Cricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park, Centurion, South Africa - December 26, 2019 South Africa's Quinton de Kock celebrates reaching his half century REUTERS/Rogan Ward
PRETORIA (Reuters) - Quinton de Kock fell five runs short of his century after dragging South Africa out of early trouble to 277 for nine at the close on the opening day of the first test against England at Centurion Park on Thursday.
England took a wicket with the opening delivery of the four-test series and had their hosts teetering on 111-5 after lunch but De Kock’s belligerent innings brought South Africa back into the match.
Cricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park, Centurion, South Africa - December 26, 2019 South Africa's Dwaine Pretorius in action REUTERS/Rogan Ward
James Anderson marked his 150th cap and return to the England attack with the first-ball wicket of opener Dean Elgar, setting the tourists up for early domination of an inexperienced home side seeking to halt a run of five successive test defeats.
Sam Curran’s skilful bowling earned him figures of 4-57 and Stuart Broad returned from illness to claim 3-52.
But De Kock wrestled the initiative away from England with an innings that combined early aggression, as he sought to impose himself on the bowlers, with later circumspection.
Cricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's Sam Curran celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Aiden Markram with teammates REUTERS/Rogan Ward
"We tried to make sure we kept up our intent, to keep ticking over and not get bottled up," De Kock told reporters.
"When England are on top, it's very tough to score runs against them."
He reached his 50 off 45 balls with some ferocious hitting before digging in to try to tire out the England bowlers on a hot day.
Cricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park, Centurion, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's Stuart Broad and Joe Root celebrate taking the wicket of South Africa's Rassie Faf du Plessis REUTERS/Rogan Ward
De Kock fell agonisingly short of a sixth test century as he feathered an away swinger from Curran through to wicketkeeper Jos Buttler for 95 off 128 balls.
De Kock featured in an 87-run sixth-wicket stand with 30-year-old debutant Dwaine Pretorius, who made 33, and 47 runs for the seventh wicket with Vernon Philander who was 28 not out at the close.
Curran led the way for the England bowlers, who had to do without Ben Stokes, forced off the field by dehydration although he did return to field for the last hour.
Cricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Dean Elgar, caught by England's Jos Buttler with Ben Stokes and teammates REUTERS/Rogan Ward
The 37-year-old Anderson’s first ball in test cricket for five months, having limped out of the Ashes series with a calf injury, was a warm-up delivery down the leg side that Elgar tried to flick at and edged to Buttler.
NEW REGIME
Cricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's Sam Curran celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Aiden Markram REUTERS/Rogan Ward
It was not the start South Africa, under a new coaching regime after an administrative crisis, were looking for against an England side who have battled with a flu bug in their camp since arriving almost two weeks ago.
But Zubayr Hamza, in his third test, boosted his chances of securing the regular No. 3 place with 39 before being caught in the slips by Stokes off Broad.
"We would have liked to have got them out but if we can keep them to under 300, we are confident we can go on and bat big," Curran said.
Cricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 South Africa's Dean Elgar is bowled by England's James Anderson REUTERS/Rogan Ward
(Additional reporting by Nick Said; Editing by John Stonestreet and Ed Osmond)
Cricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's Stuart Broad celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Zubayr Hamza with Ben Stokes, Joe Root and teammates REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Dean Elgar, caught by England's Jos Buttler with teammates REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's Stuart Broad celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Zubayr Hamza REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 South Africa's Zubayr Hamza in action REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 South Africa's Zubayr Hamza bats past England's Jofra Archer REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's James Anderson celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Dean Elgar, caught by England's Jos Buttler with Ben Stokes and teammates REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park Cricket Stadium, Centurion, Pretoria, South Africa - December 26, 2019 South Africa's Dean Elgar is bowled by England's James Anderson REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park, Centurion, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's Sam Curran celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen with Joe Root and Jos Buttler REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park, Centurion, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's Jofra Archer appeals unsuccessfully for the wicket of South Africa's Faf du Plessis REUTERS/Rogan WardCricket - South Africa v England - First Test - SuperSport Park, Centurion, South Africa - December 26, 2019 England's Sam Curran celebrates taking the wicket of South Africa's Rassie van der Dussen REUTERS/Rogan Ward
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