 14 at the halfway stage and on moving day most of them moved backwards.

They are Danny Willet (-11), Paul Broadhurst (-10), John Parry (-8), David Lynn (-8), Jamie Elson (-7), Robert Dinwiddie (-6), Gary Lockerbie (-6), Neil Cheetam (-5), Robert Rock (-4), Dave Horsey (-3), Andrew Marshall (-3), Barry Lane (-2), Sam Hutsby (-1) and Simon Khan (Par).

Only Willett, Broadhurst, Rock and Elson managed to shoot under par in the third round.

The happiest amongst the English contingent might be young Dave Horsey, who made the first hole in one of his professional career (he has seven in his lifetime) by sinking a 6 iron from 190 yards on the Par 3 12th hole.

He won a two-night stay in a suite at The Legacy Hotel and Resort. It is one of Joburg's top hotels but he was more than a tad uncertain as to when he might have a dozen friends around to fill the room. I offered to take it off his hands but he politely declined.

Charl Schwartzel took firm control of the tournament with faultless seven under par 63 to finish on 18 under par and give himself a four shot lead over Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke.

Charl has held the third round lead four times in his career and converted twice. At the South African Tour Championship in 2006 he led by three and went on to win. He led the 2006 Dunhill Championship by two strokes but finished second. In 2008 he led the Madrid Masters by a stroke and finished top.

The last time he held the lead going into the final round was in this tournament last year. He was in three way tie with Andrew McLardy and David Drysdale but could only finish fourth.

Sunday is a very big day for Charl. If he wins he will climb to number 42 in the world rankings and secure his place at this year's Masters and at the same time pretty much sew up the 2010 Sunshine Tour Order of Merit.

Sky Bet make Charl a 1/6 shot to win the golf and South Africa 1/8 to win the Test match. The double can be backed at a more promising 31/100.

I'm beginning to think about it but with rain forecast at the cricket and Charl playing with the super accurate Clarke who hit all 14 fairways in regulation in round three it may not quite be the shoe-in it looks.

In order to avoid the thunderstorms forecast for Sunday afternoon play will begin early with a two tee start at 7am. The leaders are due off at 9am local time.

So if you want to watch all the action in the UK you had better set an early alarm as we are two hours ahead in South Africa.

Let's hope Sunday 17th January 2010 is a brighter day for Englishmen in South Africa!