Innings break South Africa 361 (Bavuma 59, Elgar 54, Philander 52, de Kock 51, Moeen 4-59) trail England 458 by 97 runs
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De Kock wicket keeps England in control
England worked their way methodically through the lower order to claim a significant 97-run lead in the first Test, although South Africa were grateful to contrasting half-centuries from Quinton de Kock and Vernon Philander for bringing the deficit down into double-figures.
De Kock repelled England’s initial advances with a 36-ball fifty before a battling knock from Philander prevented South Africa’s first innings from being completely subsumed. Moeen Ali finished with a four-wicket haul and Liam Dawson enjoyed two maiden successes in a home Test to help finish off South Africa around 45 minutes into the afternoon session.
Temba Bavuma also notched a half-century during the opening exchanges, having been 48 not out overnight, but of the four South Africa batsman to reach 50, including captain Dean Elgar on the second day, none managed more than 59.
Philander was struck several times, notably on the bowling hand by James Anderson, but he replied with a few hefty blows off the bat to reach his fifty in the company of No. 11 Morne Morkel. Despite being in discomfort, he helped add 47 for the last two wickets after de Kock was dismissed shortly before lunch. De Kock had dominated the scoring during a rapid eighth-wicket stand of 66 with Philander but Anderson finally struck with the second new ball to tighten England’s grip.
Bavuma and South Africa’s nightwatchman, Kagiso Rabada, held up England for the first 40 minutes of the morning session before Joe Root’s decision to turn to spin brought breakthroughs in consecutive overs, bringing de Kock and Philander together with South Africa on 248 for 7.
De Kock arrived low in the order, at No. 8, but not low on confidence. Stuart Broad was twice taken for three fours in an over as de Kock, who scored his maiden Test hundred against England last year, set about matching the grand surroundings of Lord’s with an innings of equivalent pomp. Philander, meanwhile, dealt bravely with some variable bounce against Anderson from the Pavilion End.
Although Broad found shape to beat de Kock’s outside edge in his first over with the second new ball, he was soon sent on to the back foot: Broad’s next three deliveries were dispatched to the rope – clipped off the legs, cut and then driven square. The final over of Broad’s spell saw him receive similar treatment, with the last of de Kock’s three fours in five balls a magisterial, rubber-wristed drive through midwicket.
Moeen then replaced Broad from the Nursery End but de Kock got stuck into him, too, twice skipping out to loft the spinner over mid-on to go to his half-century – the second-fastest in Lord’s Tests. With the adrenalin still pumping, however, he threw his hands at a drive to his next delivery, from Anderson, and was scooped up by the diving Stokes at point.
Anderson had bowled almost exclusively to Philander to that point, though his only successes were counted in marks left on his opponent. One kept low, while another hit a crack and jacknifed away from the right-hander – worrying signs, perhaps, for the team batting last. Philander had just been beaten by a similar delivery when, next ball, he was rapped on the bottom hand by one that came back and jumped venomously off a length. Philander grimaced, received some treatment and got back to the job.
He got away with a top-edged hook on 34, off Mark Wood, which evaded the leaping Jonny Bairstow but then crunched same bowler through the covers in the following over to move to the brink of his fifty. By that point, Philander had already lost Keshav Maharaj, DRS giving Dawson a second wicket as the No. 10 was shown to have been struck pad first coming down the pitch.
Resuming on 214 for 5, still 244 runs in arrears, South Africa would have invested most of their hopes in Bavuma, who had played immaculately on the previous evening. He waited patiently for his opportunity to convert a seventh Test fifty – a beautiful cover drive off Stokes in the sixth over of the day took him there – but was unable to go on to a more significant score.
Rabada, having received a ban the previous evening for using some fresh language after dismissing Stokes on day one, struck three boundaries – as well as being denied another by the boot of umpire Paul Reiffel – and showed a good eye but eventually nicked Dawson into Bairstow’s gloves. That ended a stand of 41 and England made an even bigger breakthrough when Moeen had Bavuma taken at slip, playing back as a delightfully flighted ball drifted away and then spun in to clip the outside edge.
Root persisted with his spinners and the old ball for a couple more overs, before turning to his senior bowlers. De Kock’s Broad-side brought the deficit below 150 but Anderson has his new-ball partner’s back.
Alan Gardner is an associate editor at ESPNcricinfo. @alanroderick
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo