Report and reaction
Close of play
22nd over: South Africa 75-1 (Elgar 38, Amla 23) Liam Dawson bowls the last over. Nothing happens, and South Africa finish the day with a huge lead of 205. They have been quietly brilliant in this match: all skills, no frills, as nobody once said. England started the day well but fell off a cliff from the moment Joe Root was dismissed by the admirable Morne Morkel. By the end, they looked a beaten team. Three points for self-awareness, I suppose, because there is surely no way out of this predicament. We’ve got a belting series on our hands now! Thanks for your company today, see you in the morning.
21st over: South Africa 75-1 (Elgar 38, Amla 23) Elgar hops away in pain after being hit on the left forearm by a nasty Stokes lifter. This pitch will not be much fun in the fourth innings. Elgar gets a spray from the physio and plays out the remainder of Stokes’s over with as little contact between bat and ball as possible.
“Mac Millings must be very confident,” says Felix Wood, “that Viv Richards doesn’t read the OBO.”
I’ve known less safe bets in my time.
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20th over: South Africa 75-1 (Elgar 38, Amla 25) “If England don’t know why they are losing, it’s because there was a complete overreaction to South Africa’s performance at Lord’s,” says Altus Momberg. “They are generally slow starters to a series (remember day one at the Oval in 2012) and their record since 2006 should have awarded them the benefit of doubt.”
You’re right. I was guilty of that over-reaction too; I thought that if England started well in this game they would possibly win all seven Tests this summer. It’s nice to be wrong, because this has been an excellent match and South Africa’s win will set up humdingers at the Oval and Old Trafford.
19th over: South Africa 75-1 (Elgar 38, Amla 25) Root is back, and Stokes is into the attack. The day started with his trousers falling down and, well, you can do the rest. Amla survives a big LBW appeal, and England eventually decide not to go upstairs. It was the kind of appeal on which you risk your first review but not your second. Hawkeye showed it was Umpire’s Call on the point of contact with leg stump, so England did the right thing. Nothing ventured, nothing lost.
“For a long while, it was the most intimidating 20 seconds in cricket,” says Mac Millings. “But towards the end of his career - and long before his doctors - I had diagnosed Viv Richards’s haemorrhoids simply from his walk to the wicket.”
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18th over: South Africa 73-1 (Elgar 37, Amla 23) Joe Root has left the field, possibly to check the returns policy on the England captaincy. Amla drives Moeen lazily down the ground for four and then hoicks a full toss to the boundary. When he took over, Root said he wanted England to fight harder in adversity. They haven’t done that today.
“On the subject of Viv,” says Adam Roberts, “a compilation of his walks to the wicket, esp in the Windies and super esp in Antigua would be wonderful viewing.”
Sentiment seconded.
17th over: South Africa 63-1 (Elgar 36, Amla 14) Amla survives an LBW appeal after walking across his stumps to Broad. It was going down. Broad’s mood is going in a similar direction, even more so when Elgar times him down the ground for four.
16th over: South Africa 58-1 (Elgar 32, Amla 14) Moeen replaces Wood. Elgar drives loosely, not far wide of the diving Cook at short extra cover and away for four. South Africa lead by 188. England need snookers.
15th over: South Africa 53-1 (Elgar 28, Amla 13) That’s loose from Broad, a leg-stump freebie that Elgar puts away to the midwicket boundary. A thick edge later in the over scuttles through the slips for four more. England have the confused, affronted look of a team who know they are beaten, but don’t understand how or why it has happened.
14th over: South Africa 45-1 (Elgar 20, Amla 13) Wood looks relatively flat, and being hit round the park won’t help. Amla guides a boundary to third man and pulls witheringly for another. Wood’s response is an impressive bouncer that rips through to Bairstow. He averages 144 in this series and 39 in this Test career; we all know he’s better than that.
“That compilation of Viv’s tosses is something else, Rob,” says Guy Hornsby. “He was a man operating on a different planet to the rest of us. Supreme confidence, skill, elan & menace, wrapped up into cricket whites. That video below of his last Test innings is bittersweet for me. I idiotically decided to go on holiday rather than accompany my twin brother to the Oval. As it happened, my brother was stood below the dressing room as he walked up the steps for the last time. I was 16, and I’m still angry with myself. Bloody teenagers, eh.”
That’s one of my favourite Test matches, said Smyth, shamelessly plugging work that’s at least five years old and then asking himself what he hopes to achieve with such behaviour.
13th over: South Africa 37-1 (Elgar 20, Amla 5) There are 15 overs to bowl but we won’t get them all as there are only 40 minutes’ play remaining. Broad replaces Anderson, who finishes the day with combined figures of five for 17 but, crucially, only one for 13 in this innings. Elgar edges short of second slip, where Root dives smartly to his left to save the boundary. His aggression and energy in the field this evening hasn’t quite been matched by his team. I’d love to hear what he says behind closed doors at the close of play.
“I’d watch The Best Of Graham Thorpe’s Chin-Strap Waggles,” says Phil Sawyer. “More than would be healthy.”
I’ve told you before: stop mistaking this for a First Dates application form.
12th over: South Africa 33-1 (Elgar 17, Amla 5) The ball isn’t doing nearly as much as it did in the first half of the day. Amla is taking his time, and he always has plenty of that, with a view to batting England out of the game in the morning.
11th over: South Africa 32-1 (Elgar 16, Amla 4) Amla forces the ball back towards Anderson, with the ball dropping a couple of yards short. The crowd are very quiet, save the odd drunken chant. There’s no sense that South Africa are under any pressure. They have done an extremely impressive number on England in this game. It all goes back to Faf du Plessis choosing to bat first when the easy, weak option was for them to bowl.
“Hard to see why Wood v Amla when the batsman ought to be known as, if not Broad’s bunny, then at least his hare,” says John Starbuck. “Broad’s got him out more than any other bowler so, all right, it’s a surprise, but not one he couldn’t get over pretty quickly.”
10th over: South Africa 32-1 (Elgar 16, Amla 4) A maiden fae Wood to Elgar. This has been Root’s first bad day as England captain, and he looks a bit agitated as he waits at second slip. It’s hard to discern how poorly England have played, because South Africa have been so good. Part of me thinks England haven’t done that much wrong; another part of me would drop the lot of them and call up Tim Curtis.
Meanwhile, here’s Andrew Benton. “Here’s something to listen to while we’re following Elgar’s batting exploits.”
9th over: South Africa 32-1 (Elgar 16, Amla 4) Amla defends diligently and expertly throughout a maiden from Anderson. He knows that if South Africa are one down at the close, they will win this match.
“Hi Rob,” says Pete Salmon. “For around about the last 20 years, whenever I have trouble sleeping I imagine Mark Taylor leaving the ball outside off stump until I nod off. May not be to everyone’s taste, but that’s a DVD I’d pay good money for. Sort of ASMR for the cricket tragic.”
8th over: South Africa 32-1 (Elgar 16, Amla 4) Mark Wood replaces Stuart Broad, an interesting and risky move from Joe Root. I think they fancy Wood against Amla early in his innings. Elgar is on strike for the time being, and he pushes a couple of nice boundaries through the off side to lift Wood’s series average to 129.
“You’d drop Ali?” sniffs Alex McGillivray. “Come on Smyth!”
I love Moeen more than he’ll every know but I think he’ll be demolished in Australia with bat and ball. He’s not a Test-class spinner so he has to get in as a batsman who bowls. Against most teams he certainly does but not Australia in Australia, not for me Clive.
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7th over: South Africa 22-1 (Elgar 6, Amla 4) This is the game, right here. There are still 20 overs remaining, and if England get Amla early they could - could - do some gamechanging damage tonight.
WICKET! South Africa 18-1 (Kuhn c Root b Anderson 8)
This situation is not the fault of Anderson or Broad. As if to prove the point, Anderson strikes. Kuhn pushed defensively at a good delivery that took the edge, and Root grabbed an excellent low catch at second slip. Anderson has taken five for 13 today.
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6th over: South Africa 18-0 (Kuhn 8, Elgar 6) “The problem is that England are effectively carrying four players - Jennings, Ballance, Dawson and (regrettably because I’m a big fan) Wood,” says Phil Harrison. “Normally you’ll have one or two out of nick or feeling their way into Test cricket. Four is too many. Woakes for Wood, Rashid for Dawson and the two batters I mentioned get one more game to shape up. But only because I’m not sure there are many better options.”
Yes, that’s an excellent point. Teams almost always carry one or two but four is a lot. I still think the balance of the team is the fundamental problem though. When they make a change, and I don’t think they should after this game, I’d like to see Stoneman get a chance.
5th over: South Africa 16-0 (Kuhn 8, Elgar 4) Anderson shapes a gorgeous outswinger past Kuhn’s outside edge. He must be in a great mood, having been asked to bowl again a few hours after taking four for four.
REVIEW! South Africa 10-0 (Kuhn not out 6)
England’s desperation manifests itself in a dodgy review. Kuhn survived a big LBW appeal from Anderson, with doubts over the point of contact and also height. England reviewed it regardless; replays showed it was bouncing over the top.
4th over: South Africa 10-0 (Kuhn 6, Elgar 2) “Was just chatting with a mate about the reasons for Dawson’s inclusion in the side,” says Rob Petersen. “By the time the conversation concluded, we both agreed that we’d pay good money to watch a collection of Adil Rashid’s finest full tosses and half-trackers. Wondering what other cricket DVDs fellow OBO readers would like to see.”
Mine is already on YouTube. Only Sir Viv Richards could make a compilation of tosses so compelling.
3rd over: South Africa 7-0 (Kuhn 5, Elgar 2) The 130-run lead, in a low-scoring game, takes so much pressure of the South African openers. If the lead was 40, every stroke would be fraught with peril. Now it doesn’t matter so much when Elgar is beaten thrice in a superb over from Anderson. South Africa know they anything over 200 in this innings should make them safe.
We now know the #WWC17 line ups:
— Test Match Special (@bbctms) July 15, 2017
England vs South Africa in Bristol on Tuesday
Australia vs India in Derby on Thursday#bbccricket
Since you asked, this would be my team for the first Test against the West Indies, all things being equal: Cook, Hameed, Someone or Stoneman, Root, Bairstow, Stokes, Buttler, Woakes or Wood, Rashid, Broad, Anderson.
2nd over: South Africa 5-0 (Kuhn 5, Elgar 0) Kuhn launches the kitchen sink at a wide delivery from Broad, and meets only the fresh Nottingham air. A maiden.
“In a top-tier Test match,” says David Russell, “can England’s start of three for two be worsened?”
It can, and during the break between innings I scribbled a few thoughts down.
1st over: South Africa 5-0 (Kuhn 5, Elgar 0) Anderson’s first ball is a piece of filth that Kuhn flicks for four. Great stuff. He’s on the money thereafter. England’s main hope of victory involves Anderson taking six for 23 this evening.
“I like the idea of the Outrage Bus,” says Phil Sawyer. “If we could kit it out so it’s like the TARDIS on the inside and able to fit every frothing-at-the-mouth keyboard warrior in the world into it, I’d happily volunteer to then drive it over the edge of a cliff for the sake of humanity.”
Mate, while I appreciate the banter, I don’t think offering to kill 54 per cent of our readership is appropriate.
“This Test is doing little to dispel my fear that England have had some very good teams since 2005 but now there is a lack of next cabs off the rank,” says Felix Wood. “Cook Broad and Anderson will retire soon, and I don’t see them being replaced. That and an injury to Root would see us with a very average team indeed.”
Hameed will replace Cook but I agree about the quicks. England’s problem is that they have too much of a good thing, that thing being allrounders. This group of allrounders, rather unusually, look better on the pitch than they do on paper. Purely in statistical terms, Stokes, Moeen and Dawson would not get into the team as batsman or bowler. That, and the weak top order, is the reason they have stagnated since the summer of 2015.
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WICKET! England 205 all out (Wood c du Plessis b Morris 6)
That’ll do. Wood fends a nasty short ball to slip to complete a dramatic collapse from 143 for three. South Africa were terrific in the field, both brainy and brawny, and they have what should be a decisive first-innings lead of 130. See you in 10 minutes for their second innings.
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51st over: England 201-9 (Wood 2, Anderson 0) Hurry up lads.
50th over: England 200-9 (Wood 1, Anderson 0) Wood fends off a hot one from Morris, with the resulting single taking England to 200. These two should just hit out and get bowling; England’s best chance of a win is to do an Old Trafford 2008, only with swing rather than spin. Anderson could - could - bowl South Africa out for 100 tonight, and if it’s sunny tomorrow we know batting will be much easier. The likeliest scenario, of course, is an emphatic and deserved South African victory.
“On TMS they make it clear that the umpire probably had a sensory conflict, so that he thought he heard a nick - probably bat on clothing - and didn’t trust his eyes,” says John Starbuck. “When you think of recent DRS revelations, maybe you can’t blame him.”
Yes, agreed. That said, I lost all confidence in the naked ear after Rahul Dravid’s aglet.
49th over: England 199-9 (Wood 0, Anderson 0) “That decision is not even in the same postcode as the worst umpiring howlers on record, (there was a noise as he wafted it at too so it wasn’t unreasonable) so I think everyone should hop off the outrage bus,” says Oli Smiddy. “And if we’re talking about umpiring howlers in the context of England, I really can’t see past Broad in 2013.”
I never understood the fuss about that one. He only really missed an edge to the keeper, which happens all the time.
WICKET! England 199-9 (Dawson c Amla b Maharaj 13)
England were 143 for three when Joe Root was dismissed. They are now 199 for nine. Dawson tries to get on with it by slog-sweeping Maharaj, and mishits it high to short fine leg.
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48th over: England 199-8 (Dawson 13, Wood 0) I’ll say it again: Mark Wood keeps out Morris’s hat-trick ball, an attempted yorker than ends up as a full toss. A double-wicket maiden is decent consolation.
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48th over: England 199-8 (Dawson 13, Wood 0) Mark Wood keeps out Morris’s hat-trick ball, an attempted yorker than ends up as a full toss. A double-wicket maiden is decent consolation.
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This is some fightback from South Africa. From the moment du Plessis chose to bat in dodgy conditions, they have played with pride, courage, intelligence and skill. England have been loose but I think this turnaround is more about South African excellence.
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WICKET! England 199-8 (Broad LBW b Morris 0)
Broad goes for a golden duck! It took a review, even though he was plumb LBW to a very full delivery from Chris Morris. You have to feel for the umpire Simon Fry, who has had a desperate 20 minutes.
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WICKET! England 199-7 (Moeen c du Plessis b Morris 18)
The Chris Morris plan has worked! Moeen, his weight not forward because of the threat of the short ball, drives loosely and straight to du Plessis at cover point.
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47th over: England 199-6 (Moeen 18, Dawson 13) This is an important innings for Dawson. A solid 40, in support of Moeen, would temporarily quieten those who don’t think he’s a Test player. He moves into double figures by sweeping a loose delivery from Maharaj for four.
46th over: England 195-6 (Moeen 18, Dawson 9) Morris is a surprising choice ahead of Philander and Morkel, especially as he has bowled poorly today. Nasser Hussain, on Sky, reckons there might be a plan to rough Moeen up.
“Worst umpiring?” says Gary Naylor.
Ah, that old favourite. That’s the most understandable shocker in cricket history. Wasim did such astonishing things with the ball that, even though replays show it was demolishing middle, it would almost have been a mistake to give it out live.
45th over: England 193-6 (Moeen 16, Dawson 9) I’m still trying to process that decision against Dawson. It reminded me a bit of this, such was the daylight between bat and ball.
I reckon that is going to go down as one of the worst umpiring decisions ever!! 🙈🙈🙈#ENGvRSA
— James Taylor (@jamestaylor20) July 15, 2017
You weren’t there in the 80s, son. (But it’s the worst I can remember in the DRS era.)
44th over: England 192-6 (Moeen 15, Dawson 9) Dawson does edge the next ball - for four. An angry Morris rams a short ball down the leg side and then slips a beauty past the outside edge. He seems to have a problem with Liams: he had a right go at Livingstone in the T20s, and now he’s not exactly radiating goodwill towards Dawson.
REVIEW! England 186-6 (Dawson not out 3)
This is one of the great shockers. Dawson was given out caught behind by the umpire Simon Fry when he carved at Chris Morris. He reviewed the decision straight away and replays showed Dawson missed it by a mile. You have to feel for Fry, because that was a hideous mistake.
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43rd over: England 186-6 (Moeen 15, Dawson 3) On a perfect day for seam bowlers, we’ll start the evening session with a battle of the spinners: Maharaj v Moeen and Dawson. In these conditions Maharaj was supposed to the stock bowler; so far he has been a shock bowler, taking the huge wickets of Ben Stokes and Jonny Bairstow. Two runs from a quiet first over.
“The last couple of days seem to have confirmed once and for all that Ben Stokes is the most illogically optimistic advocate for review taking since Matt Prior,” says Trevor Bond. “Given his vice captaincy, it is entirely possible that we will see a Stokes-led England team some time soonish. What’s the world record for how quickly a team have used up an allocation of reviews? I reckon the big lad would smash it.”
Ha, indeed. Though wasn’t Matt Prior the opposite? I remember him often counselling against using a review.
How England can win this match
Belt their way to 280 all out, reduce South Africa to 21 for four in helpful conditions tonight and hope the sun shines tomorrow.
I should be a consultant for this stuff.
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Hello again. This Test match is turning into a nasty reality check for England. They have played like a Joe Root team, batting with almost reckless aggression - yet the result is the same as in the last days of Alastair Cook, when stirring wins were frequently followed by deflating defeats. The match isn’t over but England will need to play extremely well, and get lucky with the overhead conditions, to win this.
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TEA: England 184-6, trail by 151 with 4 wickets remaining
England remain in trouble and once again we can look forward to a session that may be crucial. Rob Smyth will be here shortly to write you through it – all emails here from now on, please. Bye!
42nd over: England 179-5 (Moeen 14, Dawson 2) The last over before tea and it’s bowled by Morris, his first action since the 15th over. Way back when Root hit his first two deliveries of the day for four, and seemed to knock his confidence in the process. It still hasn’t really recovered, and he leaks five runs here, with two dots.
41st over: England 179-5 (Moeen 10, Dawson 1) Spin, drift, dip – the wicket ball had all the things, and Maharaj has found himself a vein of form and is busily mining it. In comes Liam Dawson, who has a rapidly-shrinking average of 22 after four Test innings, one (the first) of 66 not out and three of 0. He avoids a quadruple-bagel, though, with a quick single.
WICKET! Bairstow b Maharaj 45 (England 177-6)
That’s a lovely delivery! It spins, straightens, kisses the bat and then clips a stump!
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40th over: England 176-5 (Bairstow 45, Moeen 9) Moeen punches the ball away through the covers for four. IMPORTANT TENNIS NEWS! Garbiñe Muguruza has only gone and won the Wimbledon!
39th over: England 172-5 (Bairstow 45, Moeen 5) Maharaj concedes but a single, and is the only bowler going at less than three an over in this innings, his four overs so far having cost 11 runs.
38th over: England 172-5 (Bairstow 45, Moeen 4) A maiden from Philander to Bairstow, with one beauty that moved a bit off the seam and beat the edge.
Lovely to watch the bowling unit operating together! Constantly asking questions of the English batters. Keep pushing boys
— AB de Villiers (@ABdeVilliers17) July 15, 2017
Maharaj loves a leftie: averages 23.13 v LHB, 32.75 v RHB #engvsa
— The Cricket Prof. (@CricProf) July 15, 2017
37th over: England 172-5 (Bairstow 45, Moeen 4) Moeen Ali comes out and slams his first ball away for four, the first runs scored by a non-Yorkshireman since the second over of the innings. Before that shot (Rob Smyth’s stat, this) Yorkshire had scored 146 of the 149 runs off the bat in this innings.
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WICKET! Stokes c De Kock b Maharaj 0 (England 168-5)
The ball takes a tiny edge, hits the pad, hits the leg, hits De Kock in the gloves and then the shoulder, loops up, eventually settles in his gloves, and Ben Stokes is out for a duck! The TV umpire checks to see if the ball hit the keeper’s helmet on its way down but can’t be sure that it did, so Stokes is on his way.
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REVIEW! Is Stokes out here? The on-field umpire has given him out caught behind, but it’s gone upstairs for a check …
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36th over: England 168-4 (Bairstow 45, Stokes 0) Ooh! The ball leans away from Bairstow, who offers his bat but makes no contact. He certainly makes contact later, scooping the ball into the air towards mid on, where the complete absence of fielders saves his bacon. Four runs, and after 30 balls off Stokes is about to do some batting.
Test cricket at its best: a match in the balance on Saturday afternoon on a result wicket in front of a capacity crowd at Trent Bridge.
— Scyld Berry (@scyldberry) July 15, 2017
35th over: England 164-4 (Bairstow 41, Stokes 0) Maharaj returns, and after five dots Philander misfields to hand Bairstow a single. Bairstow has now faced 24 deliveries in a row, and remains on strike for the start of over 36.
34th over: England 163-4 (Bairstow 40, Stokes 0) Philander’s back. HawkEye suggests that the lbw claim would have failed anyway – the ball might have flicked a bail, but not with sufficient force to overturn the on-field decision. Bairstow celebrates with a thick outside edge which squirts past Bavuma at point but runs out of legs before the rope. Three runs. Bairstow has faced the last 18 deliveries and will be on strike for the start of over 35.
Oooh...close from SA. They think they have Bairstow when they review, but ultra-edge shows a spike and England survive. 160/4 #ENGvSA pic.twitter.com/8GbIx4vrrb
— Cricket South Africa (@OfficialCSA) July 15, 2017
Not out! There was a very slight inside edge, not visible even in slow-motion replays but revealed by UltraEdge.
REVIEW! Philander thinks he might have Bairstow lbw here! The on-field decision, however, is not out …
33rd over: England 159-4 (Bairstow 37, Stokes 0) Bairstow drives straight to Philander at extra cover, and Philander dives onto a patch of grass quite near the ball’s trajectory, but not actually on it, handing England four bonus runs. A couple of balls later the same batsman picks out a gap in the field and sends the ball to the cover boundary, Heino Kuhn sprinting and diving in an attempt to stop it only for the ball to flick his fingertips an carry on regardless.
32nd over: England 151-4 (Bairstow 29, Stokes 0) Ooof! Morkel’s first ball goes for four; his second comes off Bairstow’s inside edge and flashes just past the stumps!
31st over: England 144-4 (Bairstow 22, Stokes 0) Hello again! So, another key period in the Test lies ahead of us, as England cope, or don’t, with their captain’s departure. South Africa’s total remains nearly 200 runs distant, so there’s a lot of batting still to do.
30th over: England 143-4 (Bairstow 21, Stokes 0) That was Morkel’s 12th over of the innings, and it’s only been going for 30 overs He’s such an admirable, likeable cricketer. In other news, it’s time to hand you over to Simon Burnton for the rest of the session. You can email him here. See you after tea!
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WICKET! England 143-4 (Root c de Kock b Morkel 78)
The indefatigable Morne Morkel takes a huge wicket! He has no right to still be bowling after the shift he has put in today, but now he has dismissed Joe Root. He launched into a drive at a tempting outswinger that took the edge, and de Kock took an excellent diving catch in front of first slip. Root played a gem of an innings, 78 from 76 balls in bowler-friendly conditions, but his dismissal leaves England in trouble.
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29th over: England 143-3 (Root 78, Bairstow 21) “I gather Ian Copestake’s literary accomplishments include the tantric classic (18th over),” says Brian Withington, “but I wonder did he also pen the rather more steamy ‘Fifty Shades of Flannel’ under a nom de plume?”
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28th over: England 140-3 (Root 77, Bairstow 19) A leg-side short ball from Morkel is pulled round the corner for four by Root. He has 77 from 74 balls and is on course for the fastest Test century by an England captain - Graham Gooch biffed one from 95 balls in his Test against India at Lord’s in 1990.
27th over: England 130-3 (Root 72, Bairstow 19) Olivier replaces Philander, which allows Bairstow to breathe for the first time in his innings. He takes eight from three deliveries, including a decisive clout to the cover boundary.
26th over: England 121-3 (Root 71, Bairstow 11) Morkel continues, so perhaps Faf du Plessis is going to persist with the tactic of having a World XI at both ends and then Ilford 2nds from both ends. Root is hit in the chest when he tries to pull that doesn’t get up as much as he anticipated; a thick-edged steer bring his 11th four; and then Bairstow is beaten on the inside by another cracking delivery from Morkel.
“I’d think 27 is a nothing score in the context of playing nicely until lunch, then driving at a full inswinger directly afterwards,” sys Rob Petersen. “Still, I guess it’s better than 0 or 3. Also reminds me of my favourite ever 27, scored by a certain M.R. Ramprakash on debut, against the likes of Marshall, Ambrose, and Walsh. That wasn’t a nothing score.”
Ah, Ramps’s Bittersweet Twentysomething Series. Even his strike-rate and number of fours hit were in the twenties. God I loved him that summer.
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25th over: England 114-3 (Root 64, Bairstow 11) Root is playing on a different pitch to the other England batsmen, or perhaps in a different atmosphere. He looks in almost complete control, and when Philander drops fractionally short he slams a majestic pull for four.
24th over: England 107-3 (Root 58, Bairstow 11) South Africa’s mistake before lunch was to take Philander and Morkel off at the same time, allowing England to cut loose against the change bowlers. I doubt they will do that here, so this might be the last over of Morkel’s spell. Root plays a nice straight drive that is well fielded by Morkel in his follow through. Since reaching his fifty Root has scored six from 22 deliveries, though that is almost exclusively down to the quality of the bowling.
“Sting?” sniffs Guy Hornsby. “Tantric cover drives? Mind reading? Let’s be honest, getting inside the mind of the OBOer is a dangerous business. If it’s not Copestake or Starbuck’s musings, we’ve got Millings’ XIs and Netherton’s shopping lists. Lord knows what we’d uncover after a few liver preservers. Does anyone know what Eileen Drewery is up to these days?”
23rd over: England 106-3 (Root 57, Bairstow 11) Root works Philander through midwicket for a couple. He’s trying to launch the second counter-attack of the innings, but it’s not easy against this bowling. England will be happy enough to see these two off because of what comes next - or rather what doesn’t, because of the suspension of Kagiso Rabada.
“Rob,” says Mac Millings. “When it comes to lessons in brutality (13th over) and sensuality (18th), who better to instruct us all than a man who has devoted his entire life to a 16-word poem about chickens and a wet wheelbarrow?”
22nd over: England 103-3 (Root 54, Bairstow 11) A grubber from Morkel whistles just past the off stump of Bairstow, who then gets a boundary with a thick-edged steer to third man. He’s had a torrid start to the innings, and life isn’t getting any easier: Morkel ends the over by cutting him in half with a beastly delivery.
“99.94% of the time, I would agree with you about 27 being a nothing score,” says Gary Naylor. “Today is the 0.06%.”
Ha, fair point. This is what happens when you spend your adolescence with your nose in the records section of Wisden.
Ballance's Test career:
— Bharath Seervi (@SeerviBharath) July 15, 2017
First 10 Tests: 1019 runs @ 67.93, 4 100s, 5 50s
Last 13 Tests: 475 runs @ 19.79, 0 100s, 2 50s#ENGvSA
21st over: England 99-3 (Root 54, Bairstow 7) Bairstow leans into a big drive at Philander and edges it a fraction of short of du Plessis at second slip. How did that not carry? This is brilliant cricket, with Philander and Morkel bowling immaculately. Philander beats Bairstow again later in the over. He’s making the ball talk more than six barbers.
20th over: England 95-3 (Root 53, Bairstow 4) Morkel turns Root round with a cracking delivery that hits him high on the back pad. This is a significant spell in the game because you know batting will be less hazardous against Morris, Olivier and Maharaj. We’re only four sessions in but this has been a fantastic Test match.
“Surely, if you were in a state of tantric bliss, you wouldn’t want anything else, so why go shopping?” says John Starbuck. “Ommmm….”
You’re asking me to get inside the mind of Sting? Come on, even David Peace would balk at that.
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19th over: England 94-3 (Root 52, Bairstow 4) Philander greets Bairstow with a storming off-cutter that hits him high on the thigh and deflects for four leg-byes. The next ball is a fraction too straight and Bairstow flicks it crisply to the midwicket boundary. Philander is bowling beautiful, as you’d expect in these conditions, and finishes the over by zipping one past Bairstow’s outside edge.
WICKET! England 86-3 (Ballance b Philander 27)
Done him! Vernon Philander strikes with his first ball after lunch. It was full and tailing back in to Ballance, who dragged the ball onto his pad and back onto the stumps. Ballance made 27 from 37 balls, his third nothing score of the series. It was a bit of a nothing shot too, an indecisive push-drive at a ball that didn’t come back as I originally thought.
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18th over: England 86-2 (Ballance 27, Root 52) Morne Morkel starts after lunch, inducing a thick inside-edge from Ballance that goes for a single. This has already been a game of Pass the Initiative, and South Africa should tell themselves that dismissing Root would drag the game back in their favour.
“Statgasms be damned,” says Ian Copestake. “Thanks to Joe Root I am in the midst of one of those prolonged ones that people like Sting go on about, which lasts during outings to the shops and that.”
Tantric Cricket: The Sensual Touch of Willow on Leather by Ian Copestake, is available from all good bookshops.
Watching Polly and Athers do their thing in the nets. Hope anyone young cricketer wanting to play at a higher level takes notes. Brilliant
— Dale Steyn (@DaleSteyn62) July 15, 2017
Amen to this. Sky’s cricket masterclasses are quite exceptional. If only something similar had been available for a young offspinner in 1988, maybe a John Emburey masterclass on the BBC, I might not be here now.
(I would be here now. I was crap.)
A mild lunchtime statgasm This is a match for experienced bowlers, who know exactly how to take advantage of helpful conditions. Broad, Anderson, Morkel and Philander have taken 10 for 175 between them; the rest have combined figures of two for 229.
Hello all, Rob here. The Joe Root counter-attack is one of the finest sights in cricket. I doubt he’ll ever top Cardiff 2015, when he played one of the greatest tone-setting Ashes innings of all time, but this morning was still pretty special. England were three for two when he walked to the crease; in the next hour he raced to a 40-ball fifty, effecting the fourth significant momentum switch in this fascinating match. It was a modern captain’s innings, with the focus on initiative-seizing rather than defiance.
He was excellently supported by Gary Ballance, who continued his encouraging start to the series. Ballance is such an ugly batsman that he seems to score fewer runs than he actually does; his Test average is higher than those of Moeen Ali, Ben Stokes and Jos Buttler. They have the opposite problem - their batting is so stylish and persuasive that it sometimes feels like they score more runs than is actually the case.
If any England batsman wants to see how to fuse style and substance, they don’t have to look too far. Their captain does it as well as any England batsman for decades.
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Lunch: England 85-2, trail by 250 with 8 wickets remaining
That was just totally splendid from Joe Root, and England end the session resurgent. The first 45 minutes of the morning was just wild, but together Root and Ballance appear to have tamed it.
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17th over: England 85-2 (Ballance 25, Root 52) A bit of spin to end the session. Root takes no risks, and clips one off the back foot for a fine four.
16th over: England 80-2 (Ballance 25, Root 48) Drama! Well, mild drama! Root hits the ball straight into the ground, and thence into a fielder’s hands. South Africa think he might have hit it into his toe, and thus be out. They check with the TV umpire. He didn’t. Olivier’s next ball is short and wide, and Root heaves it over midwicket for four, enjoying it so much he does it again a couple of balls later, and then he tickles the last to third man for four. Root came in a 3-2 and has since faced 38 balls and scored 48 runs.
15th over: England 70-2 (Ballance 25, Root 38) Morris’s second delivery is very full and also very wide, and Ballance flings out a bat to divert it over gully for four. A single later, Morris gets one to move away from Root off the seam and the batsman reaches for it uncomfortably and misses. Ooooh! Says the crowd. Promise. Encouragement. Then, another into the pads, and a few more easy runs.
Faf is faffing about. England's senior seamers took 8 of 10 wickets and Faf's experienced men already had two when hooked @simon_burnton
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 15, 2017
14th over: England 62-2 (Ballance 20, Root 35) Olivier’s second over, much likes the first, features one delivery that’s much too straight, and which Root clips away. This time it’s fielded on the rope and yields just two.
13th over: England 60-2 (Ballance 20, Root 33) South Africa were 25-1 after 13 overs. Has the pitch really switched so swiftly from belter to benign? “This is so poor from South Africa,” complains Ian Copestake. “Talk about taking the foot off the throat!”
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12th over: England 54-2 (Ballance 17, Root 33) Duanne Olivier comes on, and immediately coaxes the ball to ease away from Root. The England captain leaves these alone, so Olivier tweaks his line, bowls into the pads, and Root flicks the final ball through square leg for four, the ball absolutely rocketing off the middle of the bat.
11th over: England 49-2 (Ballance 17, Root 29) Chris Morris does some bowling, and opens with something shortish, wideish and thumped square by Root for four. His second ball is similar, as is the outcome. The third isn’t much better, but this time Root finds a fielder and gets a single. Thus when Morris finally comes up with a ball that pitches fuller and moves gently away from a right-hander, there’s a left-hander at the crease.
10th over: England 39-2 (Ballance 16, Root 20) Ballance convinces another ball to zip wide of gully, who dives and stretches and can’t quite stop it. That’s four more. South Africa, disgruntled with the sudden reversal in fortunes, ask the umpires to check the ball. It passes. “Jennings looked OK till he got that ball and DI Gower said there’s not much you can do as a batsman and he knows a thing or two about batting,” writes Adam Roberts. “To discard Jennings on that basis would be like ejecting Cook for his. When a pitcher in baseball is on top form the commentators say he’s filthy. I’d say Philander is pretty filthy this morning.”
9th over: England 34-2 (Ballance 12, Root 19) The boundaries keep coming. Four wide of cover from Ballance, and then four more from the next, Morkel getting his line wrong and Ballance tickling to fine leg.
#ENGvSA @simon_burnton At Lord's #JoeRoot took 65 overs to get half of England's total (143 of 286-5). Today he did it in one ball: 3 of 6-2
— Tim de Lisle (@TimdeLisle) July 15, 2017
8th over: England 26-2 (Ballance 4, Root 19) Shot! That’s the finest stroke of the day so far from Root, driving cleanly through the covers. His next shot also gets four runs though it’s a great deal less handsome, waving his bat at a high, wide delivery and edging it in the air, again just past gully. Then another lovely punch through cover off the back foot. Twelve runs from the over, four times as many as England scored from Philander’s three previous overs put together.
7th over: England 14-2 (Ballance 4, Root 7) Ballance edges Morkel’s final delivery, but it not only goes straight into the ground, it also goes wide of gully and runs away for four. Another offer of cricket for suitably inclined (and located) readers: “A bright and sunny Saturday in Rio can only mean one thing – cricket,” writes Adam Hirst. “The monthly match of the Carioca Cricket Club at the Sao Fernando ground in Itaguai! Home of the Brazilian National Cricket Championships too. New members always welcome, with a tour to Chile in October to play at the beautiful Santiago ground in the shadow of The Andes … Anyone interested can get in touch.”
6th over: England 7-2 (Ballance 0, Root 4) I’m not sure Jennings should be judged on this one: it was a peach of a delivery on a wild morning, it happens. Clearly memories of his debut century won’t last forever, but I’m a forgiving sort.
@Simon_Burnton So, Keaton Jennings Test opener. Discuss.
— Billy Mills (@BmillsBilly) July 15, 2017
5th over: England 6-2 (Ballance 0, Root 3) Trent Bridge is serving up some magic and madness this morning. Root clips his first delivery through midwicket for three, doubling England’s score at a stroke: this morning has seen six wickets fall and 32 runs scored.
Six wickets fell in 90 overs on day one; six wickets have fallen in 10.3 overs and 63 minutes on day two. #EngvSA
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) July 15, 2017
WICKET! Jennings c De Kock b Morkel 0 (England 3-2)
And that’s two in two balls! Fine delivery, tiny bit of movement, edge, and an easy catch!
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4th over: England 3-1 (Jennings 0, Ballance 0) An absolute mess of an over from Cook, who edged into his pads three times. The first sent the ball looping into the air, but there’s no fielder near enough to the bat to take it. Philander starts to sprint, realises the futility of it all, and stops. A couple of balls later it happens again; this time it doesn’t loop, and there’s still no close fielder. A couple of balls later there’s a tiny tickle off the bat, and he’s gone!
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WICKET! Cook c De Kock b Philander 3 (England 3-1)
UltraEdge shows Cook got something on it, so it’s not lbw. But it was caught behind!
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REVIEW! Is Cook out lbw here?
The umpire says no, but the appeal was loud and confident, and South Africa review instantly.
3rd over: England 3-0 (Cook 3, Jennings 0) Jennings leaves what he could leave – which was most of it – and defends the rest.
2nd over: England 3-0 (Cook 3, Jennings 0) Nice bowling from Philander, finding a good line and length and by and large sticking with it. When one goes too straight, Cook clips it off his pads and through midwicket for a couple.
1st over: England 1-0 (Cook 1, Jennings 0) It’s last out, first up for South Africa as Morkel takes the new ball. A little tickle for one from Cook.
The players are back out, and England should be on survival mode for rest of the session. If South Africa get a cooperative ball, the next hour or so could be tasty.
Lesson for England is to play straight, leave everything that can be left and play with soft hands 30-1 at lunch will be good @Simon_Burnton
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 15, 2017
Yesterday for Anderson: 120 deliveries, 68 runs conceded at 0.57 per ball, one wicket. Today: 20 deliveries, four runs conceded at 0.20 per ball, four wickets.
The only fast bowler with more five wicket hauls at a single ground than Anderson's 7 at Trent Bridge is 8 by Ian Botham at Lord's. #EngvSA
— Freddie Wilde (@fwildecricket) July 15, 2017
Anderson’s figures this morning: 3.2-2-4-4
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WICKET! Morkel c Bairstow b Anderson 8 (South Africa 335 all out)
A bit of height, a bit of away swing, a loose shot, a thin edge, an easy catch, and a five-fer for Anderson!
96th over: South Africa 335-8 (Morkel 8, Olivier 0) Another straight drive for four from Morkel, who has only hit two scoring shots and they were both that one. Broad, profoundly outswung by Anderson this morning, gets good movement with his final delivery, into Olivier, who gets a bat to it.
95th over: South Africa 330-8 (Morkel 4, Olivier 0) The ball is played near Stokes at cover, who dives, fields, leaps up, catches his trousers under one knee as the other pushes him upwards, exposes his undergarments, flings the ball at the stumps at the bowler’s end, and appears to pull a muscle in his side, all in a couple of action-packed seconds. Later, Morris drives nicely down the ground for four and, emboldened, tries to send the last ball of the over towards square leg. Mistake.
“I am sure Joe Neate has deployed the cunning notion of not actually getting players out because they are not very good,” writes Ian Copestake. “I wonder if England might wish to wait for conditions to ease before they start their own reply and so should tell Jimmy to reel the swing in.” Bit late for that now.
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WICKET! Morris c & b Anderson 36 (South Africa 330-9)
Another leading edge, and this time the ball loops back to the bowler, who juggles the ball a bit and then keeps it!
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94th over: South Africa 326-8 (Morris 32, Morkel 4) Broad bangs on in short; Morris starts to duck, realises the ball is literally flying into his bat, so swings it a bit and sends it racing through midwicket for four. A single later, Morkel uncomfortably misses his first two deliveries, and then pushes the last down the ground for four more.
93rd over: South Africa 317-8 (Morris 27, Morkel 0) Anderson’s third delivery swings wildly into Maharaj. A little too wildly, it turns out, as it clips a pad and then disappears to the boundary for four. But it sets the batsman up for what’s to come, which is slight outswing next ball, and he’s gone. Excellent bowling, but for one poorly aimed delivery to welcome Morkel, which went down the leg side. “Be grateful for what we’ve got,” writes John Starbuck of the Nottingham weather. “Plenty of overcast helps our fast bowling, though if it lasts might also perturb our batsmen. In my experience, we are lucky to have it dry, as Nottingham is known for very sudden, very vicious hailstorms too.”
WICKET! Maharaj c Root b Anderson 0 (South Africa 317-8)
One ball swings into Maharaj, then the next goes straight, Maharaj nibbles, and Root takes a fine catch at second slip!
92nd over: South Africa 313-7 (Morris 27, Maharaj 0) The first runs of the day come from the fifth ball of Broad’s over, tickled to the fine leg boundary by Morris. The bowler responds with a short ball that hits the ducking batsman on the shoulder.
91st over: South Africa 309-7 (Morris 23, Maharaj 0) A promising opening over with the totally new nearly-new ball, which is already moving a bit. The final ball of the over is also the best, zipping past a befuddled Maharaj. Meanwhile, an appeal from Joe Neate:
“Each time I mention this, I seem to get at least one new player, so hoping you’re able to help again. Once again a motley group of part-time OBO readers are heading off for our fifth year on a couple of jaunts to play cricket, one in Brighton in mid-August, and then across in Italy in mid-September. You can read about our previous exploits here, and if you’re interested in turning out for us, any and all abilities are absolutely welcome. We also welcome umpires, scorers, spectators or people just want to ride a Vespa around a provincial Italian town. If you’re interested in either trip, drop me a mail at joe.neate@gmail.com.
The tours are always AMAZING fun. It’s a great group of people, all games are played in the right spirit, and we always fit in a smidgen of something culture-y, as befitting a group of Guardian readers. It’s not all cricket and gin and tonics. Honest.”
WICKET! Philander c Dawson b Anderson 54 (South Africa 309-7)
The fifth ball of the day is angled into Philander, who attempts to turn it towards midwicket, but gets a thick leading edge, sending the ball steepling into the air and, eventually, into the hands of Dawson at cover!
The floodlights are on. 11am in July. This country.
Overcast at Trent Bridge. So dark even the fridge light is being utilised. Jimmy Anderson will be licking his chops.
— The Cricket Paper (@TheCricketPaper) July 15, 2017
309-6
Maybe it wasn’t fine: the umpires appear to be choosing a different one.
The players are out! Clad to a man in delightful knitwear. England start by asking the umpires to check the ball. They do. It’s fine.
Gary Naylor is on the scene. It’s currently about 17C in Nottingham, rising to peak at about 22C in the late afternoon.
Too chilly to boomerang this morning, but it might go a bit if England bowl full and straight with a long off as protection @Simon_Burnton
— Gary Naylor (@garynaylor999) July 15, 2017
There’s a lot of cricket going on today, and the Guardian is all over it. Will Macpherson is watching South Africa play Australia in the Women’s World Cup:
And Vithushan Ehantharajah is on England v West Indies duty:
Hello world!
So it’s all rather delicately poised, with South Africa on 309-6. The next session could be vital, which is as you’d want to be approaching the start of a day’s Test cricket. There’s thick, grey cloud over Nottingham this morning, a chill and a bit of moisture in the air. Rain is very unlikely, but wickets are probable. It’s all, in short, terribly exciting. Let’s have some fun!
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