Tea: Zimbabwe 68 (Jarvis 23, Morkel 5-21, Rabada 2-12, Phehlukwayo 2-12) and 36 for 0 (Ervine 13*, Chibhabha 6*) trail South Africa 309 for 9 dec by 205 runs
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Morne Morkel bagged his seventh five-wicket haul in Test cricket, and his first in five years, as South Africa bowled Zimbabwe out for 68 on the second day of the four-day, day-night Test in Port Elizabeth. It was Zimbabwe’s fifth-lowest total, and it fell short of the follow-on mark by 92 runs.
Their innings only lasted 30.1 overs, which meant they had to bat again, against a still fresh South African attack. They made a rather better start to their second innings, not losing a wicket in 13 overs before tea, though they didn’t get through that period entirely unscathed. In the fifth over, Morkel got one to bounce steeply at Hamilton Masakadza as he pressed forward to defend, and the ball dealt him a numbing blow to the right elbow. Masakadza retired hurt, leaving Chamu Chibhabha and Craig Ervine to steer Zimbabwe to tea with an unbroken partnership of 28.
South Africa had reduced Zimbabwe to 30 for 4 overnight, and if their fast bowlers had benefited from the effect of the pink ball’s behaviour under lights in the post-dinner session yesterday, it was back to clear skies and bright sunshine on day two. Yet the ball kept seaming – it was a testament to how South Africa’s fast bowlers were hitting the pitch harder, and more frequently landing the ball on the seam, than their Zimbabwean counterparts.
It only took 3.1 overs for South Africa to get their first wicket of the day, Morkel going round the wicket to the left-handed debutant Ryan Burl and getting one to nip back in to knock back his off stump. Burl, driving well in front of his body, left a big gap for the ball to sneak through. Four balls later, Morkel had completed his five-for in only his ninth over. This time Sikandar Raza jabbed a long way from his body without moving his feet, and nicked to AB de Villiers, who will keep wicket for the rest of this Test match with a hamstring injury having laid Quinton de Kock low.
The medium-fast Andile Phehlukwayo, jagging the ball this way and that, and the genuinely quick Kagiso Rabada shared the last four wickets between them. The pick of these was Rabada’s working-over of Graeme Cremer. Having gone wide of the crease and angled the previous two balls into the stumps, he delivered one from the same angle, only this time it straightened off the pitch. Forced to play at it, Zimbabwe’s captain nicked behind.
Source: ESPN Crickinfo